This decade's most influential k-pop artists and songs

[Guest vic_taebin]

boa, rain, dbsk, wonder girls, big bang ...are the only ones that really left a deep imprint in the last decade. They would be the faces that most people would remember and name if told to.

Others... would be

g.o.d - one of the last groups that sold over a million of their cds back-to-back. Seriously, who nowadays can do that?!

shinhwa - longest running group

hyori - the sex icon of kpop and still is.

drunken tiger - he brought real hip-hop to Korea. Although banned for most of his career, he's still as popular.

[xxtine_21]

SHINHWA without a doubt.

They set the standards to how Kpop boybands should be.

I think a huge milestone was in 2004 when they finally received their first daesang award ever! It was for the song Brand New it's been one of my favourite song for YEARS!!!

It's so different from a lot of that bubblegum boyband pop you heard back in the day (some songs today even fall in that category)

Once in a Lifetime is also high up there. The song itself is just so motivating and uplifting...<3

Other singers/groups I think who have influenced the past decade include: Big Bang, Fly to the Sky, and 2NE1 (not sure if they count...since they just debuted this year lol)

[Guest squeaky]

DBSK because they are truly asia's best male group. I can't really pick a song because I feel like they're known more for the vocals and skill, rather than the song, because they haven't really had a hit that has defined them.

RAIN. I feel like people are forgetting how BIG, and do I mean BIG, he was two to three years ago.

G.O.D. Seriously, cannot be replaced or duplicated. Love their songs "어미니에게" and so much more.

SG Wannabe. They are a very consistent ballad group that has constant hits. 아리랑 is a personal fav.

BOA because she's just. BOA. xD

I wouldn't put SNSD or 2NE1 on the list, because frankly, SNSD's Gee was their biggest hit that has really defined them and 2NE1 only came out this year, so I don't think they're very influential in terms of the decade. Maybe this year, but not for a majority of the decade.

I'm on the fence about Wonder Girls because they've had hits that made them big and what inspired that whole repetitive phrasing in songs and easy dance moves, but they've kind of picked up and left for America. But I don'tknow..

[Guest sheva88]

Here to post my thoughts I'm a fan of SS501 and a new fan of DBSK, and following SS501 opened up the entire Kpop music industry for me, which in turn got me to know DBSK, which has (once again) in turn allowed me to experience the work and success of this phenomenal band. But as you've written the top 10 artists who is the most influential to Kpop music for the past 10 years, so here goes:

1) BoA - Valenti

What more can I say about her. We all know don't we... The first Korean artist whose album reached the top of the Oricon charts in Japan and have 6 albums consecutively topping the oricon chart in Japan. Being the one who put Korea on the map in many countries, she's successful all over Asia and now, making her way into the US market. And it's almost 10 years since her debut and she's going on stronger than ever.

2) Shinhwa - Brand New

Why i put them after BoA is because she's had more success in Asia and in the US while Shinhwa was mainly in Korea. Anyway here goes:

Being one of the longest lasting bands (10years) in KPOP, the ups and downs they had to go through were too many. The problems that the bands faced in SME, and having left the label that they first debut, it would mean that making a comeback would be difficult with a new label. However they made it through, and in 2004, the year that they came back under a new label, proved to be a year that showed the fruits of their labour despite the tough times they had to go through. They came back with "Brand New", thus I chose this song, and that year, they scooped 19 awards in Korea. They also paved the way for Korean artists in Asia, earning success in several countries.

3) Rain - It's Raining

Multi talented, won awards for his singing and his acting. Sold out concerts all over asia, and the first Korean artist to hold a concert in Madison Square, USA, and he also appeared on TRL (MTV). I still remember 2 years ago, he was all over newspapers, internet sites and magazines everywhere, that every single place he went to was such a big deal. Everyone was just talking about him, and even my parents who weren't into such things also mentioned about him over our family dinners. Even recently, he has made it to Hollywood as a starring role in his latest movie, Ninja Assassin (previously casted in Speed Racer). He has been one of the key korean artists along with BoA, to have brought the Hallyu phenomenon all throughout the world. And he has now became a producer of his own company, J-Tune, creating MBLAQ.

4) DBSK / TVXQ - Mirotic

Their first single - Hug - shot the band to fame overnight with 236000+ in sales. Their success in the Korean music industry skyrocketed within a short period of time, and soon they made it big in Japan as well, being the first foreign male group to have a number 1 single in Japan. Their success has been phenomenal all over Asia, capturing the hearts of many young girls and older ladies as well, holding successful concerts everywhere they went. Their comeback in 2008 was the most phenomenal year (for me), winning awards on every awards show that they went on. They gained more fame after releasing Mirotic, and held sold out concerts all over Asia after that. They also have the biggest official fanclub in the world (Guiness book of records).

5) SS501 - Because I'm Stupid

Because I'm Stupid was the song that shot the band to fame. Before Boys Over Flowers, the band enjoyed a reasonable amount of success in Korea as well as Japan, however after the KDrama, things changed, and their popularity increased overnight. Having their first asian tour this year, with major turnouts in the concerts, as well as winning popularity awards all over asia (Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Korea) and hitting the top of the charts with their latest album - Rebirth - in Singapore, Taiwan and Philippines (correct me if I missed out any country as these are the few countries I'm following at the moment in terms of charts). Thus, after DBSK completed their run of success in 2008, 2009 was indeed the year for SS501 in Asia.

For the rest of the artists below that I'm putting in, I don't feel that they are of the same league as the big 5 I've listed above, but still just suggesting these names:

6) Lee Hyori - U-Go-Girl

The sexy icon of Korea. Though she may not have many awards or much achievements till date, her name is always mentioned over variety shows and have set many man's tongues wagging, and girls wanting to be like her (though mostly its about her plastic surgery).

7) Wondergirls - Nobody

Though only debuted since 2007, they've successfully caught the attention of many people all over Asia after their release of Nobody. And they have now ventured into the US market, going on tour with the Jonas' Brothers and even recently performing on SYTYCD. Respect.

8) SG Wannabe

I don't really know much about them but I think they were one of the influential bands in Korea as well. I've heard of them when I was younger though, but did not pay much attention as I wasn't into Kpop then.

9) Super Junior - Sorry Sorry

I felt that Sorry Sorry was the breakthrough for them to be recognized all over asia. Before that they seemed to be just focused in Korea. And they had won many awards, even this year as well.

10) Big Bang - Lies

The song that shot them to fame, however I still feel they have a lot of room to grow, if they were to ride on their success right now within the next few years, they'd definitely have the potential to make it as big as DBSK.

I noticed you said artists.. If this man qualified, I would have put him in number 3. Park Jin Young (JYP), one of the most influential figures in the korean music industry for the past 10 years for sure.

[Guest sw8et_vietgurl]

Boa-very famous in the early 20th

DBSK-have the biggest fanclub in the world

Shinwa-longest running boyband

BigBang- created the newtrend of boybands,starter of mini album, autotune,(kpop music is now full-of these two things), bigbang fashion(e.g. high-top shoes) etc

Wondergirls-like BB they brought back the girl groups trend, the starter of repeatitive/addictive/easy dance moves and cheesy chorus.

this is about "This decade's most influential k-pop artists and songs" is not about how popular a group or a song song is therefore i wouldn't put "GEE" "Sorry Sorry" "A&A" "IDC" in it because these songs are popular but it didn't influent anyone they're just following the current trend unlike LIES and TELL ME . these two songs are the starter of auto-tune/electronic/repeatitive music

[sugar]

Seo Taiji - Ultramania? No doubt to many of us he is yesterday's news, but since he went solo around 1998 I think it would be fair to say that in this decade he is still very influential, especially at the start of the decade. Even if he isn't too popular, not much hype around him (esp for us internation fans) for now, many Korean artistes still look up to him. And I think it would be fair to include him as one of the most influential k-pop artists, considering his first solo album did so well even without promotion.

BoA - No. 1. From how I see it, she's one of the most successful solo Korean female artists to date. After all, she's the first really successful Korean artist in Japan. Even DBSK was second to her back then (though now of course it may not be so). According to her wikipedia entry,

She is the only non-Japanese Asian to have two million-selling albums in Japan and is one of only two artists to have six consecutive number-one studio albums on the Oricon charts since her debut.

Rain - It's Raining. Even Wonder Girls aren't as successful as him for now. If I'm not wrong, he's the only Korean artist to have been on TIME 100. He has acted in Hollywood films, is famous across Asia. I think he's very influential as someone who can be representative of the k-pop scene in the US.

Lee Hyori - Toc Toc Toc. Another big name in the industry. And I think everyone loves her, she's impossible to hate (i.e. her personality is really cool *cue Family Outing*). For a period of time, almost every other guy's ideal type is this lady. Definitely one of this decade's most influential.

Dong Bang Shin Ki - Mirotic. Even now while they are at a mid-career crisis, their popularity is still sky-high. On one of the recent popularity checks, all five of them took the top 5 positions on the ranking. They are also one of the very popular groups in Japan, even better than some JE boy bands, and even Japanese singers love them :] Oh and the fact that Cassiopeia is very influential.

Super Junior - Sorry, Sorry. Part of the reason is because I'm a fan, but the other reason is because if DBSK, BoA and Rain are going to get credit for being big in Japan & the US, I think SJ (and the sub-group SJM) should get credit for being big in China and SEA, especially after their third album. It may be only just when this decade is about to end, but I think when you can even hear their songs on Vietnamese radio stations, see them everywhere in Taiwan and when someone from the group is an official Olympic torch bearer, I think it's undeniable that they are pretty big in Asia, that is, excluding S. Korea.

Wonder Girls - Nobody. I'm going to have to give them credit for Nobody. Much as I hate that song and I think it's overrated like crazy, the Americans like it, and they like the girls just as much. I don't really take notice of their achievements lately, but I do know that they have done really well, so yeah, I'll say they are really influential.

[7lotus]

since this is about the DECADE's most influential artist, meaning thats from 2000-2009, i would have to say BoA.

BoA made her debut in 2000 in korea, and was a huge hit instantly. she took the whole korea by storm and surprised them with her amazing dancing and singing abilities even at a tender age.

when she crossed over to japan 2 years later, she achieved success once again, topping the oricon charts many times, and performing at the prestigous kouhaku. on top pf that, she has had sold-out tours and concerts every year in japan, and is arguably one of the top 4 princesses in avex.

BoA has many chart toppping albums and #1 hits. almost all her albums have topped the oricon charts, and she has gone platinum in so many countries, so many times. she also has numerous awards under her belt, including the most influential asian artiste award at the mtv asia awards in 2004, crowning her status as Best of Asia.

All throughout this decade, BoA has been active every year, releasing albums and singles non-stop in both korea and japan. with her foray into the american music industry, she is set to climb even higher and set higher benchmarks for other asian artistes.

Outside of music, BoA has also helped improve the longstanding tense relations between Korea and Japan. although her contributions in that area are not great, it is because she is limited by her position as a celebrity, and given her status, she has done her best.

BoA is also one of the leading Hallyu stars, and a top one too, and i would consider one of korea's most representative artistes. She's well known not only in korea and japan, but also taiwan, china, hong kong, singapore, malaysia, thailand, philippines, and tons of other countries outside of asia.

choosing just 1 song out of her many hits is almost impossible, but i would have to say it would be No. 1. this song was a hit both in korea and japan (as with many of her other songs) but i think it is probably her biggest hit. also, i think the title pf this song suits her perfectly, she is the No. 1 female artist in Asia.

QUOTED FOR TRUTH.

You pretty much took the words right out of my mouth.

Since this thread is asking for "this decade", she's been very active&accomplished a lot in a period of 10 years, BoA's definitely my one and ONLY choice. She was the very first singer that brought me into Jpop and then Kpop. Her influence across all continents (carrying the hallyu-wave) is pretty amazing. Speaking of which, she'll be celebrating her debut 10th anniversary next year.

In korea, BoA's most popular/memorable song is probably No.1. But My Name&Girls on Top are the representative tracks of her transformation from the innocent, bubbly singer to Asia's super star.

In japan. she's got tons of hits, it's hard to choose from.

[Guest justblaqcloud]

In my opinion, no one bigger than RAIN, he's the icon of Kpop industry, he's the living legend of Kpop, there's none Kpop artist can be success in two field singing & acting..He's the only one from Korean entertainment industry that filled in TIME top 100 most influencial people in the world & People Magazine for 50 most beautifull people in the world..He's the first Kpop artist that make a World Tour...a lot of artist & idol admire him..no one can beat him on the stage...International media dubbed him as "King of Kpop", & "Asian King Of Pop"...he's truelly "The Best"

[Guest jedtherese]

BIG BANG FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE DECADE

We're talking about South Korea, right? Well, TRUTH IS: BIG BANG IS B.I.G. in SOUTH KOREA. The highest paid idol endorsers, redefined IDOL, first idol group to have one to two members PRODUCE THEIR SONGS, TRENDSETTERS OF: street fashion, House electronica music, hiphop band for their first year, MINI FREAKIN' ALBUM, and FASHIONABLE IDOLS.

[Guest ctharyar]

FLY TO THE SKY

so many songs to write. They're like R&B legend.

[Guest ~S2~]

For the recent era, I would defintely put in Wonder Girls-Tell Me

It had the whole nation dancing, and Nobody followed.

New era for the girl groups.

I would include TVXQ, Rain and Boa too, they've influenced to get their names and songs recognsised.

[Guest naturalhonee]

BIGBANG

- music

'lies' and 'last farewell' in 2007 led to the electronic/house trend in kpop, which is still going on right now.

- mini-albums

first artists to ever release a mini-album in korea. mini-albums have now become a norm.

- style

street fashion which not only influenced the way ppl in the industry dressed, but created a huge 'bigbang style' craze among both male and female teenagers/young adults throughout korea

- a new kind of idol image

1) idols can (and should) write and compose their own material (an active process, not just once or twice)

2) idol boy groups don't need to be pretty boys to be popular and successful - 2NE1 is currently starting this for idol girl groups.

3) it works to greatly emphasize each member's uniqueness and individuality despite being part of a group (not just personality, because distinct personalities have always existed in groups, but distinct styles in music and dance as well)

others who deserve to be on the list:

boa

wondergirls

shinhwa

dbsk

rain

[Guest kireisnowtenshi]

As a whole over the last 10 years I would say BoA.

She has achieved many things that practically every post korean artist after her strive to do.

To me she is the ultimate example of popularity over a wide range of countries.

Definitive song: 'My Name'. The song that allowed her to take in career into a new and better direction.

[Guest Iloveminwooandbrian]

i MISS THE OLDIES :

H.O.T

S.E.S

SHINHWA

FINKL

BABY VOX

1TYM

[Guest lychee_poo]

BoA and DBSK definitely belong on your list, hey were the first korean artists to really make it HUGE in an international artist and have been around for a while.

I guess SNSD deserves a mention because Gee was so famous in Korea and so many non-koreans who weren't a fan of kpop even knew about it as the song from korea. But I'm just saying it's the people around me.

[Guest fobbiyo]

I nominate TVXQ. They are known for not only knowing how to dance, compose, sing well, but also for their acappella. They debuted at an acappella dance group and I think they lived up to that name. With album sales in Korea plummeting in the past decade, DBSK is probably the only group that had such high album sales in a long time. With their release of "Mirotic" in 2008 hitting over 500,000, it is clear how influential they are. They've also sold over 200,000 per Korean album ever since their debut. Not only that, they expanded to Japan and became the first Korean/foreign artist to achieve what they did there. They made Japan open their eyes to Korean artists and expanded the Hallyu wave even further. Because of their accomplishments in Japan, they paved the way for other Korean boy bands too. TVXQ has already released 8 full studio albums, 34 singles, 1 compilation album and several photobooks in the last 6 years of their careers. They've been out alot longer than many idol groups out there. Since this is for the decade, I think they truly deserve at least one spot.

A few accomplishments:

2nd year to get invited to Kohaku (One of Japan's most popular show)

Received their 2nd Daesang award at Golden Disk Awards.

Had 6 of their Japanese singles get #1 weekly on the Oricon charts (The first foreign artist to do so)

Had two Guinness World Record for having the biggest fanclub and having the most pictures taken.

First foreign Korean group to perform at Tokyo Dome (Japan’s biggest concert hall)

Had several sold-out concerts and even sold out concerts in a matter of seconds.

Love them or hate them, you still know them. They are not only popular in Korea and Japan, but they are popular around the world.

I think it's only fair to choose their most recent Korean song, Mirotic.

Other artists:

Boa - Became extremely popular early on. Everyone knows her. She's the only artist that has been active in the past 10 years and is extremely influential in many countries.

G.O.D - Look at their album sales and tell me they are not influential!

Shinhwa - Longest running band and they successfully left SM Entertainment and was able to keep their own name.

Epik High - Left their entertainment company because they did not want to settle with their ideas. I've heard somewhere they are the only hip-hop group to create their own company? Now they house many hip-hop groups just like them.

[Guest kamikaze!]

Since I'm very new to KPOP, my perspective is of the idol groups from 2007-2009.

Wonder Girls and Big Bang have probably made the biggest impact on idol groups. I feel like they are the "veterans" of the new idol era, and everyone else is their "prodigy", even though that's not necessarily the case. Obviously "Tell Me" was definitely one of the most popular songs in Korea, as well as "Lies". Since then, they have been releasing hit after hit... "So Hot", "Nobody", and now they are making a name for themselves in the States. Big Bang has accomplished a lot as well... They tackled the Japanese music industry and they've done pretty good there... "Haru Haru", and "Sunset Glow" were big hits, just to name some songs... Both groups have done many CFs and endorsements. With Wonder Girls in America and Big Bang expanding to Japan and even having their members do solo activities, like TOP's career in acting in IRIS, G-Dragon's highly acclaimed album, and Taeyang's promotions for "Prayer", "Only Look At Me", his one performance for "Where U At", and "Wedding Dress", they have no where to go but up. Wonder Girls are coming out with an American album sometime in February, and Big Bang is coming back mid-2010. They've impacted the kpop music industry in the late 2000s and they'll continue to do so in the next decade.

Although 2PM only debuted in 2008, they changed the cutesy image that many male idol groups maintained. 10/10 wasn't a smash hit, but it got them on the map in kpop. When they returned in 2009 with "Again and Again", they rose to very high popularity. Their two idol shows, "Wild Bunny" and "Idol Army Season 3" were both very popular, as well as their next single, "I Hate You". They've come back for the end of the year with Heartbeat and their full album. Even with Jaebeom's scandal, their popularity has rose tremendously with their promotion with their album. Jaebeom's scandal has opened some eyes and has been influential to many people. I think some netizens and Korean citizens will realize how deep this relationship gap is between Korean-Americans and Koreans truly is. (How Americans don't "accept" Korean-Americans, and Koreans don't "accept" Korean-Americans) They may not have been around for long, but they will certainly be a big influence in the next decade.

[baoi]

I don't know what goes on in the Kpop world outside of Soompi (the internet).. but from my view through Soompi, these are my suggestions:

Though i don't want to say it, DBSK. They're a phenomenon and can't be missed when you look at Kpop this decade. They boast the most amount of official fans and even went on record with it. They took the first (first big one i've heard of) stab at SM Ent for their 'slave' contracts.

Boa: Bridging the cross-national Kpop world between South Korea and Japan

Clazziquai & Epik High: They've somehow changed the landscape of Kpop's music industry with their very popular beats.

Wonder Girls: What can i say about them. Bridging (almost successful) Kpop with the American consumer

Big Bang (G-Dragon): They've really became the leading pack in Kpop. Revolutionized Kpop followers' warbdrobes and iPod lists. Everyone really had Big Bang in their music lists. G-Dragon, maybe for his awesome music covers and the amount of controversy over him, overall.

I think the age of 1TYM, Shinhwa, HOT is over.. I didn't suggest them at all because they really died after 2000.

[edit] There are some noteworthy Artists of the decade too...

- 2PM<-- Too young a group to say that they are influential

- Brown Eyed Girls <-- has a revolutionary dance move, but not quite influential

- SG Wannabe (They kinda belong to the Influential Artists too!!)

- Super Junior: Them and SNSD are super popular, but I wouldn't say they're influential, according to my definition. I mean, they were just really popular with music that was super generic (and meaningless) But, they are a huge part of this decade/generation.

- 2NE1: too young to be considered influential in this era

- Rain: Yes. He was popular, but maybe not that influential, but he was a big player this decade (with many albums, becoming CEO and producing MBlaq, and he was in FULL HOUSE which was revolutionary. He also came out in Ninja Assassin, and had a half decade long verbal, digitial, and dance battles of Steven Colbert. He has a lot on his resume, but influential in Korea, idk).

- Son Dambi: super dance star, but not that influencial

- Hyori: I think she deserves to be on the "Top 15" influential individuals because she has accomplished a lot, went through a lot (CFs, Movies, variety shows etc.), and has stayed current in the music scene every time she popped out an album. Her performances are always showstopping. Everyone loves her and her sex-appeal.

- Ivy <-- idk if she deserves to be on the list, she kinda died off back in 2008 or something like that..

- there's more..

[edit] I've deleted a few people off the list (the ones I've scratched off are not really that noteworthy for 2000) and will add these:

- SE7EN: In 2002, he was hotter than the sun in South Korea (well, at least in my perspective)

- Lee Seung Gi: Maybe he should be added. He has become a hot topic among ahjummas because of his lovely voice/charm

-

People who SHOULDN"T BE ON THE LIST for the sole reason that they were active in the previous decade and died off early on in this decade that just passed.....

• Shinhwa
  
• H.O.T.
  
• S.E.S.
  
• Baby V.O.X.
  
• FinKL
  
• etc.
  

* I mean, if you count these older ones then I say put Brown Eyed Soul in here too! They were, no doubt, the best!

[Guest yaoming11]

Since I'm very new to KPOP, my perspective is of the idol groups from 2007-2009.

Wonder Girls and Big Bang have probably made the biggest impact on idol groups. I feel like they are the "veterans" of the new idol era, and everyone else is their "prodigy", even though that's not necessarily the case. Obviously "Tell Me" was definitely one of the most popular songs in Korea, as well as "Lies". Since then, they have been releasing hit after hit... "So Hot", "Nobody", and now they are making a name for themselves in the States. Big Bang has accomplished a lot as well... They tackled the Japanese music industry and they've done pretty good there... "Haru Haru", and "Sunset Glow" were big hits, just to name some songs... Both groups have done many CFs and endorsements. With Wonder Girls in America and Big Bang expanding to Japan and even having their members do solo activities, like TOP's career in acting in IRIS, G-Dragon's highly acclaimed album, and Taeyang's promotions for "Prayer", "Only Look At Me", his one performance for "Where U At", and "Wedding Dress", they have no where to go but up. Wonder Girls are coming out with an American album sometime in February, and Big Bang is coming back mid-2010. They've impacted the kpop music industry in the late 2000s and they'll continue to do so in the next decade.

Although 2PM only debuted in 2008, they changed the cutesy image that many male idol groups maintained. 10/10 wasn't a smash hit, but it got them on the map in kpop. When they returned in 2009 with "Again and Again", they rose to very high popularity. Their two idol shows, "Wild Bunny" and "Idol Army Season 3" were both very popular, as well as their next single, "I Hate You". They've come back for the end of the year with Heartbeat and their full album. Even with Jaebeom's scandal, their popularity has rose tremendously with their promotion with their album. Jaebeom's scandal has opened some eyes and has been influential to many people. I think some netizens and Korean citizens will realize how deep this relationship gap is between Korean-Americans and Koreans truly is. (How Americans don't "accept" Korean-Americans, and Koreans don't "accept" Korean-Americans) They may not have been around for long, but they will certainly be a big influence in the next decade.

haha this is written essay style but i agree with everything

[Guest nisssr3]

i agree with most of the list here. i would say big bang (lies), wonder girls (nobody), epik high (fan), boa, dbsk, super junior (sorry sorry). most of the reasons are quite obvious and had been stated by fellow soompiers. i might include 2ne1 to the list if they aren't rookies because of their scary/tough image that had changed the perspective of the cutesy/girly girl group, their songs and solos. i was surprised when park bom's solo 'you and i' was played on our national radio because i hardly recall any other korean song being on air before except for wondergirl's 'nobody'.