The Most Important Korean Musicians from the 90s till now!
- boninwi
- Apr 29, 2019
- 10 min read
Updated: May 24, 2019
I have had a list of the five artists who I believe are some of the most import musical acts in their respective decades. I believe that these artists are key for anyone who wishes to listen to Korean music in any capacity and wants to see the evolution of the Korean music industry over the last several decades.
90s
H.O.T.- H.O.T or HighFive of Teenagers is the band that is believed to have started the modern day kpop band trend. Formed by SM Entertainment in 1996 the group consisted of five members: Moon Hee-Jun, Jang Woo-Hyuk, Tony An, Kangta, and Lee Jae-Won. The group quickly became a pop sensation dominated the domestic charts and begin the modern kpop genre. The group released five albums between 1996 and 2000, all five sold over 875,000 each, four of which sold over 1,000,000 copies in their home nation of South Korea. The group eventually disbanded in 2000 but in August of 2018 the group held a special reunion concert but since then has not released any new music. (H.O.T. (Band).)
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMsc7wGghy8
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGtq-QPDnE8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdfk9-HDqx4
Last Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JkJDVDMGes
Shinhwa- The legendary band Shinhwa is another boy group created by SM Entertainment. The group was formed in 1998 consisting of 6 members. The members include: Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-won, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. The group debuted with the album Resolver, however they didn’t true find success till their follow up album TOP which finally found them commercial success. The group has since released fifteen studio albums, one in Japanese and fourteen in Korean, and three EPs. The group’s longevity has even set a record as the longest existing boy band in history (He).
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJAeuuPKFUE
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF2JWhUphlE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_VJHT6y-NI
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVlNoJ94Oc
J.Y. Park- Park Jin Young or JYP, may currently be well known for his label JYP Entertainment that homes groups such as Twice, Got7, Day6, and 15&, but he started his career in 1994 as a solo singer and dancer. He debuted with the album Blue City headlined by the single ‘Don’t Leave Me’. He created his label in 1997 under the name “Tae-Hong Planning Corporation" before switching it to JYP Entertainment in 2001. He has gone on to produce some of the most well known artists in the Korean music industry such as g.o.d., Wonder Girls, Miss A, 2AM and 2PM, Rain, and Byul ("Way Back").
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuiTgdZUJJQ
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRQ1LjL_Xzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUGQ7Tz4os0
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDwTAC5oGSA
Uhm Jung-hwa- Uhm Jung-hwa debuted as a soloist in 1993 with her album ‘Sorrowful Secret’. She continued to release music eventually becoming one of the most popular female singer is the Korean music industry. She found great success with songs such as ‘Festival’ (1999) and ‘Invitation’ (1998). She even did successful featurings, such as on Jinusean’s ‘Tell Me’ in 1997.(ChannelK)
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3clKIRmG0o
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSNf6EMjZZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm8k6d3iMi8
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF2R5Y1TwBA
DJ DOC- The hip-hop trio originally started out as an underground quartet, but after the release of their 1994 debut album ‘Sorrow of Superman’ member Park Jun-hwan left the group. The current three members of the group are Lee Ha-neul, Jung Jae-yong, and Kim Chang-yeol. The trio was relatively unknown until the release of their third studio album ‘DJ2DOC’ which sold over 1,950,000 copies in South Korea (Lee).
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgPtwmPO6c0
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0zm2oV1tu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cENP3aul9lQ
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpOvBFV4GUo
2000s
BoA- Kwon Bo-A known by her stage name BoA is a solo singer who debuted in 2000. BoA was only 14 years old when she debuted in Korean with her album ‘ID; Peace B’ in 2000 which was soon thereafter released in Japan as well. BoA eventually released her debut Japanese album ‘Listen to My Heart’ in 2000 which became an instant hit in Japan selling over 1,000,000 copies in the nation and topping the domestic charts, the first for a Korean singer in Japan. BoA has continued to be be active in both South Korea and in Japan is according to some she is believed to be the person who opened up the Japanese market to Korean singers (Oyegbola). She has released a total of nineteen studio albums, eight Korean and eight in Japanese along with one in English. She has also released several reissued albums, compilation albums, and one EP.
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfslE2pbmCk
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceZc-5p3g1w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLnr2u_nj10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NphHQciQjAI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz7Gstx5ogk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQjovLrnvVo
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlMg8FbcP7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1XOFi42xZM
TVXQ- The once quintet now duo formed back in 2003 by SM entertainment the group debuted to great success with their album ‘Tri-Angle’ in 2004. Throughout the mid and late 2000s the group would see great success with their albums ‘"O"-Jung.Ban.Hap.’ and ‘Mirotic’ and their accompanying singles selling well in Korea. However the success of the group was put on hold as three of the members filed a lawsuit against their label SM Entertainment. Members Junsu, Yoochun, and Jaejoong all filed suit against the label and in 2010 left the group and label to form their new group JYJ (Eremenko). The group has continued on as a duo however with members U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin continuing on together. The group has released a total of eighteen studio albums, nine of which were Korean and another nine where Japanese, and of all eighteen albums ten where as a duo and eight as a quintet.
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ635vE2RQI
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtJS32n6LNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djJb5iSL0Do
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-FgX8wLNzY
Big Bang- Big Bang is one of the most recognizable Korean boy bands in history and have had one of the greatest impacts on the Korean music industry in history. Debuting in 2005 with five members under YG Entertainment, the group had a slow start as their debut album was not the most well received, however with the release of their song ‘Lies’ they gained wider popularity which they solidified with songs such as ‘Haru Haru’, ‘Fantastic Baby’, and ‘Sunset Glow’. The group helped bring the hip-hop/rap trend into the idol group sphere of K-pop and were one of the first groups to have members write the music they performed with members G-Dragon and T.O.P helping to write lyrics. Over the decade and a half of activity all five members have become well respected idols and musicians in the industry. However the group has faced controversy as member T.O.P was caught smoking cannabis and was taken to trial. He plead guilty and is sentenced to server ten months in jail with two years probation after serving his mandatory military service (Mukhopadhyay.) Member Seungri was also in a massive scandal related to his club Burning Sun being accused of drugging woman and filming them being raped by famous idols and club staff. The scandal reached a large enough level that Seungri has retired from the entertainment industry as he is being persecuted (Kelley.) The future for the group and it’s four remaining members may be unclear but the legacy they have created will continue to influence even more artists in the future.
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjTEMBB-mjY
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cv3phvP8Ro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzCbEdtNbJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ips2mM7Zqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkStCKeLlec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIPH8LFYFRk
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo4-P7dQ6mk
Rain- Rain is a solo singer who debuted in 2002 with the album ‘Bad Guy’, he however truly found success with his albums ‘It’s Raining’ and ‘RAINISM’ which found him at the forefront of east asian pop music, as the albums and their lead singles of the same names became a huge commercial success. Rain’s sexual style and intensive choreographies also helped him gain attention and inspire others to follow suit (Han).
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghI3l_xSYxk
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYax6ABb-8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9fO3s0S4Iw
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s5JQkJ6t6I
Epik High- Epik High is a three member hip-hop group formed in 2001 by Tablo, DJ Tukutz, and Mithra Jin. The group was active is the underground scene for several years before officially debuting in 2003 with their album ‘Map the Human Soul’ (Esmeel). Their first album however found little success as did their sophomore album ‘High Society’, however in a unique twist of fate the their album ‘Swan Songs’ which was meant to be their final album was the one that helped them find success. The single ‘Fly’ became a hit in Korea and even in Japan, despite the fact that hip-hop lacked popularity in either country (Esmeel). The group’s popularity helped lead into the trend of more hip-hop artists becoming mainstream and deeper lyrics being used in popular music.
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk-tNX7J9EQ
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieWOb34bzZs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s1jaFDrp5M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3INNjAEqHk
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Vz-ptyKbQ
2010s
Jay Park- This once idol turned rap sensation is taking the world of rap by storm. Originally part of the boy group 2PM. Park left after after comments he made about the nation of South Korea but later returned to the music scene in 2010. Jay Park has since gone on to be one of the most well known Korean rap artists and has started two labels AOMG and H1GHR music, both of which many well known artists and in the rap and R&B scene. His label AOMG houses artists such as Loco, Hoody, Simon Dominic, Woo Won-jae, and producers Gray and COde Kunst (AOMG). His label H1GHR Music has artists such as Sik-K, pH-1, Ted Park, Raz Simone, G.Soul, HAON, and producers Groovy Room and Woogie (ChannelK).
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY1v2m7BfBA
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmPMZlsDlVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJpGSLcqYoA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx_mg-1WhWw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqckfuUnC1U
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UnYwv3V75A
EXO- EXO is yet another boy group from the powerhouse label SM Entertainment. Originally featuring twelve members from both South Korea and China the group now consists of nine members after three Chinese members, Kris, Luhan, and Tao, left the group in 2014 and 2015. The remaining members have continued to groups legacy becoming one of the most popular boy groups in both Korea and China, as well as the world. With all five of their studio albums have sold over a million copies a piece, they are one of the best selling Korean music acts in history. EXO was honored with the chance to perform at the closing ceremonies of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics (Herman). To commemorate at that they have done to help spread kpop across the world the Korean Mint Corporation created special coins of each member of the group in march of 2018.
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6fPzVNIEB0
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3dezFzsNss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI0DGvqKZTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWfsla_Uh80
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSH-FVVtTf0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdssuxDdqKk
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSudEWBAYRE
HyunA- Hyuna has been active since 2007 having been in the girl groups Wonder Girls and 4Minute, both popular and successful groups in their own right, but Hyuna has established herself as a popular soloist since her solo debut in 2010. Hyuna has released several extremely popular singles such as ‘Bubble Pop!’(2011), ‘Red’ (2014), and ‘BeBe’ (2017). Hyuna’s more sexualy ‘provacative’ music and music videos have caused some controversy around the singer as some feel she shows to much of her body. Having left her old label Cube Entertainment in October of 2018 (Herman “Hyuna”) due to a dating controversy, she has moved onto the label P-Nation with her boyfriend kim Hyo-jung looking to take over the music scene again.
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6JppjQSTh8
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw9CALKOvAI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXCgR93zC8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xndFqGJ4k
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcqImqOVE2U
Red Velvet- Red Velvet is a five member girl group debuting under SM Entertainment in 2014 originally as a four member group with fifth and final member Yeri joining in March 2015 (Ahn). Red Velvet uses a unique system when releasing music, the red in their name is for upbeat dance pop songs and the velvet is for R&B. The group has harnessed their unique dynamic via releasing albums in either the red, velvet or combined style of both. Despite this odd quirk the group is one of the most popular girl groups in Korea and has helped break the mold that most girl groups are held to, particularly the ‘cute’ or ‘sexy’ girl group tend to take. The versatility of the group has helped them amass a large following in both Korea and abroad and they where even give the chance to perform in Pyeongchang North Korea during a diplomatic meeting to show warming relations between the two nations (Noack).
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFgv8bKfxEs
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGdbaEDVWp0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QslJYDX3o8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyiIGEHQP8oLast/est
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_CFBjAyPWE
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWJUPY-2EIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILGsX3dnySA
BTS- On of the most easily recognizable names what it comes to Korean music, BTS or Bangtan Boys came from humble beginnings to one of Korea’s proudest cultural phenomenons. Debuting in 2013 with seven members the group was a small fish in a big pond and for several years was relatively unknown, even their more well known song at the time ‘Boy in Luv’ was an outliner as more of their singles failed to grab attention. It wasn’t until the release of their 2015 EP ‘The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1’ and it’s lead single ‘I Need U’ did the group start their upward trend. The group that was once in fear of disbanding due to poor sales has albums that now sell over two million copies in Korea (Kim) and nearly two hundred thousand copies in the United States (Kelley). The groups impact gave them the ability to speak in front of the UN general assembly (Allaire) as well as a medal from the South Korean president for helping spread Korean culture across the world (Yoon).
Debut Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBG5L7UsUxA
Iconic Songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8MfJg68oCs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMdTd9e-LEI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmE9f-TEutc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEeFrLSkMm8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C2z4GqqS5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBuZEGYXA6E
Latest Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsX3ATc3FbA
I hope this list is helpful to anyone studying Korean music or who wishes to have an even better understanding of the country's music scene.
Bibliography
Source 1. “5 Songs Every Korean Knows and Sings At Karaoke.” Koreaboo, 2 Mar. 2018, www.koreaboo.com/lists/5-songs-every-korean-knows-and-sings-at-karaoke/.
One way to gauge the popularity of a song and its impact is how popular it is with the public after it’s released. The songs on this list are still iconic in the music scene/industry to this day.
Source 2. “Asian Pop Music Genre Overview.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/style/asian-pop-ma0000012169.
This source offers an extensive list on key artists, albums, and songs from the Asian music scene, primarily Japan and South Korea.
Source 3. Bevan, David, and Chuck Eddy. “The 21 Best K-Pop Songs of All Time.” Spin, 1 June 2012, www.spin.com/2012/06/best-k-pop-songs-all-time/.
This list list provides a helpful perspective in songs that have helped shaped the Korean music scene throughout the decades.
Source 4. ChannelK. “FULL PROFILE OF UHM JUNG-HWA: HUSBAND, MARRIAGE, SOCIAL MEDIA, PLASTIC SURGERY, AND MOVIE LIST.” ChannelK, 22 Feb. 2019, channel-korea.com/uhm-jung-hwa-profile
Insight into Uhm Jung-hwa and her career.
Source 5. Dorof, Jakob. “20 Essential K-Pop Songs.” Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 7 Aug. 2014, pitchfork.com/features/starter/9475-20-essential-k-pop-songs/?page=3.
A helpful list of more modern K-pop songs that listeners both familiar and not should listen to to help get a better understanding of the genre.
Source 6. Eremenko, Alexey. “TVXQ | Biography & History.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/tvxq-mn0001424404.
A helpful biography of TVXQ and their history.
Source 7. Esmeel. “Epik High Throughout The Years: 15 Moments That Shaped Their Incredible Journey.” Soompi, Soompi, 21 Oct. 2018, www.soompi.com/article/1244881wpp/15-striking-moments-shaped-epik-highs-extraordinary-journey.
Defining moments of Epic High that any fan should familiarizer themselves too.
Source 8. “Feeling Nostalgic Yet? Here Is a List of the Most Popular 1990s Japanese Songs! – Japan Info.” Japan Info, 29 Jan. 2019, jpninfo.com/34608.
Looking at the important songs from each decade allows for perspective into the trends the music industry and list artists who established themselves and their careers with hit songs that are now icon in the industry.
Source 9. Han, Sang-hee. “Rain Finally Unveiled in Asia.” Koreatimes, 12 Oct. 2008, koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/398_32517.html.
An article of Rain unveiling one of his most influential songs.
Source 10. “J-Pop Music Genre Overview.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/style/j-pop-ma0000004490.
A helpful guide of Japanese musicians, albums, and songs both in the outside of the pop music industry and spanning several decades.
Source 11. “Korean Pop Music Genre Overview.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/style/korean-pop-ma0000011907.
Another helpful guide of Korean pop music that features albums, artists, and songs that have helped the genre attain the world wide success it has.
Source 12. Oyegbola, Folashade. “BoA Is More than Just a KPop Star.” AXS, 28 Oct. 2014, www.axs.com/boa-is-more-than-just-a-kpop-star-25526.
A look at BoA and her career in Korea, Japan, and the USA.
Source 13. “Way Back Wednesday: J.Y. Park.” Allkpop, Allkpop, 7 Mar. 2012, www.allkpop.com/article/2012/03/way-back-wednesday-j-y-park.
A look into the career of J.Y. Park
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