One could cite a lot of names, but after everything is said and done, if I have to choose three greatest singers in the history of Korean Pop, these three acts will have to be cited.
They are listed in order of their debuts.
1. Cho Yongpil, who was playing guitar for the American troops in the 1960s (formal debut date 1969 but probably earlier - no one kept records in Korea back then)
Whether you like him or not, he dominated 1980s Korean Pop, and basically he put Korean Pop into what we can call as modern age.
Seo Taiji also contributed but his influence appears to be dimming as he has entered the secretive mode.
Cho Yongpil, who could do rock, enka and ballads, basically brought Korean pop to the modern age and no one could beat him for 6 years and only in 1987, the 7th year of his dominance, challenges began to arise.
He nevertheless continued to be influential, and as late as 2013 he returned and once again captivated Korea, and managed to secure an interview with Minho of Shinee and a Japanese duet with Taekyeon of 2PM.
This choice would be quite surprising, but she surpassed Cho Yongpil's longevity record in 2022.
In the history of Korean Pop, she has remained influential the longest, from 2010 to 2022 (with some hiatus in between, but), and 13 years is fairly a long time for a singer to remain influential even in Western Pop.
While she mostly stayed in Korea and her presence outside of it is minimal, at her 15th year she is the last remaining opposition against BTS remaining on earth, and her extraordinary longevity and staying power is unprecedented in the history of Korean Pop, so she is one of the three greatest singers of the history of Korean Pop.
3. Bangtan Boys (BTS), debuting 2013
