Recently, Melon, in collaboration with Seoul Shinmun (a leading South Korean newspaper), released its list of the "Top 100 K-pop Masterpieces", as selected by a committee of 35 expert judges (comprised of 20 music critics, 8 music broadcasters, and 7 industry professionals).
The criteria employed in the ranking were the following:
• Symbolism (Domestic and International Influence, K-pop Growth Process, Musical Differentiation and Attempts)
• Chart Performance (Popularity, Domestic/Overseas Popularity, Fandom)
• Creativity (Artistic Creativity, Perfection of Music)
• Performance (Dance, Music Video, Concert Performance)
The songs were selected over a period of five months, and over three rounds. Initially, all 35 judges were asked to submit 100 unranked songs, and from these 1120 possible selections, a final list of 100 songs was eventually chosen.
Here is the complete list of songs, with year of release also stated:
#100. Trouble Maker – Trouble Maker [2011]
#99. Seo Taiji and Boys – 교실 이데아 (Classroom Ideology) [1994]
#98. TVXQ! – Hug [2004]
#97. SHINee – 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay) [2008]
#96. Jinusean – 말해줘 (Tell Me) [1997]
#95. Epik High – Fly (feat. Amin. J of Soulciety) [2006]
#94. NRG – 할 수 있어 (I Can Do It) [1997]
#93. BoA – 아틀란티스 소녀 (Atlantis Princess) [2003]
#92. Pentagon – 빛나리 (Shine) [2018]
#91. Seo Taiji and Boys – Come Back Home [1995]
#90. Busker Busker – 벚꽃 엔딩 (Cherry Blossom Ending) [2012]
#89. NCT 127 – Cherry Bomb [2017]
#88. Fin.K.L – 내 남자 친구에게 (To My Boyfriend) [1998]
#87. SHINee – Ring Ding Dong [2009]
#86. S.E.S. – Dreams Come True [1998]
#85. Red Velvet – Psycho [2019]
#84. Lovelyz – Ah-Choo [2015]
#83. Mamamoo – Um Oh Ah Yeh [2015]
#82. IU – 밤편지 (Through the Night) [2017]
#81. Shinhwa – T.O.P. (Twinkling of Paradise) [1999]
#80. Seventeen – 아주 NICE (Very Nice) [2016]
#79. Taeyeon – I (feat. Verbal Jint) [2015]
#78. Winner – Really Really [2017]
#77. iKon – 사랑을 했다 (Love Scenario) [2018]
#76. After School – Bang! [2010]
#75. g.o.d – 길 (Road) [2001]
#74. BTS – 작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy with Luv) (feat. Halsey) [2019]
#73. Zico – 아무노래 (Any Song) [2020]
#72. Rain – It's Raining [2004]
#71. Sistar – 나혼자 (Alone) [2012]
#70. BTS – DNA [2017]
#69. Loona – Butterfly [2019]
#68. Shinhwa – Brand New [2004]
#67. Uhm Jung-hwa – 초대 (Invitation) [1998]
#66. GFriend – 시간을 달려서 (Rough) [2016]
#65. Wanna One – Energetic [2017]
#64. T-ara – Roly-Poly [2011]
#63. Orange Caramel – Catallena [2014]
#62. Rain – 태양을 피하는 방법 (Ways to Avoid the Sun) [2003]
#61. Park Ji-yoon – 성인식 (Adult Ceremony) [2000]
#60. Itzy – Dalla Dalla [2019]
#59. Deux – 나를 돌아봐 (Turn Around and Look at Me) [1993]
#58. H.O.T. – 전사의 후예 (폭력시대) (Descendants of Warriors) [1996]
#57. Fin.K.L – 영원한 사랑 (Forever Love) [1999]
#56. Twice – TT [2016]
#55. f(x) – 첫 사랑니 (Rum Pum Pum Pum) [2013]
#54. Deux – 여름 안에서 (In Summer) [1994]
#53. SHINee – View [2015]
#52. Oh My Girl – 비밀정원 (Secret Garden) [2018]
#51. Chungha – 벌써 12시 (Gotta Go) [2019]
#50. NCT U – 일곱 번째 감각 (The 7th Sense) [2016]
#49. (G)I-dle – Lion [2019]
#48. Iz*One – Fiesta [2020]
#47. G-Dragon – 삐딱하게 (Crooked) [2013]
#46. Taeyang – 눈, 코, 입 (Eyes, Nose, Lips) [2014]
#45. f(x) – NU 예삐오 (Nu ABO) [2010]
#44. Clon – 꿍따리 샤바라 (Kung Ddari Sha Bah Rah) [1996]
#43. Hyuna – Bubble Pop! [2011]
#42. EXID – 위아래 (Up & Down) [2014]
#41. Lee Hyori – U-Go-Girl (with Nassun) [2008]
#40. f(x) – 4 Walls [2015]
#39. Gain – 피어나 (Bloom) [2012]
#38. Baby V.O.X – Get Up [1999]
#37. 2NE1 – Fire [2009]
#35. 2PM – Heartbeat [2009]
#34. IU – 스물셋 (Twenty-Three) [2015]
#33. Girls' Generation – I Got a Boy [2013]
#32. BTS – 봄날 (Spring Day) [2017]
#31. Twice – Cheer Up [2016]
#30. g.o.d – 거짓말 (Lies) [2000]
#29. Sechs Kies – Couple [1998]
#27. Wonder Girls – Nobody [2008]
#26. Miss A – Bad Girl Good Girl [2010]
#25. BTS – 피 땀 눈물 (Blood Sweat & Tears) [2016]
#24. Big Bang – Fantastic Baby [2012]
#23. Infinite – 내꺼하자 (Be Mine) [2011]
#22. Lee Jung-hyun – 와 (Come) [1999]
#21. Seo Taiji and Boys – 난 알아요 (I Know) [1992]
#20. Red Velvet – 빨간 맛 (Red Flavor) [2017]
#19. Big Bang – 거짓말 (Lies) [2007]
#18. Kara – Mister [2009]
#17. H.O.T. – Candy [1996]
#16. Lee Hyori – 10 Minutes [2003]
#15. IU – 좋은 날 (Good Day) [2010]
#14. S.E.S. – ('Cause) I'm Your Girl [1997]
#13. Blackpink – Ddu-Du Ddu-Du [2018]
#12. Super Junior – Sorry, Sorry [2009]
#11. SHINee – Sherlock (Clue + Note) [2012]
#10. TVXQ! – 주문 (Mirotic) (Original Ver.) [2008]
#9. Wonder Girls – Tell Me [2007]
#8. Brown Eyed Girls – Abracadabra [2009]
#7. 2NE1 – 내가 제일 잘 나가 (I Am the Best) [2011]
#6. Girls' Generation – 다시 만난 세계 (Into the New World) [2007]
#5. Girls' Generation – Gee [2009]
#4. BTS – Dynamite [2020]
#3. Psy – Gangnam Style [2012]
Observations: I think it's a relatively reasonable list for the most part. The most shocking thing for me was that Seo Taiji and Boys' groundbreaking "난 알아요 (I Know)", which is often credited with starting K-pop as we know it today, was only ranked at #21.
A notable omission absolutely has to be Kim Gun-mo's iconic "잘못된 만남 (Wrongful Encounter)". Released in 1995, the album that contained the song was actually the best selling Korean album of all-time until its record was broken by BTS' Map of the Soul: Persona in 2019.
Other songs that I expected to be included: Big Bang's "마지막 인사 (Last Farewell)", Jewelry's "One More Time", Big Bang's "하루하루 (Day by Day)", Hong Jin-young's "사랑의 배터리 (Love Battery)", T-ara's "Lovey-Dovey", Momoland's "Bboom Bboom".
I was also a surprised to see that 4Minute, Ailee, Akdong Musician, Apink, Beast, Bolbbalgan4, BtoB, CNBLUE, Cool, Davichi, F.T. Island, Im Chang-jung, MC Mong, MC the Max, Park Jin-young, Paul Kim, Roo'ra, Shin Seung-hun, Turbo, and Yoo Seung-jun weren't represented at all in the list.
