The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of All Time: 90-81

Readers, over the past two months, I have worked to create a list of my favorite K-Pop Songs of All Time. For over ten years, I have enjoyed K-Pop, seeing it blossom into a global genre with millions and millions of adoring fans. I have found K-Pop songs I love, made friends over the genre, and seen legacies built over the years. Some of the songs that have made me feel the most are from K-Pop. Given all I have felt and seen, I thought it was finally time to create a ranking of my favorite K-Pop songs of all time.

I don't claim this ranking is perfect, no ranking of this can be perfect. I can only claim that I did my best to provide my personal opinion, with my personal biases, from my years of enjoying Korean music. There are many more boy band songs than girl group (I just prefer their general soundscape), and many songs come from the second generation (2005-2013).

In a way, K-Pop is a bit of a misnomer here. I have included Korean songs outside of the idol sphere, and songs released nearly a century ago. The end result is a list full of songs that left their mark on me. I hope you, the reader, enjoy this list. You may (and almost certainly won't) agree with my ranking, but that is what makes a personal list like this so wonderful.

With that said, let us enter the rules and regulations for what has been qualified as K-Pop for this list.

• Any musical piece released in South Korea, or any of its direct predecessor states, AND/OR is predominantly in the Korean language, Jejuan, or any of their dialects.
• The musical piece must be lyrical in nature.
• Any song, single, or b-side, is eligible.
• This list is MY personal opinion.
• Song rankings may have changed since previous lists and/or reviews.
• The criterion for "the greatest" is a mix of my personal experience, the overall songwriting (lyrically, compositionally, and performance-wise), and the influence of the track in question.
• A song refers to a particular recording of the track and not the basic composition.
• Only one entry per composition.

With all this said. The list will begin tomorrow. For songs 100-11, they will be grouped into daily posts of 10 (100-91, 90-81, etc.). For the top 10, however, each song would get a post of its own.

I hope all of you enjoy this list over the days! Please give your thoughts in the comments, and I will gladly reply when free.

Support 10/10 - Music and Purchase Your K-Pop Albums Right Here

Previously:

Honorable Mentions

100-91

90. Hong Kwang Ho - Step By Step (2009)

An OST for the legendary Korean drama, Queen Seondeok, Step By Step, also known by its Korean title, Balbam Balbam, soundtracks the series' adaptation of Bidam. Bringing life to one of the most riveting cinematic moments of the 21st century, Hong Kwang Ho performs Step By Step with a ferocious devotion to the craft, especially during the explosive finale.

89. BoA - Atlantic Princess (2003)

While the death of BoA's manager during the promotions of Atlantic Princess prevented the song from being performed by BoA for years, Atlantic Princess' melody has proven evergreen. Abandoning her harsher dance-driven image, BoA provided the most emotionally resonant track of her impressive career.

88. TVXQ - Humanoids (2012)

Humanoids is a song that thrives on its repetitive electronic loops. They create a wily atmosphere for Yunho and Changmin to unleash their vocal prowess for one of the most impressive choruses of 2012 K-Pop. Humanoids may be repetitive, but its basic elements are so strong that repetition becomes a strength rather than a weakness.

87. VIXX - Rock Ur Body (2012)

Both VIXX and VIXX's fandom has long looked down upon Rock Ur Body, viewing it as a cheesy and unfortunate sidestep before they would grow on into one of the most beloved Korean acts of the 2010s. All of this unfortunately ignores the fantastic hooks that turn Rock Ur Body into an exhilarating ride. Pair this with some of the most liberal usage of high notes in recent memory, and you have a song that deserves to become a cult classic. 

86. U-Kiss - Neverland (2011)

U-Kiss, throughout their entire career, have always been a group that thrives on clever usage of EDM and electronics. Neverland is the best example of this, twisting and turning through several refrains, each more astronomic than the last. The end result is an apocalyptic rave that is simply epic.

85. Bigbang - Fantastic Baby (2012)

Briefly the most-viewed Korean song on YouTube before being overtaken by Gangnam Style's release a few months later, Fantastic Baby nonetheless is considered an essential second-generation release for a reason. Even with Bigbang's future being quite uncertain, and 2010s EDM being considered dated, it is hard not to be extremely hyped when T.O.P raps or G-Dragon simply says, "Wow, fantastic baby."

84. BoA - Girls on Top (2005)

Eighteen years after its release, BoA's aggressive critique of misogyny is still one of the most attentive and direct in its lyrical content. In the end, it is the performance by the one and only BoA that makes Girls on Top work, and has led to its reputation as a classic all these years later.

83. 100% - Better Day (2016)

The transcendent highlight of what can only be described as one of the most underrated discographies of all time, 100%'s Better Day is a triumph at all levels. Its dark blends of thundering synths and emotive piano notes merely serve as an excuse for all the members, from Rockhyun, Hyukjin, the late Minwoo, Chanyong, and Jonghwan to make a claim for why they deserve a place in the annals of K-Pop legends.

82. U-Kiss - 0330 (2011)

It would be a mistake to look at 0330's cheesy English and deny the immense emotional weight carried by the relatively simple song structure. U-Kiss never garnered the commercial success they deserved, but they perform every note here with eternal conviction. Concluding with a fantastic key change and power note by Soohyun, 0330 slowly winds you into its sonic world.

81. TVXQ - Catch Me (2012)

Few acts could make Catch Me work the way TVXQ do. The ambitious and frequently diverting production keeps on threatening to derail the entire song, but Changmin and Yunho bring their individual charm to each note. Not only do they hold the ship, but they make Catch Me completely euphoric. 

Next: 80-71

Image: All rights belong to their respective owners.