The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of All Time: 80-71

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

90-81

80. VIXX - Eternity (2014)

From debut till their military hiatus, VIXX remained one of the most compositionally and conceptually expressive K-Pop groups. Eternity was not their most ambitious or chilling release, but it took all of their songwriting quirks into a majestic electronic track, blending sci-fi spirit with a killer melody to create an all-time classic.

79. Xia Junsu - Tarantallegra Ft. Flowsik (2012)

Banned from promoting his music after a messy contract dispute with former agency SM, Junsu abandoned all restraint and released an epic critique of the Korean music industry. Cut-throat and aggressive, Tarantallegra grows into an ode to the healing power of good music, while providing the first glimpse of Junsu's experimental compositional style.

78. Hyolyn - See Sea (2018)

While best known for her time as part of Sistar, the Korean "Queens of Summer," Hyolyn provided the best summer song of her career on her own with this little 2018 gem. See Sea's addictive summery production is paired with Hyolyn's sensual delivery, creatin a song that is as dreamy as it is memorable.

77. Infinite - Wind (2018)

Few K-Pop songs have sounded more ready to soundtrack a joyful and youthful anime than this underrated Infinite highlight. Capturing the spirit of their earlier hits, Wind's bittersweet regret is paired with the sheer euphoria of existing, anchored by a weightless chorus.

76. Super Junior - Bonamana (2010)

There may be more artistic and meaningful songs in Super Junior's legendary discography, but few are as fun as Bonamana's over-the-top electronic bounce. Copying Sorry Sorry's very best elements, Bonamana finds a refrain for the ages to anchor the frankly ridiculously catchy performance by Super Junior.

75. H.O.T. - Candy (1996)

Perhaps no Korean song since Candy has had half its influence. Beyond its teenage-oriented concept, the literal birth of the concept of idols, and the 2XL pastel-colored clown outfits, the song has H.O.T. perform a melody that has aged like fine wine.

74. G-Dragon - Untitled, 2014 (2017)

G-Dragon is as much of a rockstar as he is an idol, while his true strength lies as a rapper-producer, which makes it all the more impressive that his very best song is a stripped-down piano ballad. The G-Dragon persona dies once Untitled, 2014 starts, replaced by the real Kwon Ji-Yong, providing an emotive declaration of regret.

73. IU - Love Poem (2019)

Commonly considered a tribute to IU's late friend Sulli, Love Poem is one of the most tender and vulnerable tracks in IU's discography. All of her vocal theatrics and clever lyrical tricks are left to the side for a simple but meaningful declaration: "I'll be there, behind you who walks alone." Nothing else matters then.

72. TVXQ - Hug (2003)

All legends start from somewhere. For TVXQ, that legend started with this fantastic little romantic ballad. Hug is soft and calming, like a warm little hug should be. It also stood as a showcase of TVXQ's vocal prowess, as the young members, particularly Jaejoong, infused every moment of Hug with loads of youthful pathos and passion.

71. Beast - Beautiful Night (2012)

2012 was the summer of EDM in Korea, with Super Junior, Bigbang, Psy, and 2NE1 releasing legendary summer hits. Amongst the list, Beast's Beautiful Night has proven the longest-lasting. Its hypnotic, shimmering, summer synths prove a great pair to the catchy and oft-repeated hooks.

Next: 70-61

Image: All rights belong to their respective owners.