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. I have placed the YouTube playlists above the Spotify playlists, because it is 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.
Once you have consumed some of the best from the 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 new ones on hold while I work on Top 100s of previous years. 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 obviously, but it has fun resources to keep you immersed in this amazing adventure through my favorite music.
Step 1: Best of 2023 Playlists that compile all the monthly playlists I have created. Spotify playlist contains B sides and other songs from the year
Youtube: Check back in February
Spotify: Check back in February
Step 2: Check out the Top 100s page for all the individual yearly playlists.
Below you can find compilations playlists with all songs from 2012 through 2021 Top 100s. (Be aware songs may disappear to licensing issues or companies removing them)
YouTube (Currently the playlist is limited to 200 songs via embed. Visit Youtube to see the full playlist):
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
- Check Out K-Pop Classic for classic show streaming. They include both live streams of the older shows, or video on demand episodes.
- 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
- 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.)