It hardly matters if music is old or new, it will still touch hearts nonetheless. So if you are one of those who lean more towards the old-gen music, or even if you’d like to broaden your horizon, then this list is for you. Keep scrolling to read more about 10 K-pop songs from the 1990s that you may fall in love with.
1. “I’m Your Girl” By S.E.S.
S.E.S. (acronym of the names of the members, Sea, Eugene, Shoo) was a girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 1997 and is a first-gen K-pop idol group. “I’m Your Girl” was one of the two singles under their debut album of the same name, released in 1997. The album sold over 600,000 copies, becoming the second best-selling album by a female group in South Korea in its time.
2. “Wrongful Meeting” By Kim Gun Mo
Kim Gun Mo is a singer-songwriter. He is considered to be South Korea's most successful musical artist of the 1990s. In 2011, he received a presidential commendation for his contribution to Korean pop culture. Kim Gun Mo released the album "Wrongful Encounter" in 1995. It was the third full-length album released by Kim. The album and its tracks, especially "Wrongful Meeting", were such a big hit that it sold over 2.5 million copies.
3. “Holding Onto The End Of The Night” By Solid
One of South Korea's earliest R&B groups, Solid, is a make trio that debuted in 1993. Solid debuted in 1993 with the album 'Give Me A Chance'. They have been titled the 'Kings of R&B' for the impact they made in the establishment of the R&B genre in Korea. “Holding Onto The End Of The Night” was Solid’s breakout hit and was featured on their album titled ‘The Magic Of 8 Ball’.
4. “Hope” By H.O.T.
H.O.T. (Highfive Of Teenagers) was a boy group comprising of 5 members, signed under SM Entertainment. The group had debuted on 7 September 1996, with the album ‘We Hate All Kinds Of Violence’. H.O.T. was an immensely popular group and was considered to be one of the first K-pop idol groups to debut. The song “Hope”, was released in September 1998, as the title track to H.O.T.’s third full-length album, ‘Resurrection’.
5. “Couple” By SechSkies
SechSkies is currently a 4 member group signed under YG Entertainment. The group had initially debuted under Daesung Entertainment on 15 August 1997 and disbanded in 2000. Later on, in 2016, they held a reunion concert, after which they signed a contract with YG Entertainment, re-establishing themselves as a formidable musical force. SechSkies’s “Couple” was released in 1998 and is arguably one of the group's best releases.
6. “Poison” By Uhm Jung Hwa
Uhm Jung Hwa is an actress and singer. Uhm made her cinematographic debut in the film ‘Marriage Story’. She released her first album titled ‘Sorrowful Secret’, in 1993 on Samsung Music. Uhm Jung Hwa is one of the most influential female celebrities in South Korea. Uhm’s fourth studio album ‘Invitation’, was released on 1 July 1998 and featured the hit single “Poison”.
7. “December” By Turbo
Turbo originally started off as a duo with Kim Jong Kook and Kim Jung Nam. Kim Jung Nam departed from the group in 1997 and Kim Jong Kook continued with the promotions of the group with new member Mikey. During their time between 1995 and 2001, Turbo was one of the biggest hits in the Korean entertainment industry. They made a comeback in 2015 as a trio with ‘Again’. Turbo released the song “December” as a track on their album ‘Born Again’.
8. “Day By Day” By Fly To The Sky
Fly To The Sky is an R&B duo under iMe KOREA and H2media. They were formed under SM Entertainment and they officially debuted at the ‘Login HOT’ concert on 21 November 1999. The duo consists of members Hwanhee and Brian. Their first album ‘Day By Day’ was released in December 1999 and featured the hit song of the same name.
9. “Tell Me” By Jinusean
Jinusean was a hip-hop duo, signed under YG Entertainment. The duo had officially made its debut on 14 June 1997 with members Kim Jin Woo (Jinu), and Noh Seung Hwan (Sean) and rose to prominence with their single “Tell Me”. Prior to becoming a duo, Jinu debuted as a soloist in 1994 and Sean worked as a backup dancer for Seo Taiji And Boys. Today, they are pioneers in the field of Korean hip-hop. Although they have released multiple tracks, to date one of their most famous and most loved is still their debut single, “Tell Me”.
10. “I Know” By Seo Taiji And Boys
Seo Taiji and Boys was a music group active between 1992 and 1996. The group was famous for having experimented with many genres that were already popular in the West. Seo Taiji and Boys was a huge commercial hit and is credited with huge contributions in making k-pop what it is today. Their song “I Know”, from their debut studio album, released in March 1992, was produced and written by Seo Taiji, the group leader. The song was a huge success domestically and even managed to break the record for the longest charting song at number 1, with 17 consecutive weeks.
