10 Best K-Pop Songs of All Time
K-Pop has taken the world by storm and is now so cemented into pop culture that it has its own genre on the charts on a global scale. Throughout the years, there have been some certified K-Pop classics, but which ones would people consider to be the best of the best? Here are our picks for the 10 best K-Pop songs of all time.
Gangnam Style by Psy
Serving as the South Korean musician’s worldwide breakout hit, “Gangnam Style” took off and became the party tune of the year in 2012. The highly catchy song and fun music video, showcasing Psy’s interesting dance, made the song as memorable as ever even ten years after its release.
Dynamite by BTS
One of the most popular hits by one of the most popular K-pop sensations to grace the earth is “Dynamite” by BTS. The song, released in 2020, started off extremely strong, making its way straight to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 and becoming an instant hit in America and South Korea as well.
DDU-DU-DDU-DU by BLACKPINK
“DDU-DU-DDU-DU” by the popular South Korean pop group BLACKPINK was released in 2018 and quickly shot up in the charts, topping the Billboard K-pop Top 100. The video for the song became the most viewed K-pop music video on YouTube at the time, with over 1 billion views.
Gentleman by Psy
Another banger from our South Korean wonder Psy, “Gentleman” was the next of his hits to make its way to America in 2013. Up until recently, the music video for the song became the fastest and most viewed, with over 1.4 billion views on YouTube.
DNA by BTS
“DNA” was the first major hit BTS graced the US n 2017. The song made it to #67 on the Billboard Top 100 as well as #1 on the Billboard K-pop Top 100. The song put BTS on the map in the United States and started the intense fandom surrounding the group.
Fire by BTS
Another BTS song to make the list, “Fire” was released as part of the album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever”. “Fire” was actually about as popular in the United States as it was in Korea despite BTS not yet being a household name. “Fire” reached number seven on the Korean charts while reaching the top spot in US World Digital Song Sales.
Boombayah by BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK made their debut in a big way back in 2016 when they released their first single “Square One”, which was followed up on the same record with “Boombayah”. The song was an instant hit, and in fact became the first K-Pop debut music video to reach over 1 billion views worldwide on YouTube.
As If It’s Your Last by BLACKPINK
While most popular songs are part of a full album, “As If It’s Your Last” was released on its own in 2017 and was written by a trio of artists for Blackpink. The song streamed more than 100 million times in the first year of its release and even won Best Digital Song of the Year at the Golden Disc Awards.
Growl by EXO
Serving as the South Korean-Chinese boy band’s breakout hit, the R&B tune “Growl” by EXO was released in 2013 and became the 5th best-selling K-pop song in the US that year. “Growl” would end up winning the Best Song at the Seoul Music Awards and even the World’s Best Song at the World Music Awards in 2014.
Peek-a-Boo by Red Velvet
Red Velvet is an all-girl band that formed in 2014 and quickly became one of the most popular groups in Korea thanks to their debut album “The Red” in 2015. Two years later, they released “Perfect Velvet” which contained the massive hit “Peek-a-Boo” that took the world by storm. “Peek-a-Boo” reached number two on both the US World Digital Song charts and the K-Pop Hot 100 in Korea.
