Die 33 besten K-Pop-Bands aller Zeiten
Die Idolkultur ist seit Jahrzehnten Teil der asiatischen und amerikanischen Kultur; die Musikindustrie hat auf die Nachfrage nach Popmusik und Idolen reagiert, indem sie einen stetigen Strom koreanischer Popstars oder K-Pops einführte.
1. BTS
Man kann nicht über K-Pop sprechen, ohne BTS zu erwähnen. Die Band - die ursprünglich Bangtan Boys hieß - wurde 2013 gegründet und hat seitdem nie aufgehört zu existieren. Ihre beeindruckende Erfolgsbilanz umfasst fünf Nummer-eins-Hits in Folge und die Auszeichnung, als erste koreanische Band bei den American Music Awards aufzutreten.
2. BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK ist die beste K-Pop-Girlgroup der Welt. Man meint, das Quartett überall zu sehen, sei es auf der Bühne beim Coachella 2019, in Werbespots für Mac Cosmetics oder sogar in einer Netflix-Dokumentation.
3. EXO
Diese K-Pop-Band hat das Vermischen von Musikgenres auf eine neue Ebene gehoben, indem sie alles von Rockriffs über Hip-Hop-Rhythmen bis hin zu R&B-Gesangsstilen einbezogen hat. Ihre Musik wurde weltweit so bekannt, dass die Band eingeladen wurde, bei den Olympischen Winterspielen 2018 in Pyeongchang aufzutreten.
4. TWICE
Die K-Pop-Girlgroup TWICE wird aus gutem Grund oft als die „Lieblinge des K-Pop“ bezeichnet. Die neun Mitglieder der Gruppe sind für ihre energiegeladene Mischung aus Musikstilen und ihren Sinn für „Bubblegum“-Mode bekannt.
5. Red Velvet
Die von SM Entertainment verwaltete Band Red Velvet veröffentlichte ihre erste Single „Happiness“ und gewann damit Fans, die ihre eingängigen Songs und ihren Sinn für Mode liebten.
6. SuperM
SuperM ist in der Tat eine Supergruppe. Die sieben Mitglieder dieser K-Pop-Band sind alle ehemalige Mitglieder anderer koreanischer Fanlieblinge wie EXO, NCT127 und SHINee.
7. Drunken Tiger
Drunken Tiger wurde 1999 gegründet und gilt weithin als die erste koreanische Hip-Hop-Band und als einer der Hauptgründe für die Explosion des Mainstream-Hip-Hop in ihrem Heimatland.
8. BIGBANG
Drunken Tiger was formed in 1999 and is widely regarded as the first Korean hip-hop group and one of the main reasons for the explosion of mainstream hip-hop in its native country.
9. NCT 127
With ten members, NCT 127 (named after the coordinates of their hometown, Seoul) boasts one of the most dedicated fan bases in the K-pop world. Several million Instagram followers watch their every move.
10. Seventeen
With its 13 members, Seventeen is one of K-pop’s biggest groups. Each member is part of a specific “group team” or unit - hip-hop, vocal or performance - and performs only those songs or dances, although the whole group appears on stage for various numbers.
11. MONSTA X
The seven-member boy band MONSTA X has made a name for itself performing songs in English, including the hit “Who Do U Love?”. After debuting in 2015, the group released a studio album in 2017 and has since had four Japanese singles certified gold and eight Korean singles certified gold.
12. iKON
The seven-member group iKON burst onto the K-pop scene in 2015 with their debut single, “My Type”, which topped the Korean charts. Like many other K-pop sensations, it formed as part of the reality TV competition WIN: Who Is Next.
13. GOT7
GOT7 is best known for its 2020 album, Dye, but true fans love them for their inimitable chemistry. All the members seem to have a great rapport, and can often be found poking fun at each other in interviews and appearances.
14. Momoland
Momoland is another group formed thanks to the Korean reality TV machine. The group was brought together by MLD Entertainment’s survival-style reality series Finding Momoland. Although the composition has changed over the years, the group continues to produce hit songs known for their pop catchiness.
15. Wonder Girls
Known as the “Retro Queens” from South Korea, the Wonder Girls group has gained notoriety for its retro-tinged songs reminiscent of the 1960s to 1980s. This sound and their unique vintage ensembles set them apart from other groups.
16. ITZY
Formed in 2019, this K-pop girl group burst onto the scene by winning the Rookie (New Artist) of the Year award at a grand sweep of Korea’s five major music awards. Its five members range in age from 18 to 22, and are known for their unique styles, each with her own signature look.
17. SHINee
The five-member boy band SHINee - a pun on the last letter of the Korean alphabet and the English word shine - is a superstar in more ways than one. Fans follow them for their creative dance choreography and talented vocals, and the fandom has even taken to calling the members of SHINee the “princes of K-pop”.
18. Weeekly
South Korean group Weeekly is Play M Entertainment’s second K-pop girl group (the first being Apink). Three of the group’s members - Soojin, Soeun and Jiyoon - have taken part in another Korean survival-style music competition show, Mix Nine.
19. Super Junior
Super Junior - or SJ to his fans - became an almost instant superstar with the release of the single “Sorry” in 2009. The band has undergone several personal changes over the years, starting with twelve members and ending 2021 with nine. The members of Super Junior are widely recognized for their contribution to the Korean wave, or Hallyu.
20. Miss A
Although K-pop girl supergroup Miss A only made music for seven years, they left an indelible mark on the music scene. The quartet’s first single, “Bad Girl, Good Girl”, released in 2010, took the group to number one on the Gaon Digital (music Chart) - the first time a group’s first song has reached this position. All Miss A members use stage names.
21. TXT
Five-member boy band TXT (short for Tomorrow X Together) hit the scene in 2019, bringing fans an energetic mix of rock and hip-hop. Their debut EP, The Dream Chapter: Star, reached number one on the Billboard World Albums chart.
22. IVE
K-pop girl group IVE, made up of former members of the group Iz*One, have released their debut album, Eleven, in 2021. The six members of the group are between 15 and 20 years old, but their incredible dance moves and powerful voices don’t let you guess.
23. Girls’ Generation
In 2017, Billboard magazine called Girls’ Generation “the best K-pop girl group of the decade”. Their popularity extends far beyond Korea; in fact, the group released a Japanese album that became the first non-Japanese all-girl group album to be certified a million by the Recording Industry of Japan. Girls’ Generation continue to churn out hit after hit, feeding their fans’ endless desire for catchy electro-pop.
24. Stray Kids
Nine-member boy band Stray Kids released their debut EP in 2018 after members were chosen via a survival-style competition show. With a massive social media presence boosted by their TV personalities, they have nowhere to go but up. Interestingly, unlike most other K-pop groups, the members of Stray Kids chose their own group name, rather than being given one by their management company.
25. 2NE1
The four members of South Korean girl band 2NE1 have taken the K-pop world by storm with their debut album, To Anyone. Their lead singles, “Fire” and “Don’t Care”, which feature a unique blend of hip-hop, rap and R&B elements, have earned them a devoted fan base who continue to buy their music even when the group is on hiatus.
26. Aespa
Aespa is one of SM Entertainment’s top K-pop girl groups. Their unique name is a combination of the English words avatar, experience, and aspect; the group says the name represents “the encounter of another self and the experience of a new world”.
27. The Rose
South Korean four-piece boy band The Rose began their career begging on the streets and writing their own songs before being recruited by management company J&Star.
28. Everglow
The name of this South Korean girl group may be less familiar than others on this list, but you’re sure to hear about them soon. Stone Music Entertainment reunited the group in 2019, after a social media and publicity blitz that included a fan cafe and a live YouTube announcement of the members’ names.
29. Mamamoo
Formed in 2014, the group released their first single, “Mr. Ambiguous”, after several collaborations with other K-pop stars and groups. Mamamoo has released several albums since, and their work has even featured on the soundtrack of a Korean drama entitled Marriage, Not Dating.
30. 2PM
2PM, JYP Management’s boy band, was originally a seven-member group, but lost member Jaebeom in 2009 following a social media scandal. 2PM is the hip-hop offshoot of a larger 11-member group, One Day, which was formed for a documentary series called Hot Blood Men.
31. Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls is another of JYP’s flagship bands. Part of a pioneering wave of K-pop artists in the early 2000s, they were first introduced by a TV series entitled MTV Wonder Girls.
32. T-ara
Although girl group T-ara (pronounced like “tiara”) was only active from 2009 to 2017, their music continues to captivate fans who made their single, “Roly-Poly”, South Korea’s most downloaded song in 2011. Although the band announced they were taking an “indefinite hiatus” so that members could pursue solo projects, the members reunited in 2021 to release a new album, Re:T-ara.
33. ENHYPEN
Boy band Enhypen is another K-pop group to emerge from the trenches of a TV contest. The group’s seven members were chosen in a survival-style competition called I-Land. The group topped the Billboard 200 in the U.S., as well as achieving a respectable number 9 on the World Albums Chart.