Are recent years producing bigger hits, or is this newfound longevity just a by-product of streaming?

  • Right now, we’re seeing Lim Youngwoong fans, Kang Daniel fans, and boy group stans mass-downloading songs to get high peaks on Gaon Digital. However, this is not foreign to long-time fans.


    Years ago, before the Streaming chart was implemented in 2015 (and YT Music was nonexistent), that’s how songs were consumed in the form of ringtones and traditional digital downloads on Korean music platforms. Except it wasn’t just the fandom of a group doing it, everyone did that. That’s why mega hits (like Gangnam Style, Good Day, You & I, etc.) didn’t have the longevity that characterizes hits from 2018 to now. Songs charting for more than a year in top 100 on Gaon was nearly unheard of, which is why IU’s Friday is such an anomaly.


    You can look at Melon as well, since it had a much bigger market share years ago. A YouTube video from KKTop10 details the top 100 longest-charting songs on the platform. Here is a breakdown of years with most songs (How You Like That by BLACKPINK needs to be included in the next video before it’s pointed out).



    Going by the above data, 2014 produced a lot of hits with good longevity compared to years around it. 2016, 2018, and 2020 are all similar. The real outliers are 2017 and 2019, each with 21!


    Another thing I’d like to point out is the real-time chart vs. the 24Hits chart. Songs released before July 2020 had the advantage of the real-time chart, where it was much easier to mass-stream or download to maintain position on the chart. It is now MUCH harder to enter Melon. And the current common argument that “once you get on, it’s easier to stay”, it’s false. Songs can drop and have dropped like rocks on the new Melon chart (see Happening by AKMU and What Do I Call You by Taeyeon for recent examples).


    Now let’s discuss. What do you think?

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  • New found longevity is a by product of streaming? Interesting idea...


    BTW, It much easier to maintain PAK on 24hits chart, imo.


    Also, in talking about Idol groups,


    Except for 2-3 BGs, only GGs are producing BIG hits like the status of male idol groups in Korea is at it's all time low.... Kinda like how dead it was before the debut of TVXQ back in 2003....

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  • BTW, It much easier to maintain PAK on 24hits chart, imo.

    Actually, it's not. Genie and especially Bugs are very susceptible to high downloads from new releases and fandoms that are active late at night or early morning. Butter, Lilac, Celebrity all lost PAKs due to this happening.

    Is he.....you know?

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    Edited once, last by MassiveKpopFan ().

  • Do you think Intl fans use Genie during the first hours of a new release?

    Oh for damn sure. All you need to go is go to Twitter and watch how fanbases will spread tutorials about how to use Genie passes at strategic times. Some fans will even sell their Genie or Bugs accounts for use during a comeback.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • https://www.youtube.com/c/KALPHABET/videos

    I was surprised to see the older hits falling quicker (snsd, 2ne1, big bang songs) than some underperforming songs from these years. Charts really change through the years.

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  • I think if a song does not stick it doesn't stick. No "gp" (i don't like this word) or non fan or casual listener will stream it along with fans. Hence, we see many idol songs hardly staying in top 100, staying in lower than 50s-60s and leaves the charts inless than 1-2 months after their mass stream and mass download process has happened.


    It's not easy to stay without gp+fandom support.


    Given how erratic bugs and genie, PAK is hard.

  • https://www.youtube.com/c/KALPHABET/videos

    I was surprised to see the older hits falling quicker (snsd, 2ne1, big bang songs) than some underperforming songs from these years. Charts really change through the years.

    I adore this channel as well, it's a must for any K-chart enthusiast.

    Is he.....you know?

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  • I think if a song does not stick it doesn't stick. No "gp" (i don't like this word) or non fan or casual listener will stream it along with fans. Hence, we see many idol songs hardly staying in top 100, staying in lower than 50s-60s and leaves the charts inless than 1-2 months after their mass stream and mass download process has happened.


    It's not easy to stay without gp+fandom support.


    Given how erratic bugs and genie, PAK is hard.

    I'm talking about charting in general, but yes, idol group "hits" are usually not in the same league as the hits from OSTs or soloists.

    Is he.....you know?

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    I think the answer is obvious? Which is why it's pretty useless to compare a song's longevity in 2020 to say....a song's longevity in 2009. The circumstances are totally different, back then if you downloaded a song it was only once, now you can play a song over and over due to streaming.


    And yeah if anything PAKs are much harder with 24Hits in place. Groups like NCT Dream, Brave Girls(with CMBR), etc are the groups who come to mind when thinking of this. They peaked #1 on every other chart but didn't reach #1 on Melon, so a PAK wasn't possible. Not to mention charts like Bugs and Genie are very inconsistent due to fandom streaming.

  • probably streaming....


    which is one thing i still can't get use to....


    like I'm a boomer so I like things in my possession and not another person's or another companies so I like to dl stuff...


    so like even my fav kpop song like SD I might have streamed it/watched the MV probably a few times but I've probably listened to it like 100 times or more...

  • I think the answer is obvious? Which is why it's pretty useless to compare a song's longevity in 2020 to say....a song's longevity in 2009. The circumstances are totally different, back then if you downloaded a song it was only once, now you can play a song over and over due to streaming.

    it's obvious to chart watchers, not fans who just listen to music and/or watch variety.

    Is he.....you know?

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  • Oh for damn sure. All you need to go is go to Twitter and watch how fanbases will spread tutorials about how to use Genie passes at strategic times. Some fans will even sell their Genie or Bugs accounts for use during a comeback.

    Now that i remember, it was either Bugs or Genie that stopped Obsession's RAK...

    As far as I remember.

    I love Pikachu.

    Always have, Always will.


    "Pika-Pi"

  • streaming sure made lots of hits appear to be much bigger than older songs.


    For example, a very popular song before the streaming era, get only 1 download from 1 person. And usually downloads are frontloaded, hence the longevity on chart is shorter. In fact, many who downloaded the song could be listening to the song everyday but it is only counted as 1 DL in the week it was downloaded


    As opposed to a song with similer level of popularity, its success is spread out more over a period of time as people continue to stream it everyday.


    But thats how the new era of music works. Thats how a song like Blinding Light spent more than a year of top 10 of HOT100. It will never happen in the past as no song will keep its download high over one year period

  • Thats what CD for. You get to keep the songs

    While streaming is just an ease to listen to the songs as you dont bring MP3 player/CD player everywhere. Now CD not even playable in cars

  • Thats what CD for. You get to keep the songs

    While streaming is just an ease to listen to the songs as you dont bring MP3 player/CD player everywhere. Now CD not even playable in cars

    I too cheap to buy CDs or burn things onto a CD...lol


    besides I have my computer and phone which can both play songs...in the car I have radio!!!!

  • I too cheap to buy CDs or burn things onto a CD...lol


    besides I have my computer and phone which can both play songs...in the car I have radio!!!!

    But if you want to keep a copy of the song, thats the only possible way right? Or buy a copy from itunes


    (Does apple music allow permanent download? I dont use but I dont think any streaming site allow that nowadays)

  • But if you want to keep a copy of the song, thats the only possible way right? Or buy a copy from itunes


    (Does apple music allow permanent download? I dont use but I dont think any streaming site allow that nowadays)

    there are "other" methods my friend... :-)

  • Streaming ensures longevity, but which song isn't meant to be hit, will flop.

    A song which is meant to be hit will be hit. Bcoz rules are same for every artist simple

  • I think the answer is obvious? Which is why it's pretty useless to compare a song's longevity in 2020 to say....a song's longevity in 2009. The circumstances are totally different, back then if you downloaded a song it was only once, now you can play a song over and over due to streaming.

    To corroborate this, 8 songs from this list are from 2017, and this was before the 2019 hits were dominating like they are now.


    Is he.....you know?

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  • It is now MUCH harder to enter Melon. And the current common argument that “once you get on, it’s easier to stay”, it’s false.

    So if we accept that it is more difficult for a song to enter the Melon top 10 currently, wouldn't it necessarily follow that songs already in the Melon top 10 would have an easier time staying there?

  • It's a universal problem tho which is getting better during the streaming era. Music market size has increased because of it resulting in "bigger" hits


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    Thank you!

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • So if we accept that it is more difficult for a song to enter the Melon top 10 currently, wouldn't it necessarily follow that songs already in the Melon top 10 would have an easier time staying there?

    I referenced that already, but only hits can stay. Some songs get there and immediately fall back out and stay in the 11-20 range.

    Is he.....you know?

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  • I'm honestly curious to see which songs post-2017 (minus Love Scenario and EDEM) are genuinely big in their own right and can stack up to 2010-2017 smash hits.

    Is he.....you know?

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  • I referenced that already, but only hits can stay. Some songs get there and immediately fall back out and stay in the 11-20 range.

    Ah good point. Now assuming that a song is a hit, do you think it would have an easier time staying in the Melon top 10 nowadays?


    I created a thread a while back that I believe is relevant to this discussion. Based on the results of that analysis, I'd probably say "yes".

  • Ah good point. Now assuming that a song is a hit, do you think it would have an easier time staying in the Melon top 10 nowadays?


    I created a thread a while back that I believe is relevant to this discussion. Based on the results of that analysis, I'd probably say "yes".

    Yes that longevity is a by-product of streaming or recent hits are actually huge in their own right?

    Is he.....you know?

    투모로우바이투게더 방탄
    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • I feel streaming has blurred the line to some extent. Is hylt really bigger than d4 just because it has better longevity? Streaming is even bigger now than 2018.

    But not all songs have longevity due to streaming either. Wonder girls doing 16 weeks for 3 songs back than is a bigger achievement given at the time they achieved it than now.

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    Edited once, last by atropos ().

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