Why charting for longer matters [A post on chart longevity]

  • Today, I’m presenting one way to distinguish normal hits from the smashes that will go down in chart history: longevity. It’s the ability to chart for a long time, and in some cases, re-chart months or years after falling off the charts that separates the quick burn from the timeless.




    Section I

    Charting for a year or more (52 weeks) in the top 100 is already impressive enough, but there are hits that can last even longer than that.


    Here are idol group songs that meet this standard (organized by year of release):

    Yes, I know that it is easier to chart for longer now due to South Korea streaming more than downloading these past 2 years, which is why I want to mention the older songs that re-chart in the top 200 (a 2019 addition to Gaon’s digital charts).




    Section II

    Due to streaming, it’s now possible for songs that are years old to re-chart in the top 200 depending on:

    • if a large fandom is active.
    • the song being seasonally mass streamed.
    • a song going viral.
    • if it’s constantly streamed but not enough to chart top 100.

    or any other combination thereof. Here are pre-2019 idol group songs that have re-charted in the top 200 of Gaon’s main Digital Chart after months (or years) with no appearance. In parentheses: the left of the semicolon represents the years a song has re-appeared; to the right tells how long a song charted in its original run without falling off.


    There are a couple of things to note about this section.


    1) This only lists the songs that have charted after a period of not being visible on the main chart. So songs that charted without stopping into 2019 and/or 2020 aren’t counted unless they showed up in 2021.


    2) Songs that became hits during seasons or holidays are then associated with that time, and South Korean charts fall into a predictable pattern around this time.


    3) No 2019-2021 songs are included. Why? They gained most of their revenue from streaming only. Whereas from 2014-2018, songs gained good revenue from downloads and streaming. Older songs showing up with part of their revenue source greatly reduced means a lot more.




    Section III


    In this last section, I wanted to highlight the small number of songs that charted in the top 100 of Gaon in 3 separate years:


    I hope that this post is informative about 1 reason why certain songs are said to be bigger hits than others, because there are multiple reasons why.

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  • And to have transparency: this applies to all songs, I just used idol group songs to highlight the small number of exceptions.


    Here are the songs that appeared in all 3 sections:

    IDOL

    DNA

    Spring Day

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  • I didn’t read all that. But I agree charting long matters prolly more than even the peak.


    Being remembered is more important. It’s no use if you were #1 and then dropped off. But even a lower charting song that’s remembered longer that’s more important IMO.


    Anyway


    I believe the actual real metric to consider is cumulative ULs. Far more than any other metric. It tells us if it was just fans obsessing or if unique ppl actually listened to the song.

  • SD remains eternal. :-D

    bwl can only catch-up in logetivity if SD falls off, which i doubt.


    The longetivity of dolphin impresses me. B-side song did that.

  • But I agree charting long matters prolly more than even the peak.


    Being remembered is more important. It’s no use if you were #1 and then dropped off. But even a lower charting song that’s remembered longer that’s more important IMO.

    I believe this too, but it's better to have both if possible.

    Is he.....you know?

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  • SD remains eternal. :-D

    bwl can only catch-up in logetivity if SD falls off, which i doubt.


    The longetivity of dolphin impresses me. B-side song did that.

    BWL is so big it's hard to imagine any other K-pop song being bigger than it, and then you realize that there is...and it's not even close to falling off.


    Dolphin is impressing me as well, it started charting in the old real-time system so it can't be diminished as being a "24Hits" hit either.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • I think charting longer is like a given now at least on Melon and in general songs seem to stay at the top longer then before.

    Honestly, your statement is a myth. I've seen several songs peak in the top 20 or even top 10 and then proceed to chart for less than 20 weeks.


    See: Davichi's Just hug me, Gidle's HWAA, Sunmi's Tail, AKMU's Happening, Taeyeon's What Do I Call You?, BP's Ice Cream, HyunA's I'm Not Cool, Jessi's What Type of X, Epik High's Rosario, etc.


    Only true hits are having good longevity in the current system. The public will let and has let several songs tank over the past year.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

    Edited 2 times, last by MassiveKpopFan ().

  • It’s interesting not many idol groups are in the lists. It’s the usual suspects. BTS being the GOAT as usual. And now I can see why BP and Twice are in the top 3 for 2nd gen. Both have digitals and physicals, with strong international presence.

    It's only the usual suspects that have good longevity and can re-chart.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • It’s interesting not many idol groups are in the lists. It’s the usual suspects. BTS being the GOAT as usual. And now I can see why BP and Twice are in the top 3 for 2nd gen. Both have digitals and physicals, with strong international presence.

    Blackpink and Twice are 2nd gen?

  • I assume 2002 is #5 or #4 then, it has like 12 weeks on Boy with Luv I think

    It has 6 weeks on BWL.

    What changed in Gaon in 2019?

    Downloads falling off a fucking cliff, it started in the 2nd half of 2018 honestly.


    A grand total of FOUR 2019 are certified for 2.5M downloads.

    To elaborate on my former point, those 4 songs are the only songs to be certified from 2019-now. No other 2019 hits or 2020 hits are certified for downloads.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • Honestly, your statement is a myth. I've seen several songs peak in the top 20 or even top 10 and then proceed to chart for less than 20 weeks.


    See: Davichi's Just hug me, Gidle's HWAA, Sunmi's Tail, AKMU's Happening, Taeyeon's What Do I Call You?, BP's Ice Cream, HyunA's I'm Not Cool, Jessi's What Type of X, Epik High's Rosario, etc.


    Only true hits are having good longevity in the current system. The public will let and has let several songs tank over the past year.


    Those songs were not hits I think hits stay much longer.

  • Those songs were not hits I think hits stay much longer.

    Nope. You said that

    I think charting longer is like a given now at least on Melon

    You didn't specify that hits stay longer, you spoke in general. Which is not the case with 24Hits. It's a chart of extremes: hits will chart for a really long time, songs that flop will fall really quickly.


    And then of course there are the songs from 2018 and 2019 that are still charting, but those came under a different system.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

  • Nope. You said that

    You didn't specify that hits stay longer, you spoke in general. Which is not the case with 24Hits. It's a chart of extremes: hits will chart for a really long time, songs that flop will fall really quickly.


    And then of course there are the songs from 2018 and 2019 that are still charting, but those came under a different system.


    Songs that chart then fall off are not really charting at all .

  • barnaby what's funny about this post?

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    • BLACKPINKFOREVER YOUNG [summer song] (2020, 2021)
    • BLACKPINK – AS IF IT’S YOUR LAST [summer song] (2019, 2020, 2021)

    Finally someone recognising them as summer songs!!!

    Well duh. They are, they always re-chart in June and July.

    Is he.....you know?

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    레드벨벳엑소샤이니에이티즈

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