So you are interested in the world of K-Pop, but have no clue where to begin. You’ve probably seen my weekly and monthly K-Pop lists on social media, and wondering if those are good starting points. I believe those to be better for people already entrenched in the culture and music, as there’s a lot of lesser known artists, and more than just the pop genre. I have decided to put together this page specifically to help people learn what makes K-Pop wonderful without being overwhelmed. Below you will find my yearly playlists from 2014 to present via both YouTube and Spotify playlists. I have made the Youtube playlists as Step 1, because highly recommend watching the music videos first, as a lot of what makes K-Pop great are the visuals. It is the best way to experience K-Pop for the first time. 2019 and 2018 are the playlists I spent the most time constructing to bring you the best of each year. The other playlists should not be skipped either if you want to find great music, but I just like to emphasize those two the most.
Once you have consumed some of the best from the yearly Top 60 and Top 100 YouTube playlists, click the Spotify playlists and save them for when you want to listen to music on the go. Also don’t forget to to check the next step featuring a link to the category of “K-Pop You May Have Missed” on my site. This is there in case you want to check out some older K-Pop from when I first started getting in to the music. There are a few available now, with more always being worked on as you read this. Finally the last step is there with links to help you continue your journey through K-Pop. It’s not going to provide you with everything, but it is enough resources to keep you immersed in this amazing adventure through my favorite music.
Step 1: End of year Playlists (YouTube)
2021 Best of K-Pop (This will stay up until 2021’s Top 100 goes live)
2020 Top 100 Best K-Pop MVs:
2019 Top 100 Best K-Pop MVs
2018 Top 100 Best K-Pop MVs
2017 Top 100 Best K-Pop MVs
2016 Top 60 Best K-Pop MVs
2015 Top 60 Best K-Pop MVs
2014 Top 60 Best K-Pop MVs
Step 2: End of year Playlists (Spotify)
2021 Best of K-Pop (This will stay up until 2021’s Top 100 goes live)
2020 Top 100 K-Pop:
2019 Top 100 K-Pop
2018 Top 100 K-Pop
2015 – 2019 Top K-Pop Compilation Playlist (Contains all the songs available on Spotify from years 2014 to 2020 Top playlists)
Step 3: Check out the old school K-Pop You May have Missed
Step 4: How to continue your journey in K-Pop
- Check out the weekly and monthly music videos posts on my site to stay up with current music as it releases. My weekly posts are compilations of the releases of each week. I sort through approximately 30 to 60 videos a week to bring you what I feel you should be watching.
- You can also join my Discord where we discuss K-Pop.
- Check out the many Spotify/Apple/Google Music curated playlists
- Do you have a 4K TV or Monitor? Check out STUDIO CHOOM’s amazing content!
- Check out Viki where they have the latest weekly music shows and concerts! They also carry a lot of Korean Dramas and movies.
- Check out the following 24/7 Youtube channels. Most are audio only, but worth putting on in the background.
- Check Out KBS K-Pop Classic YouTube channel for old school K-Pop stage performances
- Poclanos Radio
- Mellowbeat Seeker – 24/7 Korean Underground Indie/R&B/Hip-hop Radio
- For the Hip Hop heads, I recommend checking out channels like HIPHOPPLAYA, Dingo Freestyle
- Arirang Radio on Air
- I also want to highly recommend the channel ReacttotheK, in which classical and jazz musicians react to K-Pop. They also sometimes bring in producers and singers to react as well.
- Big B Radio #KPop (Not Youtube, but worth checking out. Fun Fact: I was also a DJ for them back in 2006.)