The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of All Time

This post is a compilation of the greatest K-Pop Songs ranking I have been publishing over the past few weeks.

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. 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.

Image: All rights belong to their respective owners.

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Honorable Mentions:

125. Lee Jeong Sook - Thinking of Elder Brother (1930)

124. TVXQ - Tri-Angle Ft. BoA, Trax (2004)

123. The Ark - The Light (2015)

122. T-ARA - Roly Poly (2011)

121. BTS - Blood, Sweat, and Tears (2016)

120. Girls' Generation - Girls' Generation (2007)

119. Sugar - Secret (2004)

118. 1Punch - Turn Me Back (2015)

117. BTS - I Need U (2015)

116. Seo Taiji and Boys - You, In the Fantasy (1992)

115. SHINee - Good Evening (2018)

114. Primary - Don't Be Shy Ft. ChoA, Iron (2015)

113. SHINee - Juliette (2009)

112. H.O.T. - Age of Violence (1996)

111. Super Junior - Mr. Simple (2011)

110. f(x) - Nu Abo (2010)

109. N.EX.T - Lazenca, Save Us (1997)

108. SHINee - Hello (2010)

107. NU'EST - Face (2012)

106. Taemin - Move (2017) 

105. Bigbang - Let's Not Fall in Love (2015)

104. Xia Junsu - OeO Ft. Giriboy (2015)

103. TXT - 0X1 = Lovesong (I Know I Love You) Ft. Seori (2021)

102. Yves - New (2017)

101. 100% - Bad Boy (2012)

The Top 100:

100. Seo Taiji - Sogyeokdong (2014)

Tackling one of the darkest periods of post-independence Korean history, Seo Taiji wrote an ode to his hometown, Sogyeokdong's dark history and the lives and innocence lost under the government's programs there. Taiji's mournful voice is both soothing and instantly haunting.

99. TVXQ - Balloons (2006)

A remake of the classic song by the Five Fingers Band, TVXQ imbued their own heart into Balloons, more than making it their own. The lighthearted tale of childhood nostalgia has proven to bear surprising emotional heft as an entire generation that grew up on Balloons now looks upon TVXQ's joyful performance after their split, and the child actors' joyful faces (including many K-Pop stars, including the late Moonbin).

98. Super Junior - A-Cha (2011)

A-Cha marks the point where Super Junior began spoofing their "serious" and "cool" party image, playing in on the joke by amplifying every element for an explosive rock track that sounded grander than anything they had done in years. The end result is a song that is both epic, and is fun enough to take shots at its sheer scale.

97. Girls' Generation - All Night (2017)

Ten years after debut, legendary girl group Girls' Generation once again collaborated with debut-era composer Kenzie for one of the best tracks of their lengthy career. All Night is the sound of icons no longer needing to prove their legendary status. Every element of All Night is too cool to care, but performed with the emotive heart that makes the best of Girls' Generation.

96. Shinhwa - Perfect Man (2002)

The most iconic song for Korea's longest-lasting boy band, Shinhwa's Perfect Man is a sonic sequel to any NSYNC or Backstreet Boys song you have heard, but combs through the best elements from them, creating a song that sounds like a highlight of the entire genre, with a thunderous chorus guiding through.

95. VIXX - On and On (2013)

The song that turned VIXX into one of the most exciting prospects of the third-generation, On and On's ambition was buffered by some incredible songwriting and melodies, turning a cheesy concept into something with some grit. The deal is closed by VIXX, who perform every hook with a world-ending conviction. (Full Review)

94. Key - Bad Love (2021)

The most recent song on the list, Bad Love has not even had two years but has thoroughly cemented itself as a K-Pop classic. The towering '80s rock synths create one of the most ambitious atmospheres seen in a K-Pop song ever. Holding the entire song together is Key, who performs with a thorough panache, while holding together an emotional core, making Bad Love both big and personal. (Full Review)

93. YooA - Bon Voyage (2020)

A few simple wild and flowery loops are all it took for Bon Voyage to be the most enduring K-Pop song of the 2020s so far. YooA's emotive performance turned Bon Voyage from a blend of samples into a wild and lively track, perfect for any wild adventure. (Full Review)

92. Snuper - The Star of Stars (2017)

Despite being one of the most consistent artists of the late 2010s, Snuper never garnered any of the attention they deserved. The Star of Stars is their very best, pummeling through with a shiny tropical house beat, while powered by one of the most underrated Sweetune classics ever.

91. ONF - Complete (2018)

A few years prior to their commercial breakout, ONF provided one of the most resonant pieces of pop in recent memory. The twisted vocaloid hook in the chorus leads to the expansive production of Hwang Hyun. ONF infuse charisma into every energetic hook of Complete, creating a song that feels vast.

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

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. 

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.

70. SHINee - Love Like Oxygen (2008)

Based on Martin's Show the World, Love Like Oxygen largely served as a showcase of the then-rookie members of SHINee's A-Tier vocals. Jonghyun in particular rips over the beat, performing with the airy conviction that would soon go on to be his signature style. Beyond that, the Michael Jackson-esque beat created the best song from Off The Wall that was never part of the album.

69. Bigbang - Blue (2012)

While initially overshadowed by more flashy singles, Bigbang's Blue has slowly but surely wormed its way into everyone's collective consciousness. The song is a sum of everything that makes Bigbang so beloved: the emotive melody, the clever use of electronic production, and a charismatic performance by the members.

68. TVXQ - Way U Are (2004)

TVXQ's debut year and album saw more examples of classic TVXQ sounds, and certainly bigger hits. Nonetheless, no other 2004 TVXQ song provided a melody as rock-solid as Way U Are. Junsu and Changmin's falsettos in the pre-chorus are incredible.

67. Infinite - Be Mine (2011)

There are very few examples of a more satisfying synth brew than the delicate attack of A-HA-esque '80s sounds than Infinite's break out hit. With the propulsive rock edge that made the best of Sweetune's songs, Hoya and Dongwoo show off their raps, while Woohyun and Sungkyu provide some incredible vocals.

66. Yoo Jae-Ha - Myself Reflected in My Heart (1987)

The only song Yoo Jae-Ha performed live in his too-short life, Myself Reflected in My Heart is one of the earliest Korean songs to carry a "love yourself" message, performed with the earnestness that defined Because I Love You as an album. The catchy melody has also lent itself to many remixes and revivals, each catchier than the last.

65. Infinite - Man in Love (2013)

In the hands of a lesser artist, Man in Love's sugary melodies would come off as cheesy aegyo. Nonetheless, with Infinite, Man in Love presents itself as shockingly genuine, with more than enough belief in Sweetune's eclectic hooks to engage in loads of cotton candy energy, sans any fluff.

64. 9Muses - Figaro (2011)

While 9Muses would go on to release flashier songs, Figaro's fun disco pastiche provided enough energy for it to be considered a career highlight. While Figaro is always a blast, the moment the theatric brass play over the towering chorus, in all its key change glory, is the moment 9Muses showed themselves as one of K-Pop's very best.

63. FTIsland - Take Me Now (2016)

By 2016, FTIsland were already established in their status as K-Rock legends. Nonetheless, a simmering resentment towards their status as rock-based balladeers was more than evident in tracks such as Pray. Take Me Now fully ripped off any notions of FTIsland being a rock group only for the grandparents, with its electric chords dropping down into one of the heaviest choruses ever seen in K-Rock, slashing through FTIsland's reputation with endless wrath.

62. IU - Good Day (2010)

While IU had already released some beloved songs prior to Good Day, it was Good Day's unbelievable commercial success that catapulted the rising star into her chart-busting status, where even an unpromoted television soundtrack is guaranteed to top charts. Good Day is a deserved breakthrough, with three mighty high notes, including a ten-second one to close the song, and with Disney Musical-ready orchestration throughout.

61. TVXQ - Mirotic (2008)

Mirotic is essential for any list of the most iconic K-Pop songs, and it is not hard to see why. From the syncopated reverse beat to the disjointing electronic production, Mirotic feels like a haunted attempt to flee from an unbeatable foe. This conviction is only built by TVXQ's amazing performance, resulting in a haunting track for their last Korean release as five.

60. Boyfriend - I Yah (2013)

Boyfriend's Janus was already a standout album before it was repackaged with I Yah as its new lead single. I Yah is aggressive in its electronic production. Every single little synth is twisted to its absolute limits over a runway-ready melody and a finale that demands replays.

59. Lee Sang Eun - Samdocheon (1995)

After rocking Korea with her popular, androgynous style and some major hits in the late '80s, Lee Sang Eun came back from a hiatus with a series of classic albums, now less of an idol and more of an artist. Samdocheon is her absolute peak, from its introspective lyrics to fantastic traditional Korean production. It is an undisputed artistic triumph.

58. The Classic - A Song For Me (1994)

Whether you hear The Classic's or Joochan's nearly-as-good 2019 cover, A Song For Me remains an emotive highlight. Singing about the pressures and insecurity many of us faced in our teenage and early adulthood years, A Song For Me is beautiful. Pair this with fantastic '90s R&B synths and brass, and you have an eternal classic.

57. SHINee - View (2015)

While f(x)'s 4 Walls would ultimately be the true shift, SHINee brought deep house to K-Pop with View, and as a result, the soundscape that dominated Korea up until 2019. Nonetheless, none of the deep/tropical house sonic sequels to View could capture the earnest "coolness" that the original had.

56. Shinhwa - Venus (2012)

In 2012, legendary K-Pop group Shinhwa broke another record, becoming the first Korean boy band to survive a military hiatus. They accomplished this with style, releasing their best song since the '90s. Venus' perlocating EDM beat proved a stage for Shinhwa to showcase their skills compared to the younger competition.

55. TVXQ - Keep Your Head Down (2011)

After a messy split, TVXQ's future was brought back with Keep Your Head Down, which completely reversed the group's declining situation. The impish and devilish raps pair well with the theatric production, while TVXQ provide high notes for days on end.

54. Kim Bo Kyung - Suddenly (2011)

Twelve years after its release, Suddenly is often regarded as one of the greatest K-Drama OSTs ever. Kim Bo Kyung's thundering performance, full of heart, elevates the melody into something truly magical. With its fantastic finale, Suddenly is emotive and dramatic.

53. JYJ - In Heaven (2011)

In 2010, actor Park Yong-Ha committed suicide. JYJ's leader, Jaejoong, a close friend to Yong-Ha, wrote In Heaven as a tribute to his dead friend. A prayer for a loved one that is gone, In Heaven thunders with emotions, likely based on the real-life tragedy that inspired it. The series of high notes that close In Heaven might be some of the best in K-Pop history.

52. Deulgukhwa - Parade (1985)

Deulgukhwa's debut album might be the most influential Korean rock album of all time. At its very beating heart is Parade, a thundering ode to perseverance, Parade comes together for its towering chorus. The melody rises in a fantastic ode to classical rock.

51. TVXQ - Something (2014)

After years of being a boy band known for their pop-rock-adjacent SMP releases, TVXQ (with composer Yoo Young-Jin) did a complete 180, tackling jazz and swing on Something. The style fit, surprisingly, like a glove, resulting in many follow-ups. The vocal harmonies over the catchy beat of Something are worth the price of entry, while Changmin's performance is the icing on the cake.

50. Infinite - Before The Dawn (2011)

A pre-breakthrough track for Infinite, Before The Dawn, also known as BTD, takes a darker look at the synth-pop sound that characterized the best Sweetune productions. The breathy performance by Infinite lends itself a lot of room to channel existential desperation, while the growling synths turn Before The Dawn into a claustrophobic nightmare.

49. 9Muses - Wild (2013)

Despite their astonishingly consistent discography, 9Muses never garnered any commercial spotlight. Wild is definitely one of their best songs, with composition team Sweetune providing them a sensual melody to sing at a brisk pace. Wild is a song that never slows down for anything, ripping through each moment, with electronic sirens blaring through rapid raps, creating a massive intensity over a great melody.

48. TVXQ - Phantom (2006)

The most underrated Korean song is a title that is certainly up for debate, but TVXQ's Phantom is certainly a contender. One of the earliest productions by now-legendary composer Kenzie, the swirling western melodies of Phantom culminate in a chorus that stands a great aid to TVXQ's fantastic vocals.

47. EXO - Mama (2012)

EXO's debut remains one of the most ambitious and cinematic ever attempted in any art form. From the dual Korean-Chinese formation and the extensive (if cheesy) lore behind the music. But the most ambitious piece would be the actual music, especially with Mama. Merging Gregorian chants, gothic choirs, hard rock, earth-shaking drums, church organs, and screamo rap over lyrics debating the ultimate negatives of technology proved an expressive conduit for EXO to showcase their vocal talents.

46. Sunmi - Heroine (2018)

Few pop divas of the past twenty years have had an ounce of the charisma Sunmi brought to Heroine. While the producers were rightly side-eyed for sounding a little too similar to Cheryl Cole's Fight For This Love, but the basic melody was completely revamped into a heavenly blend of tropical house punching between Sunmi's dramatic ode to the end of a messy relationship. Once the two elements coincide in the finale, it is simply euphoric, and also gracefully and tragically beautiful. 

45. Brown Eyed Girls - Sixth Sense (2011)

Amongst K-Pop communities, the Brown Eyed Girls have become synonymous with pushing the boundaries both musically and conceptually, releasing some of the most daring songs ever conceivable within idol communities. Sixth Sense is their best, and tackles music directly as a guiding force for social justice, culminating in Miryo's dramatic rap. Between its themes on women's empowerment, the constant stream of high notes by JeA, Narsha, and Gain, and the soul influences, it is hard to view Sixth Sense as anything less than the 21st century successor to Aretha Franklin's Respect.

44. SHINee - Sherlock (Clue + Note) (2012)

One of SHINee's most ambitious track, Sherlock may not have invented the K-Pop "Frankenstein" song structure, but it certainly repopularized it, merging two songs, Clue and Note, into a majestic song that impressed both musically and lyrically. Holding the song together is SHINee's fantastic performance, anchoring the massive chorus.

43. f(x) - Shadow (2013)

f(x) were always the "weird" K-Pop group, willing to tackle concepts that no other group within earshot of the mainstream would dare to touch. Shadow is easily their most bizarre and boundary-pushing, floating around without any catchy hook, with an instrumental with a lightheaded jazz feel. Shadow should feel suffocating, but instead, it is intriguingly unnerving. Combine this with Jeon Gan-Di's haunting lyrics and the result is a song as avant-garde as it is simply chilling.

42. Yoo Jae-Ha - Because I Love You (1987)

Yoo Jae-Ha's tragic passing months after Because I Love You's release dashed any hope for a song as emotionally vulnerable as the debutant's masterpiece. Abandoning the bluesy trot sound of his peers, Yoo Jae-Ha gave us a beautiful look at a pleading glance of love from his life, paired with the most earnest sincerity achievable in a ballad.

41. SS501 - Deja Vu (2008)

Despite being one of the most popular boy bands in Korea at their peak, SS501's legacy has almost been forgotten. This is certainly a shame, especially due to tracks like Deja Vu. The song has hooks to spare for days on end, assisted by Mordney's jagged sci-fi production. Nothing about Deja Vu is subtle, including its dramatic chorus.

40. B.A.P - One Shot (2013)

Despite shoddy management and extensive controversies holding them back from ever taking the crown as K-Pop's top group, B.A.P's aggressive image and thunderous sound resulted in more than a few classics. The theatric One Shot is the best of the bunch, with Daehyun's explosive vocal performance being perfectly paired by Yongguk's sinister rap over the gliding choirs and strings.

39. S.E.S. - Dreams Come True (1998)

Few words can describe the emotions that you can feel when Dreams Come True's heavenly synth-flute melody appears. Mysterious and dream-like, Dreams Come True's ambition and influences are only tamed by S.E.S.'s soothing performance. It remains the most-viewed first-generation K-Pop MV on YouTube, and even that cannot sum up how heavenly it sounds, easily uprooting the Finnish track it was based on.

38. Infinite - Paradise (2011)

A dark and dramatic highlight from the early part of Infinite's beloved discography, Paradise merged synth-pop, rock, and balladry to create a song that stood as grand and stately, while still showcasing a dark underbelly from a dysfunctional relationship. Every element of Paradise comes together for the falsetto-driven chorus, standing tall over Infinite's singles run.

37. EXO - Miracles in December (2013)

Perhaps the greatest Christmas-based piece of art since Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life, Miracles in December is an ode to the individuals we think of on lonely Christmas nights. The dreamy piano ballad stuns with a melody that is instantly recognizable, but Chen, Baekhyun, and D.O's heavenly vocal harmonies turn Miracles in December into an all-time classic.

36. IU - Twenty-Three (2015)

Acting both as a song on the pains of growing up, and a cheeky middle finger to her career up to that point, IU's Twenty-Three proved the moment where IU grew into a songwriter, writing cleverly personal lyrics, with a gift of metaphor. IU's gift of gab thrives over the funky disco strings, creating a song that still remains one of her best.

35. Kim Sung-Jae - As I Told You (1995)

As I Told You's memory will forever be tainted by Kim Sung-Jae's tragic death under suspicious circumstances the very night after his debut performance. Hearing the song, it is hard not to think about the love he was too shy to ask, as another day goes by, never to come again. Beyond the tragedy, its jubilant melody and catchy hook create a song that was destined to become a classic in any way.

34. TVXQ - Hi Ya Ya (2005)

From its euphoric melody to Changmin's nostalgic "Neor saranghae, forever come with me," TVXQ's Hi Ya Ya is pure sunshine, capturing the best of the summer season into a dynamite package. The vocal harmonies are amongst TVXQ's very best, while the hooks create a perfect example of a nostalgic song for a beach vacation, while still being enjoyable during a quiet winter. (Full Review)

33. Yang Hwa Jin - It's Alright (2011)

Yang Hwa Jin may have only released a single track before disbanding, but that one song proved to be a K-Drama classic and one that guaranteed them a spot in the halls of OST fame. It's Alright's thundering rock beat remains fresh, while Woobin's vocal belting as he screams "Oh it's alright!' created a song for the ages.

32. Wonder Girls - One Black Night (2015)

Wonder Girls' Reboot is rightfully considered one of the greatest K-Pop albums of all time, and its creative peak is best seen in One Black Night. Yeeun and Frants' eclectic production blurred so many elements of '80s classics, from waterfall synths to thundering drums. All of these elements serve as an assist for one of the greatest choruses in history, with three phases of an adrenaline headrush that remains intense years later.

31. Bigbang - Haru Haru (2008)

Bigbang were already one of Korea's most popular boy bands when they released Haru Haru, but it was this little tears-on-the-dancefloor anthem that made them the K-Pop legends praised to this day. G-Dragon and T.O.P's interplay throughout much of the song creates an atmosphere of painful regret, culminated by the fantastic chorus, produced by the legendary DJ Daishi Dance.

30. JYJ - Found It (2010)

Despite being a trio of acclaimed singers and actors, Found It remains the only OST performed by JYJ, and it leaves more impact than most OSTs. The melody might be simple, but it certainly is effective. Additionally, Jaejoong and Junsu provide some thrilling harmonies, resulting in an unsung classic.

29. H.O.T. - I Yah! (1999)

H.O.T.'s I Yah! is an expression of pure wrath and anger after twenty-three kindergarteners died in a fire due to the mismanagement of the adults meant to protect them. From the orchestral flourishes, the hard rock riffs, and the golden harmonies, everything serves the song's message to those adults: "Who allowed you to put out the children's sparks, that have yet to be lighted?"

28. Infinite - Last Romeo (2014)

A thrilling finale to Infinite and Sweetune's initial collaboration, Last Romeo blends big band and brass with Sweetune's propulsive metal-adjacent pop structure. The end is a euphoric blend of everything that makes K-Pop so excellent. Combine this with thrilling production and vocal highlights for an instant classic. (Full Review)

27. Seo Taiji and Boys - Come Back Home (1995)

Idol acts have been chasing "swag" for the last thirty years, but Seo Taiji and Boys perfected swag twenty-eight years ago with Come Back Home, the gangsta rap classic. From its Insane in the Brain-adjacent production to its lyrics, offering a sympathetic portrayal of runaways, while urging them to come back home. Come Back Home is still the most essential distillations of the elements it helped popularize.

26. SHINee - Spoiler (2013)

SHINee's discography is filled to the brim with masterpieces, which might explain why Spoiler never garnered any attention. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most incredible songs of the 2010s'. From Jonghyun's clever references to every single song from the Misconceptions of Us albums, to the flashy opening tribute to Sherlock, Spoiler is a loving tribute to SHINee, paired with an Earth-shaking stadium beat.

25. G.O.D - One Candle (2000)

It might not be an overstatement to call One Candle the most beloved Korean song of the past thirty years. Its unique blend of gospel, soul, rap, and doo-wop created a track that sounded unlike anything on Korean radio before, which is perhaps why it slowly grew into a sleeper hit. Though the honest lyrics and catchy melody certainly helped.

24. H.O.T. - We Are The Future (1997)

Idol K-Pop, at its purest essence, channels the feeling of youth into digestible pop music. At this, H.O.T.'s We Are The Future might be one of the most essential tracks in Korea's history, channeling the angst and hope that defined '90s Korea's youthful vision. Powering through the entire track is the thunderous techno beat, one that turns We Are The Future into a song for the ages.

23. Kara - Lupin (2010)

Songs that switch from minor keys to major keys are not as much of a rarity in K-Pop as one might assume, but few have managed to make the transition both unnervingly jarring, yet also incredibly natural. Sweetune's production proves a haunt for Kara to unleash some of the most daunting moments of their storied career. Lupin is a song that keeps growing, providing new tricks and shocks, rewarding repeated listens.

22. Kara - Pandora (2012)

By 2012, Kara and Sweetune's collaborations grew more ambitious with each passing release, and Pandora was the inevitable conclusion of this creative spirit. The otherwordly production is perfectly complimented by Kara's glorious vocal chants. The song swings and swerves in tempo before catapulting itself into the top twenty-five with its alien production and fantastic chorus.

21. Beast - Fiction (2011) 

Initially derided as a group composed of the leftovers of more popular acts, Beast slowly but surely grew into one of the most beloved K-Pop acts of the second generation. Fiction is both their best song and a testament to the emotive songwriting of Korea in the early 2010s'. Yoseob and Hyunseng weave their yearning refrains over the pummeling retro synth samples, creating a song that weaves its way into your brain.

20. Gfriend - Rough (2016)

Rough may look like a wistful and nostalgic look at a childhood past none of us can ever return to, but Youngbae and Iggy's composition grits its teeth surprisingly hard behind its emotions, making Rough as close to heavy metal as it was to orchestral J-Pop. Rough tackled youthful love with a maturity rarely seen in youth-oriented art, with its theming being both intricate and expansive, while never losing its beating emotional core. From Yerin's pleading end of the pre-chorus to Yuju's high note, Rough is a song that captured lightning-in-a-bottle, launching a successful career for Gfriend. (Full Review)

19. Boyfriend - Janus (2012)

Perhaps due to their cheeky and rather inaccurate name, or perhaps due to their agency's promotional tactics, Boyfriend (now BF) never garnered the acclaim and popularity they deserved. Janus is their magnum opus, pushing songwriter-producer team Sweetune to their very limits. Telling a tale of letting your love go so she can love (old school romance being a Sweetune specialty), the ornamental performance by Boyfriend proves an excellent assist to the stately and majestic melody, letting cracks of emotions fall through a sturdy exterior.

18. TVXQ - Athena (2010)

Almost as great as Athena is the fact that it exists at all. After a messy lawsuit and break-up reduced TVXQ from five to two, producer Hwang Hyun was put in charge for the first tease of their return with an OST for the drama Athena: Goddess of War. There is a sense of measurable rage in Athena, with Yunho and Changmin tackling every single line as if their livelihood depended on it, and indeed it likely did. Athena's stirring strings and thundering rock-adjacent melody needed a guiding voice for it to rise and fight like the goddess of war it was named after, and TVXQ provided that. Changmin's measurable angst rocks the chorus, turning the OST into a full-on screamo-rock song.

17. Infinite - The Chaser (2012)

The Chaser was always a beloved hit, but over the years, via appreciation from blogs and channels, it grew to be one of those eternal cult classics that have fandoms of their own. It is not hard to see why, with Sweetune's propulsive and hard-hitting synthwave production crashing over Infinite's wonderful vocal harmonies to create a song so intense and jam-packed with highlight moments. From the thundering synth-Haegeum introduction to the lyrics (written in old Korean prose), The Chaser was already destined for this list when Woohyun's stunning recitation of the key-changed chorus hit, but nevertheless, Sweetune and Infinite didn't stop until they created a song for the ages.

16. SHINee - Everybody (2013)

2013 was SHINee's year. They released three full-length albums, a compilation album, and a seven-track EP to close out the year, many of which included tracks featured on this very list. It was within their closing EP, however, that they provided their artistic peak. Everybody tackled the hitherto unheard-of genre of Complextro, creating a genre highlight. The breakneck electronic instrumental sped through at a chaotic rate, with many flourishes that would make legendary EDM DJs blush. There is never, however, any risk of Everybody collapsing, with Jonghyun, Onew, and co.'s vocals providing a lush anchor for the literal blitzkrieg of hooks and flourishes that make Everybody so invigorating.

15. IU - To The Sea (2009)

Over a year before she would become Korea's beloved little sister, a young IU brought to life a little OST for the legendary K-Drama, Queen Seondeok. While it only improves when heard alongside its correlated storytelling, To The Sea is magical on its own. The song merges orchestral influences, funky bass, a children's choir, and traditional Pansori singing into a magical song of yearning hope. To The Sea's expansive influences are held together by an incredible children's choir-driven chorus, assisted by IU's most hopeful and dreamy performance ever. To The Sea's vast ambition rips from its every fiber, creating a melodic composition that still sounds as fresh and vital as it did over fourteen years ago.

14. TVXQ - O-Jung.Ban.Hap (2006)

By 2006, TVXQ and Yoo Young-Jin collaborations had resulted in absolute masterpieces and O-Jung.Ban.Hap stands nonetheless as one of the most essential distillations of what made their songs so incredible. O-Jung.Ban.Hap's lyrics tackled the Hegelian dialect and somehow managed to condense one of the most controversial philosophies of the past five hundred years into four minutes. Holding the track together is one of the most expressive SMP songs ever, with nearly every refrain pairing off another, with mightily-performed hooks and dramatic production, each element comes together into a catchy blend of hip-hop and rock. From Yoochun's iconic opening delivery to the thundering rock riff that closes the track, O-Jung.Ban.Hap is impeccable with its endless build.

13. H.O.T. - Hope (1998)

Much of H.O.T.'s discography laid the groundwork for what K-Pop could be, and Hope, while initially being ranked in the middle of their impressive singles discography, has slowly gone on to become one of the group's most beloved songs. Its merger of sentimental lyrics and a melodramatic hip-hop ballad compositional style has become omnipresent in the industry it spawned, but none of the songs captured Hope's dynamite composition. Composer Yoo Young-Jin merged the hip-hop melody with the eternal Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, capturing the optimistic message at Hope's heart. Released at the heart of a brutal Korean recession, Hope's message became an instant hit. It remains so to this day, bearing Korea through each hurdle with hope.

12. ZE:A - The Ghost of Wind (2013)

The Ghost of Wind is a track that pairs towering Gregorian chants, entire string sections, heavy hooks, and an explosive dance beat. A weaker song would drag the listener through a hefty dose of each element; overwhelming the listener. But The Ghost of Wind is not that song, with production team Duble Sidekick creating a nimble and funky track, with hardly any fat on its bones. While filled to the brim with drama, The Ghost of Wind never loses its emotive heart, performed incredibly by ZE:A's members for a stellar chorus. While many of the members of ZE:A would go on to individually garner much acclaim, their discography remains supremely underrated, with The Ghost of Wind standing as their undisputed masterpiece.

11. Xia Junsu - Flower Ft. Tablo (2015)

Kim Junsu, also known as Xia, has always been an artist to take exceptional risks, blurring the line between art and the artist. His music always had an avant-garde expression to his storytelling, and Flower is the culmination of every single effort of his before. At a surface level, it is a cry for help from a desperate artist. On another level, a story of his bitter contract dispute with his former agency SM. At its highest, it is an ode to art as the salvation for the artist. Assisting him is Tablo with the most explosive verse of his career. All these themes are expressed through a track that blends genres with ease, creating a ballad paired with aggressive rap, gothic choirs, explosive strings, and a driven ambition that was never seen before, nor ever seen since.

10. Girls' Generation - Into the New World (2007)

Lyrics: Kim Jeong Bae

Composition: Kenzie

When it comes to iconic and influential K-Pop groups, few groups' names come up prior to Girls' Generation, also known as SNSD. With a frankly ridiculous number of major hits and classics to claim as their own, it is quite impossible to realize a time when Girls' Generation were not the standard-bearers for K-Pop. But it existed, and that time was August 2007, when the then-nonet debuted with Into The New World.

While almost universally regarded as a K-Pop classic and included in lists of this caliber, it may surprise many to know that Into the New World was only a minor hit. Additionally, it and the newly debuted Girls' Generation had several anti-fans. This culminated in the infamous "black ocean" incident. Performing at the Dream Concert 2008, Girls' Generation were met by a stadium with barely any lightsticks (a symbol of K-Pop fandom support) and chants in support of their then-more popular rival, the legendary Wonder Girls. It was only in 2009 with Gee that Girls' Generation garnered their much-deserved commercial success.

Since then, Into the New World has slowly but surely had a renaissance, almost always considered one of the greatest Korean songs of the 21st century. In 2016, the song rose to the top of the charts, being used by women's rights protesters and protesters against the incumbent government. Since then, Into the New World has been considered a symbol of resistance and strength, along with hope for better times.

Indeed, Into the New World's hopeful lyrics may be one of the main reasons for its rise to such incredible heights. The song tells us, "Don't wait for any special miracle, our rough path in front of us, might be an unknown future and challenge, but we can't give up." Into the New World doesn't pretend everything will be a-okay, but it does promise that even this situation will pass, and goodness will eventually win. Combine this with the vague nature of the eventual threat and you can see why Kim Jeong Bae's lyrics have transcended K-Pop generations.

Of course, the lynchpin at the heart of Into the New World's nostalgia is composer Kenzie, and the song is widely regarded as the magnum opus of her storied career. One of the few female composers to have reached the A-List in the K-Pop industry, Into the New World stood as a breakout for Kenzie, and solidified her into a bona fide K-Pop legend.

Much of the production of Into the New World recalls old themes and motifs, reusing classic ideas rather than creating new ones. Famously, Dvorak's 9th Symphony's fourth movement is sampled in the track. Given that Dvorak's 9th is known as the "new world symphony," and has themes relating to optimistic hope, it is not hard to see the direct parallels in the tribute.

Additionally, the ever-iconic electric keyboard riff that opens Into the New World and acts as a guiding force is heavily inspired by a similar riff in Don Henley's Boys of Summer. Nonetheless, Kenzie's use of the riff is very different from Henley's. For Henley, it was for looking back nostalgically, for Girls' Generation, it is about looking forward with hope.

Despite these Western samples, Into the New World's greatest inspiration comes from J-Pop. The simple optimistic melody is quite a drastic shift from the edgy rap-rock that dominated the earlier second-generation releases. Instead, we get a keyboard-driven pop melody. The song slowly grows and swells through its runtime. There might be implements from other genres (funk, synth-pop, hip-hop), but Into the New World is one of the most straightforwardly pop songs ever. Thus, Kenzie can be very centered in the production. The little percussion implements and keyboard riffs are heavenly and make any instrumental version of the song perfect already. In one of the most underappreciated tricks in pop history, the opening keyboard melody is the central backbeat of the chorus, adding both a texture that feels intimate and familiar, but also expands beyond what already existed.

Of course, all of this is in service of a good melody. K-Pop fans easily tell you that this one basic element is the most important for any song, but is most often inefficiently accomplished. Into the New World does not suffer from this issue. Indeed, its melody might be one of the best in K-Pop history. Each hook plays seamlessly into the next. Each melody is fully realized and takes its time to develop. No effort is spared to make the melody complete.

This is best seen within the iconic chorus. Every piece of the melody is thoroughly devised, rising and falling with every beat to create a tune that is hopeful and instantly iconic. Such a melody would be considered a classic within any land, or within any year. Words can hardly describe the melody, but a listen certainly would.

For debuting rookies, Girls' Generation were certainly quite skilled, and their determined performance was certainly a major part of what made Into the New World such an ethereal piece. Every note is performed with a mix of grit and optimism. The members also unite for the legendary aforementioned chorus. Despite Girls' Generation initially being criticized for not allowing the members to shine, Into the New World certainly has moments of individual greatness, perhaps best seen in the high notes. Years before they would become some of Asia's most influential celebrities in their own right, Jessica and Taeyeon defined endurance and determination with their now-iconic high notes. So much there is said with so little.

Into the New World is where Girls' Generation's legend began. And frankly, even if it had ended with Into the New World, it would still be a legend. The song is incredible in every way, and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

9. Shinhwa - Resolver (1998)

Lyrics: Yoo Young-Jin, Eric Mun

Composition: Yoo Young-Jin

In 2023, Shinhwa celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary, becoming the first Korean idol group to reach this legendary milestone. Even more impressively, they did so with no lineup changes, and despite the group switching agencies several times. At this point, every member of Shinhwa can be considered a bona fide K-Pop legend. Their discography is much beloved, and they are the only artist on this list to have a song in the top 100 from three decades. Despite all that, their very best song is still their debut.

While Resolver is certainly a beloved classic, it is rarely mentioned as one of the best Korean songs of the late '90s. This has much more to do with its timing than its quality as a song. 1998 was simply an awful year for SM Entertainment to debut a new group. There was already a much-beloved generation of K-Pop acts with massive, rabid fanbases, and they were at their creative peaks. H.O.T. had just released Hope (#13), a seminal classic, their rival Sechskies released their biggest hits in Couple and Road Fighter, and S.E.S released Dreams Come True (#39). Additionally, Korea just entered a recession that killed album sales, making sure that not a single album would reach the million-sold marker until EXO's XOXO in 2013.

These issues compounded, combined with fandom fights, led to Resolver being a minor hit at the time, but nulled its chances to be regarded as an all-time classic. Nonetheless, it has slowly grown to be a much-respected track in Shinhwa's dense discography. Remove all the drama and legacy for Shinhwa, however, and you have one darn impressive debut track.

Resolver is a product of the mind of Yoo Young-Jin. The period of 1996-2006 can roughly be regarded as the SMP era, the era where SM entertainment's self-proclaimed blend of R&B, rock, and hip-hop with social commentary lyrics, known as the "SM Performance," or SMP, dominated the charts. The architect behind SMP, and the producer behind nearly all of its songs was K-Pop legend Yoo Young-Jin, and Resolver is one of the best songs he ever created. 1998 saw Young-Jin at a precipice between hard-rock and soft-rock influences. In a way, Resolver is one of the lightest SMP songs he created, almost weightless in composition. Even when an electric rock guitar takes over in the second half of the song, Resolver stays miles away from becoming a headache-inducing hard rock song.

The anchor at the heart of Resolver is the simple descending keyboard riff. The trick of a descending keyboard riff would later be expanded on in Girls' Generation's Into the New World (#10), but its use here has a soft, almost ethereal feel. The feather-light keyboard riff appears in full force in the chorus, and disappears at the beginning of every verse, before slowly building to full strength before the chorus returns. Having an integral element like this gives a beating heart to Resolver, as well as an atmosphere for it to build on.

With a central basis for the song already established, Resolver is more than free to play around with various genres without ever coming off as aimless. The song opens with gliding violins and a simple pop and R&B-infused melody but soon builds beyond that. Given that Shinhwa were intended as more of a rap-focused group than their peers, the hip-hop-heavy verses are a delight, and they never interrupt the basic song. Midway through the song, rock guitars come in, and they guide the rest of Resolver, becoming a crucial element through the third verse (added in instead of a bridge, a nice miniature subversion).

Resolver also features one of the best second-verse breakdowns. The sudden shift into eclectic hip-hop that sounds ripped straight from Seo Taiji and Boys IV is wild, and Minwoo provides an impish quality to the little moment. But then, the song provides what was expected in the second verse, with Hyesung providing the strongest melody in the song for one incredible blast of vocal-led pop.

The other anchor of Resolver is Eric Mun. Nowadays, Eric is commonly the butt of jokes over his inability to write English lyrics that make any sense, and this is true in Resolver as well (co-writer Yoo Young-Jin, who also is the main lyricist, is another frequent target for lyrical ridicule, with Resolver arguably being the start), but he performs every moment of Resolver with a determination that guides the entire song. While a deep-voiced rapper is now a must-have for any idol group, Eric was the start of the style garnering respect.

All of Resolver's quirks and acts serve its greater lyrical themes. While Yoo Young-Jin has been often questioned for his lyrical execution, he has historically been willing to tackle concepts rarely seen within contemporary K-Pop. Resolver almost acts as a nihilistic counterpart to Into the New World, moaning about the loss of innocence and peace in the modern world. The execution is performed with some endearing quirks, including its obsession with a "resolver" who would work to fix the world. But that simplistic vision is exactly what Resolver is arguing for, making the themes function surprisingly well.

All of this is combined with the best of Yoo Young-Jin's '90s melody. Resolver's chorus is the subject of dreams, lightweight and heavenly, it gains surprisingly heavy weight once the rock guitars appear in the second half amplifying every piece of contrast for maximum effect. The goal of Resolver was not for a weak melody, but one that felt universal, and spoke in tongues beyond those of the humans, but one they could understand.

Resolver is a rare song that is extremely a product of its times, but feels universal at the same time. Its '90s K-Pop elements are noticeable, but Shinhwa and Yoo Young-Jin build off of these elements for a dreamy track that has aged like fine wine, and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

8. SHINee - Replay (2008)

Lyrics: Young Hu Kim

Composition: Jack Kugell (The Heavyweights), Jason Pennock (The Heavyweights), Tchaka Diallo (The Heavyweights), RaVaughn, James Burney II, Yoo Young-Jin (Arrangement)

To say that SHINee are one of the most beloved K-Pop groups of all time would be a severe understatement. Even within this list, they are the second-most represented artists, with a startling six songs out of a hundred. As a result, it feels almost blasphemous to claim SHINee peaked with their debut and have never released a better song since. While there are many arguments in favor of other SHINee songs, so much so that it took a while for there to be one that stood above the rest, Replay is a perfect masterpiece. It is a testament to how incredible Replay is that it stands at the head of SHINee's discography, rather than a critique of SHINee's incredible selection of songs.

To understand Replay, one needs to understand the circumstances behind its release. 2007 was a turning point for K-Pop, bringing an end to the SMP era. For the first time, international influences and composers were brought in. SM Entertainment, easily the biggest agency in Korea, had to adapt quickly. Their rivals had scored instant hits and classics with Wonder Girls' Nobody and Bigbang's Haru Haru (#31), both of which brought in Japanese and Western influences. SM brought changes with Girls' Generation's Into the New World (#10) and TVXQ's Mirotic (#61), and it was clear this was the sound they were planning for the future. With an upcoming boy band in SHINee, SM had to make clear that they were something different, and that is exactly what was accomplished with Replay.

"Vibe" might be the most overused term in contemporary K-Pop. Every single artist attempts to create a mood that perfectly encapsulates what makes their music. Few, if any better examples exist for vibes than the opening moments of Replay. The iconic synth riff produced by The Heavyweights (a production team created by All-4-One member Jamie Jones), playing between snare drums and breathing sighs before the late and legendary Jonghyun provides arguably the most iconic opening line in K-Pop history, "Noona neomu yeppeoseo," or "Noona (a woman older than you), you are beautiful." This line could mean many things, but Jonghyun's dreamy voice with a mild tinge of regret tells all one needs to know. The singer has found the perfect girl, but he fears this relationship isn't going to last. When I first heard this song over ten years ago, I could tell what it was about without even looking up the lyrics. 

The rest of the verses are frankly perfect. Jonghyun, Onew, and occasionally, Key trade lines over unified segments where the members come together as one for fantastic harmonies. Much of Replay is a call-and-response between Jonghyun and Onew, and the rest of the group. While this might seem unfair, the combined group segments, along with the individual touches each member brings to their performance, make them quite memorable. Who can forget Minho's little ad-libs near the very end of the song? Every element of Replay is performed with absolute love and dedication, making it much better than any other song that attempts a similar vibe.

Another trick of Replay is its ideas of repeated motifs. Remember the ever-iconic "Noona neomu yeppeo" at the beginning of Replay? That basic phrasing is never repeated in the entire track, but the basic structure is altered and played within so many classic moments. In the second verse, Onew declares his noona is his MVP (leading to the name of his fanclub), and is featured quite often in the song's climax, nearly within every element to a certain degree.

Oh, and of course in the chorus.

Speaking of the chorus, Replay's chorus is about as simple as can be, but every element is so beautifully stacked upon the next to create a piece that could receive a dedicated analysis on its own. The basic call-and-response proves a breeding ground for various vocal flourishes and counter-melodies, each better than the last. What's more is that each little trick is advanced and improved in every subsequent repetition of the refrain, adding much depth to Replay's simple mid-tempo structure, turning it into an accessible yet deeply immersive single.

Compared to the other songs in the top 10, Replay is hard to write about based on individual attributes. The production cannot be mentioned without the melody, the melody without the performance, and the performance without the lyrics. In a way, Replay is a song that functions in an old-school way, every element comes together to form a single track. A song about an emotionally vulnerable youth who lays bare his emotions into one perfect little track. You can here Jonghyun's dreamlike pain and wonder as he says "Noona neomu yeppeoseo." The line has only gotten more resonant after Jonghyun's tragic passing in 2017, as many of his fans, slowly have become noonas themselves. Time has went on, but Jonghyun's memory isn't aging.

SHINee's Replay is not a song attempting to change the world, nor is it the most ambitious K-Pop song of 2008. Nonetheless, it sticks to what it wants to do perfectly, creating one of the greatest debut songs of all time, and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

7. Super Junior - It's You (2009)

Lyrics: E-Tribe

Composition: E-Tribe

In the annals of legendary K-Pop boy bands, Super Junior are one of the strangest to write about or describe to anyone unfamiliar with their discography. Over eighteen years of existence, their line-up has been extremely volatile, with many messy splits, and even two members who are part of subgroups, but not the main group. Additionally, their discography is diverse to a fault. Through the years, they have dabbled in SMP rock, EDM dance music, melodic balladry, ornate orchestral tracks, funky pop, mariachi-adjacent Latin pop (they even topped the U.S. Latin Digital chart back in 2018), disco, trot, trap, and much, much more. Even more shockingly, they have been extremely successful in nearly all of their iterations, meaning that depending on when one became a fan of theirs, the Super Junior in your mind might be quite different from another's interpretation of the band.

Amongst this vast and messy discography, their most iconic song is easily 2009's EDM dance track Sorry, Sorry. Its catchy hooks made it a viral sensation known by many beyond the typical K-Pop market across Asia. It is admittedly a solid track, and nearly made this list, but it was its follow-up in It's You that remains one of their most acclaimed songs, and for good reason.

It is hard not to suspect that legendary K-Pop producers E-Tribe were brought back by SM Entertainment due to them producing the iconic hook song Gee by Girls' Generation earlier in 2009. Given Sorry, Sorry's status as a catchy hook song, it must have been expected that E-Tribe would do the same with It's You. Thankfully, the repackaged promotion of the track, as well as Super Junior's popularity allowed them to create a piece of art, and one of the undisputed highlights of Super Junior's discography.

In SHINee's Replay (#8), we had seen the phrase "Noona neomu yeppeo" as the beating heart on what everything is built. Super Junior simplify it even further with It's You. Only one word guides the track, "Neorago," or in English, "It's You." The song opens with mutters of "Neorago" over snapping percussion and percussional flourishes. It instantly creates a beautiful atmosphere before the slow burn of Donghae's opening line. The verse plays push-and-pull between an ever-building instrumental. A keyboard traces the basic phrase of "neorago," while the percussion still snaps over a synth riff repeating the same melody of "neorago." 

With all these motifs set in place, Super Junior are more than set to show why they are frequently regarded as one of the most vocally talented boy bands in history. The members here don't have to sing any complicated melody with tricks and turns, but it requires an emotive, beating heart. The percussion itself has a thumping pulse that guides the song. With the exception of Kibum (who tragically gets no lines in his final release as a member of Super Junior), each one of Super Junior's thirteen members gets a moment in the spotlight, each carrying the entire song with so much emotional weight.

Now might be a good time to pause from talking about It's You compositionally and understand its lyrical themes. Old-school, melodramatic romance is almost entirely dead. In an attempt at avoiding any criticism for being "cringe" or "outdated," dramatic love is dead in pop. This fact was lamented by Infinite in Last Romeo (#28), but these sentiments are best seen in It's You. Love is eternal, even with heartbreaks and highs, it keeps on going as per It's You. The chorus loudly proclaims, "Even when my heart sets on fire, my dry lips are worn out, even when I am born again, it's still only you." Super Junior makes the sentiment from E-Tribe's lyrics stick.

It is with its chorus, however, that It's You makes its mark on history. While It's You, as a song, is the seventh greatest on this list, its chorus would rank amongst the top three. It is hard to describe everything this refrain does right, but here is an attempt anyway. The production explodes, with every element taken to its absolute peak. The stabbing electronic jabs cut straight into the heart while the tempo bursts into a rapid crescendo with minor flourishes adding all the more weight to the hefty instrumental.

Oh, and the melody also is incredible. It surges to unimaginable heights while stretching out every note over two rapidly sung segments, each different from the last. Its melody would be perfect as a piano ballad already, but it is performed with utmost tenacity at a breakneck speed, which only makes the song more weighty. And just as the chorus climaxes, it drops into its minimalist post-chorus, giving enough time for us to take in what just happened, while making every moment all the more impactful.

All of this is tied together by Super Junior at their vocal peak. Hang Geng is a force to be reckoned with in his final track as a Super Junior member (adding much more pathos for what ended up being the band's last song with all its members), Kangin provides his best vocal performance ever, and Siwon and Donghae more than carry their weight as some of the group's most popular members. It is with the main vocalists, however, that It's You truly soars. Ryeowook and Sungmin pair together as excellently as ever, and Kyuhyun is an absolute beast, laying bare his heart with a tearful yet determined performance that only the most skilled could even dream of accomplishing, with emotional restraint and explosion. Of course, It's You is Yesung's song, as he skillfully weaves his tale through each and every note.

It's You also happens to have a finale that is worth every second in gold. Heechul quietly performs an ode to his love before launching into a power note to announce the arrival of the final chorus, more than showing the duality and skill that made him so successful in the industry even before becoming a variety icon.

From then on, the chorus powers through at full capacity, while Yesung vents his heart out through some of the most glorious ad-libs ever conceived. The fantastic high note that closes it off is more than worth the time of listening, but the rest of the high notes have already accomplished much, much more. It's You shows its greatest fireworks before ending as the song becomes quiet, ending on the same note as the opening, "Neorago." It's You was always beloved, but its status amongst K-Pop fans has only grown over time. Few songs bear their emotional weight, performed with so much energy and heart. It's You is fantastic and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

6. Seo Taiji and Boys - I Know (1992)

Lyrics: Seo Taiji

Composition: Seo Taiji

I Know is the greatest debut song in Korean history. Not only is the literal best debut for a group, Seo Taiji and Boys, in this case, but for an entire genre. If one were to view K-Pop as the blend of pop, hip-hop, and Korean influences into a snazzy production that played around with its influences in an exciting form, then I Know is undoubtedly the first K-Pop song ever. In fact, it is widely acknowledged as the most influential song in Korean history, and it has more than lived up to its legacy. Not only is it a direct inspiration for every Korean song that has come after, but it is also superior to almost all of its successors, more than inspiring its status as one of Korea's all-time greats.

Back in 1992, Korean music was almost entirely ballad-based. Slow, melodic balladry that took its time. There were a few exceptions that would act as a bridge to Seo Taiji, including Sinawe's hard rock, Kim Wan-Sun's pop melodies, and Sobangcha's dance melodies, but these were based on trot tunes and acted more like a stepping stone. Western elements, such as rap, funk, new jack swing, and upbeat hard rock elements were firmly outside the mainstream, and in some cases, highly restricted.

The '90s were a time begging for a complete cultural revolution. Democracy was finally stable in South Korea, and the economy was thriving. Few, however, expected the change to come from a shy little seventeen-year-old, but that is exactly what Seo Taiji was at the time. Obsessed with Western music, the little artistic youth created I Know. Before performing it, however, he created a group with two professional dancers, Yang Hyun-Suk (later the founder of YG Entertainment) and Lee Juno (later the creator of the Young Turks Club), both with their own storied careers and controversies.

During its initial month of release, I Know failed to garner too much attention. However, on April 11,1992, Seo Taiji and Boys performed it in a music competition... and garnered the last place. This was a boon in disguise, propelling Seo Taiji and Boys to counterculture status, while giving them the launching pad for a legendary career. I Know went on to become one of the biggest smash success stories and the most influential track in Korean history.

I Know more than lives up to its influence. From its iconic synth opening beats, it showcases the vast range of influences Seo Taiji incorporated into his music. He became the first major Korean artist to use a computer in producing his song, and the jagged synth riff anchors the opening. Beyond it, the dramatic production beat creates an intensity that is instantly engaging and climactic. With its Milli Vanilli-based melody and aggressive Teddy Riley dance beat, Seo Taiji heavily borrows from Western elements he admired but merges them into a package that feels distinctly unique to his brand of songwriting.

Then, the song pulls a full 180 as we jump into a rap verse. I Know keeps listeners on their toes, jumping between three entirely different segments, requiring all members to dance, sing, and rap with incredible competence. The rap segment features a swirling new jack swing beat with floating melodies over a rap flow led by Taiji. Compared to modern K-Pop's "pop with rap" styling, Seo Taiji was a rap fan first and foremost, and the rap flow here is essential for I Know's quality and legacy.

This is followed by a grunge rock dance break, doubling the intensity before we reach the beating heart of I Know, the central refrain. Compared to other refrains, I Know doesn't try to act like as a chorus, instead, it acts a dual-act vocal centerpiece that feels no need to be either the intense climax or a purposeful subversion, but rather an emotional core at the heart of the song. Seo Taiji sings, wishing his love would come back to home in a surging melody, before the elliptical production comes back to the forefront with its rock-tinged new jack swing elements over a stunning call-and-response between Seo Taiji and Juno-and-Hyun-Suk. This is such a perfect centerpiece that it alone could guarantee I Know a spot on this list. But the song only continues to build.

We then get a brief, personality-heavy verse from Yang Hyun-Suk, followed by a high-intensity remix of the track's opening, before Hyun-Suk, Juno, and Taiji trade rap line. Not only is the composition extremely tight here, but the personality is overwhelming, showing Taiji's grasp of charisma while only a teenager.

The song then goes off on a high, with another grunge break (this time with radio scratches). This time, the first phase is cut short, adding one major jolt of surprise before we head back to one of the greatest refrains in pop history. This time, it is repeated twice, allowing it to hit twice as hard.

I Know is both the example of what K-Pop would become, and what K-Pop should be. Few songs have been as invigorating and exciting as I Know is at its every moment. I Know is excellent, its peaks surge, its influence casts a mighty shadow over Korea, and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

5. Yun Sim-Deok - Hymn of Death (2016)

Lyrics: Yun Sim-Deok

Composition: Ion Ivanovici

Trigger Warning: This write-up mentions suicide.

These days, contemporary Korean songs use "darkness" as a vibe, almost a feeling. A tragic emotional performance, with a few twisted and angst-ridden lyrics, and some dark moments. It is manufactured, trite, and emotionally uninspiring. Almost all of it, however, is trying to emulate the success of Hymn of Death, the first true Korean pop song, and one of the darkest records ever.

I will once again interject this post to mention that it is about an emotionally and mentally tortured artist, who in real life, ended up with a dark fate. If this will greatly disturb you, I would not suggest reading it.

Yun Sim-Deok was a Korean singer in Japanese-controlled Korea in the early 20th century. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, she went to Tokyo Music School, becoming the nation's first professionally trained soprano. Additionally, she there met literature student Kim U-Jin. Despite U-Jin being married and already having a child, they had an affair that would destine the fate of their lives.

Sim-Deok never found much success as a singer in her life. In 1926, the U-Jin and Sim-Deok were on a boat back to Korea, where, realizing that their affair would not be supported or accepted, they jumped off the ship and drowned.

Both U-Jin and Sim-Deok were artists first and foremost, and they left their suicide notes through their art. U-Jin pinned his final thoughts in his Theory of Life and Death, stating:

"Are you truly living?

No, I am yearning for death to truly live."

Sim-Deok, as a singer, recorded one last track to justify her death. And that song, that suicide note, was the Hymn of Death. The melody of Hymn of Death is a copy of Ion Ivanovici's Waves of the Danube, one of the darkest and most memorable pieces of late 19th-century classical music. Its dramatic and tragic instrumental is replaced in Hymn of Death by a sole piano, played by Sim-Deok's sister.

Sim-Deok wrote lyrics for the instrumental piece. I won't explain them, I will provide an excerpt.

"On this vast and wild plain,

you running beings,

where is it you are heading for?

In this lonesome world,

harsh and bitter seas,

what is it you are looking for?

Those smiling flowers,

and those singing birds,

their fates are all the same.

Absorbed in living life,

you poor beings,

who are dancing on the edge of a sword."

Those are the words of a woman choosing, knowing that she, at twenty-nine, wouldn't live till thirty. There is pain in her voice, immense pain. No dated recording technology can hide the immense pain in Sim-Deok's words as she writes an epitaph of her own choosing.

I normally end each of these posts with a note on why this song is one of the best in K-Pop, but that doesn't feel right here. Sim-Deok's life was an unfortunate story, with choices that led to a tragic end. Hymn of Death is an expression of true pain, a truly cathartic expression of true pain, and it feels like it.

4. Super Junior - Don't Don (2007)

Lyrics: Ba Dook, Groovie K, Yoo Young-Jin

Composers: Yoo Young-Jin, Groovie K

Ambition is a buzzword within the vast world of K-Pop, with every act's every track being labeled as "experimental" and "ambitious," with a healthy dose of "avant-garde" thrown around for good measure. Back in 2007, however, Super Junior, with Yoo Young-Jin and Groovie K released Don't Don, which defied all conventions of scale for a K-Pop song before and after. Merging rock opera, grunge, R&B, orchestral, rap-rock, screamo metal, late 19th century Russian-inspired classical, conscious hip-hop, power metal, and symphonic metal, with a tinge of vocal-driven pop into one of the most ambitious songs ever released.

Everything in mainstream Korean music through the previous eleven years was an act in the build-up to Don't Don. Yoo Young-Jin's SMP sounds involved a merger of rock, rap, and R&B into a cinematic product, often paired with deep lyrics maintaining the tragedy of modern society's corruptions, and the sufferings of the youth trying to find their place in it. Young-Jin also frequently collaborated with Groovie K, who brought sweeping strings into the mix, turning any song into a dramatic cinematic masterpiece, often with metal elements in addition.

By 2007, the collaboration between these two legends had resulted in some of the best K-Pop songs ever (TVXQ's Tri-Angle, TRAX's Scorpio, H.O.T.'s I Yah (#29), BoA's ID: Peace B, and Shinhwa's T.O.P), but the sound that dominated the SMP was coming to a close, and the new sounds brought by songs such as Girls' Generation's Into The New World (#10) were coming into vogue. They had one last opportunity to capture this sound, and they did it with the now-legends, then rising rookies in Super Junior. In a way, Don't Don is an expression of a dying sound, and as a closer to the SMP rock era of Korean music, it is a wonderful farewell, akin to Off the Wall for Disco. All of the elements of classic SMP are here, taken to their absolute extreme.

Lyrically, Don't Don is a direct attack on the corrupting influence of wealth. The song's title may seem like gibberish in English, but is actually a pun that sounds both like "money" and "insanity." Young-Jin, Groovie K, and co-lyricist Ba-Dook do not aim to subtly introduce these concepts, but mention them with a rageful furiously which guides Don't Don compositionally. The need for improvements in a dark and frantic world with wrath over the never-ending greed of humanity. It also tackles hypocrisy amongst those who seek wealth hardest. There is some irony here, given that Super Junior's agency, SM Entertainment, has a history of controversies originating from them allegedly seeking profit over the well-being of employees, idols, and fans, but even then, Don't Don's message does stand strong, especially in theory.

To open with a sense of scale, Don't Don opens with a forty-five-second grunge breakdown before the first lyrics are ever spoken. The beat here is extremely intense, and about thirty seconds in, explodes in a perfect example of extreme dynamics, with heavy metal screams banging through the slowly descending instrumental. What a dramatic introduction.

Finally, we enter our first verse. The instrumental provides Donghae enough room for his breathy tone. His voice briefly tells us what is going to come, before the rock instrumental pulls back up into full force. Ryeowook then gets two short lines to prove his skill as a rocker, which he more than accomplishes.

Then, within mere seconds, we are whisked away into the chorus. Given how the grunge introduction told us what is to come, the first verse just needs to act as a bridge before we reach the chorus.

Oh, and what a refrain is provided by the chorus! Towering is the best way to describe it. The refrain, sung by the entire group, surrounds you, providing no room for breath. Brief rap "response" interludes provide a shocking jolt to keep listeners on their toes. The chorus ends with the rap merging with the refrain for a shot of cinematic glory.

Given how short the first verse was, the second verse is given the massive task of undertaking the melodic heart of the song before the final two minutes let Young-Jin and Groovie K go absolutely bonkers with their productional skills. It more than accomplishes its task.

After a brief introduction by Sungmin, Han Geng provides an autotuned line that acts as a bridge within the massive second verse. Stylistic autotune is something so often done wrong, especially in K-Pop, but over here, it is so perfectly implemented. This is the last moment of (relative) calm in the track, as Eunhyuk and Kangin get to provide the most intense raps of their career. Super Junior are not often known as a group of rappers, but their lineup could and can rap up their along with the best, with fierce and formidable raps provided with loads of charisma. Don't Don sees their rappers at their best. Eunhyuk's manic energy also pairs really well with Kangin's dramatic and stationary flow. Additionally, the production explodes into a wild brew of tortuous rock notes for the rap, culminating in even greater shock and energy.

We then are finally showcased the pre-chorus, and Super Junior get to show why they are considered a collection of Korea's greatest vocalists. Siwon's stately melodic introduction thrives over dramatic rock chords, performed with a peaceful melodic intensity only seen in the eye of the storm. Then, main vocalist Kyuhyun shows why he is considered one of the band's best, walking the line between calming and crazy. Just prior to Don't Don, Kyuhyun suffered a car crash that resulted in him falling into a coma, with his life at risk. It was also believed that even if he did survive, his voice would be permanently lost. Thankfully, he came out of the accident nearly-healed, and would make it out with his voice and his life. This line is a perfect reintroduction to him after a dark period of his life.

Everything so far would guarantee Don't Don's entry into the top fifty on this list, perhaps even the top twenty-five. However, it is what happens now that launched Don't Don into the top five, as Young-Jin and Groovie K reveal Don't Don's secret weapon; Henry Lau and his violin.

Intended as one of the upcoming members of Super Junior (though the plan would later fall apart), Henry is both an idol and a violinist, and it is so cathartic that his introduction was as a violinist. From this point onwards, Don't Don becomes symphonic metal as Henry's stately yet manic violin plays in contrast to the frantic and violent grunge rock instrumental. Even on its own, the dark and dramatic violin melody stands above most musical acts' entire discographies. The decision to replace a chorus with this instrumental break remains extremely inspired.

After a brief interplay between the grunge guitars and violin, we enter another rap verse. Eunhyuk plays the introduction this time before Heechul is able to release extreme wrath over the chaotic brew that the instrumental has become by this point. Heechul had also suffered an accident earlier, which would eventually prevent him from performing music live, but here, he lets everything loose into one of the most climactic raps ever. A brief closer by Leeteuk only helps build the intensity. If there was any room to breathe before, it was all lost now. Don't Don is unabashedly dramatic and cinematic.

We then return to the pre-chorus, this time sung by Kangin and Yesung. Kangin is fantastic, but it is Yesung's emotive performance, providing a new dose of humanity behind the galactic instrumental, that makes the pre-chorus so great. His prayer for the children of the future is dramatic and cathartic. Aiding the vocalists is Henry and his violin, which turns the intensity of Don't Don even higher than before.

Then, we finally reach the second repetition of the chorus. This time, the drums go crazy, keeping the intensity as high as ever. The chorus is then once again repeated, this time, with every element from the song before into one dramatic finale that stands higher than anything else in Don't Don. Gothic choirs, painful dark chants, the surging grunge at its peak, and more than anything, Henry playing the violin interlude along with the chorus. This is no longer just dramatic, it is euphoric and cathartic in its display of angst. It is perfect. To close things off, Heechul provides a blood-curdling scream of "Super Junior!" He even manages to make the somewhat silly name all the more menacing. He worked so heavily on the scream that it would often lead to him coughing up blood.

Don't Don was a massive hit, though its release was marred by controversy, as Super Junior fans didn't want Henry in the group, resulting in a brief boycott, leading Henry to awkwardly be a member of Super Junior sub-groups, but never the main group, up till his entire departure from Super Junior in 2018. Nonetheless, Don't Don's success pummeled the group forward, though they would abandon this sound with their next release, formally marking the end of the SMP era. Nonetheless, Don't Don is a perfect end to a legendary era of music, by a legendary set of collaborators and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

3. Shin Joong-Hyun and the Men - Beautiful Rivers and Mountains (1972)

Lyricist: Shin Joong-Hyun

Composers: Shin Joong-Hyun

When it comes to influential Korean artists, Shin Joong-Hyun might be second only to Seo Taiji. Widely considered the "Godfather of Korean Rock," he has been at the lead of several notable groups throughout a magnificent career. Starting out as the head of ADD4, he later released solo material, headed the Yup Juns, the Men, and would be the songwriter behind iconic hits for acts such as Kim Jung-Mi and Kim Wan-Sun. In a way, it feels that Beautiful Rivers and Mountains was the only song with his hand through this list, though several songs were quite close (Kim Jung-Mi's Spring, Kim Wan-Sun's Dance in Rhythm, the Yup Juns' Beautiful Women, and the Men's Sunset).  Even on its own, however, Beautiful Rivers and Mountains is a fantastic triumph of every measure, sounding even more vital and important over fifty years after its release.

By 1972, Shin Joong-Hyun's rebellious brand of folk rock had made him the premier star of Korea. He was then working on an album with his band, Shin Joong-Hyun and the Men, when he received a bizarre offer that would change his life forever. The autocratically-governing president of South Korea, Park Chung-Hee. As the story goes, Chung-Hee sought Joong-Hyun to write an ode to the South Korean government, and as a result, Chung-Hee himself. Joong-Hyun, disapproving of Chung-Hee, wrote down an ode to Korea as a nation, and thus, both sidestepped Chung-Hee's request and directly attacked him.

It is hard not to compare Joong-Hyun's act right here with a legendary poet halfway across the world, who existed about two-thousand years ago in Virgil of Rome. When Emperor Augustus Caesar demanded the legendary poet write an epic about his glorious reign. Virgil, in response, wrote the Aeneid, often considered the greatest work of literature in Latin. An epic that glorified Rome, and subtly attacked Augustus' reign. The main difference between Virgil's literary classic and Shin Joong-Hyun was that Virgil masked his sarcasm, while Joong-Hyun made no subtlety in his attacks.

Beautiful Rivers and Mountains is clear in its ambition, and Shin Joong-Hyun aims to capture the beauty and wonder of Korea in his brief lyrics. This was years before the Hallyu Wave was a concept in the heads of journalists before our cousins wished to visit Korea to meet their favorite celebrities, before the wealthy companies of South Korea on the world stage, and before its economic success. All Joong-Hyun has to rely on is his personal convictions, and this is more than enough. Joong-Hyun's lines are simple, but each one carries near-unlimited pathos. A simple line, such as "Into this world, we were born, this beautiful place, this proud place, we will live" holds unlimited catharsis when paired with Joong-Hyun's emotive performance.

Given the conceptual backstory behind Beautiful Rivers and Mountains, it is musically grand and symphonic in a way that no song has ever quite emulated. Its Psychedelic-Folk sound carries the world-wearied drama of the best of The Animals but pumps the tempo and energy to extremes previously unseen in the slow-moving folk revival. From the dramatic opening rock melody before we get to the basic guitar-driven melody that drives the song. It is instantly iconic and memorable, aided all the more by various genius productional flourishes. A perfect example is the melancholic and wandering synth line that comes in at 1:41. By the time the main song finishes by 5:51, it has grown into a volley of some of the best experimental compositional writing seen in psychedelic rock ever. Kim Gi-Pyu's organ and Son Hok-Rae's flourishes make the song all the more incredible.

For the dramatic composition, a dramatic vocal performance would be needed. Shin Joong-Hyun sings alongside co-vocalist Park Gwang-Su, both singing in tandem. Given the grand instrumental, it certainly would be tempting for the singers to belt out the melody as if they were quoting Shakespeare. Instead, Joong-Hyun and Gwang-Su take a minimalist approach, airily breathing every single line. It is clear to any listener that Joong-Hyun is more than aware of the consequences of criticizing the government, but is willing to go through with the act, even if will, and he definitely did, suffer for it. The airy determination is aided by the golden harmonies between Joong-Hyun's quasi-falsetto and Gwang-Su's borderline baritone, creating a dreamy sound that aids the psychedelic instrumental while still standing separate from other similar songs.

All of this is in service of a heavenly melody, which sees Joong-Hyun's psychedelic songwriting at its best. There is a wistful degree of emotion hidden under a thin facade of energetic grit. Each hook twists around various Phyrgian and Western flourishes, culminating in one of the greatest choruses in Korean history. From its ever-iconic opening hook till the end, each and every line is a well-developed refrain that could act as a lesser song's chorus. The end result is that Beautiful Rivers and Mountains sound vast and expansive the way few other songs have ever been close to.

For a casual listener, Beautiful Rivers and Mountains ends after around six minutes, an extraordinary amount for any modern song. However, Joong-Hyun's band continue playing guitar riffs for another four minutes! Given the lack of melodic variation, these riffs should get tiring, but instead, they sound determined, with a fierce and grim determination in the face of whatever catastrophe would come to the band next. It also helps that the riffs are played with more energy each time, leaving Beautiful Rivers and Mountains well worth its ten-minute runtime, just for the sheer thrill that the riffs provide.

Eventually, Shin Joong-Hyun's fears would turn out true. His guitars would be confiscated, but he'd continue to release hits, especially with his beloved 1974 album under his new band, the Yup Juns. In 1975, however, he was arrested on drug charges and was tortured in prison, and later thrown in a psychiatric hospital. Even after release, he was banned from playing music till Park Chung-Hee's death in 1979.

Nonetheless, Beautiful Rivers and Mountains triumphed over all the adversity thrown in both its way, and in the way of its creators. Nowadays, it is frequently regarded as one of the classics that made Korean music. Its psychedelic folk riffs influenced many, including Seo Taiji, who started out playing in Sinawe, a band made by Joong-Hyun's son, Shin Dae-Chul. Its legacy is nearly as strong as its quality and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time.

2. Kara - Step (2011)

Lyricist: Song Soo-Yoon (Sweetune)

Composition: Han Jae-Ho (Sweetune), Kim Seung-Soo (Sweetune), Hong Seung-Hyun (Sweetune (Arrangement))

After a messy contract dispute ended up going nowhere, Kara returned at the peak of their commercial prime with one of the most iconic songs of their career. A bona fide classic, Step was the peak for Kara's and Sweetune's legendary careers, resulting in a euphoric release of pent-up emotions into an explosive blend of dance-pop groove and joyful melodrama. Twelve years after its release, its reputation and acclaim have only grown. It set a standard for the then-young 2010s, one that not a single musical piece was able to top.

By 2011, Kara were already one of K-Pop's most iconic and beloved groups globally, with massive fandoms in both Korea and Japan. This was, in large part, due to the efforts of their regular composers; the production team Sweetune. Sweetune's synth-laced dance-pop sound with loads of emotional catharsis made Kara a household name. Step is the culmination of everything they had been working on up to that point, and it is grand.

Step's lyrics are of a post-break-up song but tackle the theme in a much more upbeat and optimistic look at the concept. Tragedy may face you in life, but you just keep on going, louder and strong than ever. The song opens with "I won't fall anymore, goodbye sadness, I won't get too close anymore, goodbye tears, believe in yourself, no more sighs, such trivial worries, with a smile, bye-bye." Step doesn't try to pretend it isn't hard, but keeps on persevering even when it is hard.

These themes are expressed through the most joyful composition ever made. The song opens with its beating heart, its synth riff. It is almost arpeggio-like, before crashing down like a wave for one fantastic percussion snap. It is a euphoric centerpiece for the melodic drama that makes Step so good. Right afterward comes the youthful chants of "la la la." They could sound bratty but instead are performed by Kara in a way that makes them sound lighthearted and energetic as if they were a fun race through a sunny boulevard at the highest speeeds.

The first verse sees all the members get lines playing off each other. One of the most underrated aspects of Kara was their musical skills, particularly as vocalists. Step is practically begging for the vocalists to play off each other, from Jiyoung's confidence, Gyuri's dreamy joy, Nicole's skill as a transition, and Seungyoon's skill as a main vocalist. The pre-chorus sees the legendary Goo Hara take over, thanking the one in her life for the memories and experiences he or she left her. While the basic structure suggests this is a break-up song, the lyrics leave it ambiguous enough so it could be for any influential person in your life. Small guitar tinges and a pause on the nonstop synth thrashes assist as Hara takes the lead as the melody soars and glides. Just when you think it is about to peak, we get one of the greatest choruses in music history.

Step's chorus is majestic. Where is one to even start writing about it? The gleeful call-and-responses? The fantastic vocal layering? The triumphant melody? The thundering '80s synth-rock instrumental? The euphoric post-chorus? Step's chorus is one where everything that could have went right, went right. Every element is indicative of a great song, but they come together to form an experience that might appear once a decade if even that. Sweetune's productional roots have always been in metal, and they add its intensity to the glorious synth-pop, to create a shining example of what happens when a composition of fully thought-through. What I love is all the motifs the song already established coming back, from the "la la la" to the flying synth riff, to the focus on call-and-response. All of this serves a soaring melody that takes any listener beyond cloud 9. As the members sing that they will start again, beyond all their troubles, and increase the volume, the song swells into something perfect.

The second verse decides to keep all the strengths of the first verse, while only expanding them. The lyrics speak of always growing, and how that is the pure joy of life. The instrumental starts slow before swelling back to its full speed, burying loads of influence under its ever-growing instrumental until the torrents arrive at the fantastic pre-chorus. This time, the pre-chorus is shortened for the sake of brevity. It still holds the impact it initially did, while the speed makes sure the listeners never get too comfy and are always up for any change-ups.

We then get the golden chorus again. This time, however, the post-chorus "la la la" is replaced by an entirely new refrain, one I love so dearly. The members boisterously shout "In my life I recklessly get louder!" The rock guitars come to the forefront, with descending, crunchy guitar riffs replacing the productional snaps. I love the instrumental here, as it captures the best of Sweetune, merging metal speed and intensity with euphoric synth-pop.

This piece of pure gold is followed by a nice little scream and a poppy little rap verse. Compared to the personal euphoria of letting go seen through the rest of Step, the rap verse acts as a nice interlude encouraging you to do your best and never give up. Nicole, assisted by Hara and Jiyoung. This is a fun little break before the song completely pauses for the middle eight's final phase. Gyuri and Seungyoon sing a few lines of living your life as best as possible in its short time, which segments nicely into...

... a thunderous finale for one of the greatest songs of all time. The chorus plays at its full grandeur, while the "recklessly get louder" segment, instrumental and all. And it is glorious. Every element of Step blossoms into a golden closing where the "la la la" -s, middle eight beginning, and the chorus come together. It is brief and brisk, but the best moment in one of the best songs.

Personally, whenever I feel down, Step is one of the songs that cheer me up. Which made it all the more tragic in 2019, when Goo Hara passed away, one of the creators behind a song that saved and cheered up millions of fans. Step has not only become a testament to her incredible influence, but a legendary K-Pop song for everyone involved. When Kara came back in 2022, Step became the focal point once again. It is Sunshine in a Bottle and is one of the greatest K-Pop songs of all time. 

1. TVXQ - Rising Sun

Lyrics: Yoo Young-Jin

Composition: Yoo Young-Jin

It all leads up to here. After weeks, the greatest K-Pop song of all time (as per this list) is TVXQ's Rising Sun. A stunning triumph at all departments, Rising Sun is what happens when you get together a collection of legendary performers and a legendary composer, all at their very prime. Rising Sun is grand, its vision is vast. It stands not only as the peak of the SMP sound of the early 2000s in Korea, but a stunning triumph of experimental song-structure. Its musical and lyrical structure is pure avant-garde, but remains accessible for one and all while rewarding deeper listens.

In September 2005, TVXQ had not been in the music industry for even two years. Nonetheless, they had formed a startling belt of classics already (three songs in the top 100, one in the honorable mentions), and had revitalized the Korean music industry, which was still lagging behind after an economic recession in the late '90s completely obliterated its commercial prospects. What is more, is that they were once again taking the Hallyu wave global. They had formed niche fandoms across Asia, one that eventually grow to them topping charts in Japan (where they remain legends, and arguably the most successful foreign artists ever), and Taiwan, in addition to their native South Korea. Needless to say, expectations were sky-high for their second full-length album, especially its lead single.

The only one who could not only tackle these expectations but surpass them beyond any reasonable measure was Yoo Young-Jin. The principal songwriter and composer for K-Pop, and the visionary behind nearly all of Korea's biggest acts from 1996 up till 2007 (see Don't Don, #4), Yoo Young-Jin was at his absolute prime in 2005, releasing instant classic after instant classic, only competing with himself to top national charts. If one pairing could create the greatest K-Pop song of all time, it would be TVXQ and Yoo Young-Jin in 2005.

In the original MV, Rising Sun's intro was a great audial introduction to the themes of the song, with dramatic taiko drums and church choirs. Unfortunately, it was removed when the MV was remastered, but can still be seen in fan uploads.

Rising Sun's musical segment opens with a falsetto scream of "rise up!" over gritty staccato electronic percussive beats. Every single percussional element here plays off the other, until at 0:53 (in the Music Video), a low electronic bass grunt calls in strings to perform a beautiful choir over a once again chanted "rise up!" The brilliant contrast between the jagged and unpolished percussion and the heavenly symphonic strings is a perfect setup for Rising Sun's lyrical themes of a seemingly unachievable search for perfection, while also teasing the muddy rock opera that will soon explode.

And explode it does. What follows next is a fantastic musical segment. The production here will later become the backing instrumental of the chorus, but for now, serves as the centerpiece in its own right. The choir of strings glides from one key to the next, descending and ascending with a degree of emotional uncertainty and weight. At the same time, jagged, rough, and unfinished percussional elements stab into the song at a breakneck pace. At the same time, various string flourishes add all the more life to the building instrumental.

It is only then that the main melody of Rising Sun begins. Now-disgraced rapper Yoochun opens with one of his best raps. The dramatic "Now, I cry, under my skin," three years before the phrase would be associated with TVXQ in K-Pop, is a wonderful introduction to a wonderful verse. Yoochun raps poetically about his sadness and worry, "My tears went up to the sky and created the rain, falling onto the Earth." Yoo Young-Jin strikes a thin balance between dramatic and earnest. The instrumental, which paused after the introduction, slowly builds through Yoochun's verse before we are catapulted into the next segment.

As the instrumental soars to its grandest, quasi-symphonic metal peak, Changmin lets loose a painful scream. Changmin has always been one of the world's greatest vocalists, with a thundering voice that would thrive in both screamo metal and pop. He has always been TVXQ's secret asset, and his performance in Rising Sun is his very peak. Between Changmin's screams of "No!" Yunho raps a response to Changmin's call with a speedy flow. Instead of sadness, as Yoochun, Yunho's rap is filled with wrath, he prays for forgiveness for his sins but notes how he keeps coming back to them.

All this drama is instantly paused then for Rising Sun's first fantastic transition. Instead, we get melodic '80s synth harmonizers before Junsu comes in. He sings that despite his determination, each one of his days eventually ends up collapsing. Meanwhile, as the days collapse around Junsu, the instrumental begins to crackle back to life, assisted by the percolating percussion and icy synths that enclose the entirety of Rising Sun.

It is after all of this, with the instrumental fully revved up, do we finally get main vocalist Jaejoong. From sadness, to wrath, to depression, Jaejoong brings forward the transition toward optimism. Jaejoong's vocal belts showcase a layer of sadness and genuineness. Perhaps this was assisted by the massive injury he suffered while preparing for the comeback. At the end of his line, he sings with pathos, "Are they searching for me, left in eternity?"

With that, the song unveils its greatest trick, a massive chorus. Despite his experimental songwriting, Yoo Young-Jin has always been a master of creating a fantastic refrain. The gritty, percolating instrumental production from Rising Sun's introduction becomes the instrumental of the chorus, assisted by the massive block of vocalists that was TVXQ at their very prime. Each vocal timbre is more than distinct, but they form a sixth vocalist together, pulling through each other's voice to create something massive. The refrain rises and surges, with each hook building off the other. Every bit of the emotional drama seen through Rising Sun's verses is here, amplified to its very limit. The most impressive bit is the final high note

While Young-Jin's skills as a lyricist are commonly questioned, Rising Sun's chorus is a wonderfully succinct summary of the themes of the song. The members sing that despite their emotional trials, their heart resembles them, still with its innocence. "Let the flame burn on and blaze," they say, "like the most radiant ending of sunset, waiting for the rising sun." What makes these lyrics even more impactful is the cause of the singer's struggle is never described, but their effects are almost universal. The quest to seek a better version of oneself is universal. It is poetic and ultimately prophetic, and beautiful.

Before the ever-iconic post-chorus comes crashing in, Young-Jin throws in another rap verse. Yoochun's rap may have some grammatically incorrect English, but its message is clear: Be the truest form of yourself for the sun to rise. From Yoochun's rock-tinged delivery, Yunho performs with a more classy hip-hop sound that shows his strength as a rapper. Paired with their performance is a seismic, crashing grunge riff, constantly building in intensity.

After this brief interlude, the post-chorus enters, and it is glorious. Changmin belts out a question, before the group responds with the phrase of "Somebody talks," before Jaejoong and Junsu respond with indefinite uncertainty. The vocal layering here is immaculate, with Changmin making small changes and twists in his voice to express and drain every bit of emotion possible. The existential dread expressed through the wonderings of when this chaos and suffering will end, paired with the unfortunately factual "no one knows" answers in the response, and wonderfully atmospheric. The grunge riffs, the industrial percussion, and the icy, tracing synths, every element of Rising Sun's production comes together for a fantastic little post-chorus.

Following this the production surges, with the violins, in particular, while Junsu and Jaejoong return. They describe life as an endless quest to complete the missing pieces of the puzzle. Every little piece of the track comes together here, preparing us for the chorus once again...

... That is, if this was any other song. Rather than the chorus, Changmin provides the high note, perhaps the greatest in musical history. His "(Do) you know why?" is vast, over ten seconds in length, and reaches for the stars. What makes it all the more impressive is that Changmin doesn't just let the high note peak at its highest point, but slowly descends back to the very beginning. This giant elliptical structure tells a story within itself. The surging violins that assist it continue for a little longer, helping the production's descending bass.

So far, Rising Sun has more than shown its experimental roots. However, it is with this upcoming transition that it should derail all casual listeners left, and even scare away some fans of experimental composition. Instead, it is galvanizing and interesting, with loads of charm and energy. After a deep voice asks both the singer/storyteller and composer to "slow down," the song does exactly that. We are thrown into a groovy segment, with bhangra influences and sinister versions of the icy synths. This style is both extremely different, yet a perfect continuation of what has already happened.

Over this groovy and sinister beat, Yoochun opens by saying "This time shall pass away, I know so well that it won't come back. Don't ever leave your days with regrets, swallow anger born from solitude." From this point onwards, the rap lyrics preach the message of the song, of living each day without regrets, doing your best, and reaching for the eternally distant rising sun. Following Yoochun is Changmin, whose stylish interlude shows the legendary vocalist's skill as a rapper, which would be later seen in Keep Your Head Down (#55). Yunho then finishes the rap segment strongly, asking the listeners to believe in happiness and live every day as it is new. His flow is twisted and yet, melodic.

At this moment, the rap ends with a new high note from Changmin. This one, however, is conceptually different. Instead of questioning and worrying, it is determined and hopeful. Through this scream, Changmin showcased more emotion than many legendary artists have in their whole careers, and it isn't even the best of his in the song! Below his voice, the synth brew bubbles and sputters back to life just in time for a shout of "Rise up!" to lead us into the chorus.

Enter once again the chorus, the greatest in K-Pop history. The refrain, under the new context, rises and roars like no other. Every little moment of the song comes together once again. It is hard to add anything to what has already been said, other than the sheer glory of the chorus coming once again.

This time, we go straight to the post-chorus. Once again, Changmin questions if despair is the sketch of happiness and when the chaos will end, once again the answers are indeterminant. However, this time, something feels different. Be it Changmin's grin in the music video or his more determined vocals, the questions feel less important, as if the singer knows that continuing will inevitably give the answers. Rising Sun doesn't pretend to have the answers, but it does claim to have the method. The repeat of Junsu's final answer, "Only time has the answer," further supports Rising Sun's thesis.

Rising Sun ends on a high note, with the strings coming to the forefront over the jagged percussion, creating something both epic and instantly recognizable. Yunho once again shouts for the audience to "Rise up!" But this time, it no longer is a question, a call of the despaired. It is a standard-bearing march, a call to arms for those who are lost, a call to rise above the storm. Every element of Rising Sun, down to its last second, is perfect.

Over the years, Rising Sun has enjoyed its status as a mega-hit beloved by the masses, and as a critically-acclaimed cult classic. Its fans go beyond nations, with the song becoming a massive cultural phenomenon in South Korea and Japan, making TVXQ Asia's biggest musical act, and bringing the Hallyu wave internationally. It has spawned numerous covers and copycat tracks, but none have ever had quite the magic that the original combination of Yoo Young-Jin's compositional and lyrical skills, as well as TVXQ's sheer drive as performers, both at the height of their golden age.

But beyond its status as a classic, beyond its influence, Rising Sun is just a fantastic song, pushing the boundaries of popular music far beyond what could ever be expected. It is a magnum opus to perseverance, grit, and hope. Its music touches the skies and seeks to go beyond. Rising Sun is immaculate, and is the greatest K-Pop song of all time.