South Korean boy bands refer to South Korea's all-male
idol groups who account for a large portion of the
K-pop industry. Korean boy bands have aided in the global spread and promotion of Korean culture through their demonstrated prominence and popularity. First generation boy bands from the late 90s and early 2000s such as
H.O.T.,
Sechs Kies,
Shinhwa and
g.o.d. are cited as building these foundations as the first successful all-male groups in Korea and through their participation in the first
Hallyu Wave.[1] In 2007 and onward, second generation groups such as
BigBang,
TVXQ,
Super Junior,
2PM,
Shinee,
Beast and
Infinite continued to grow the popularity of boy bands domestically in Korea as well as globally through the second phase of
Hallyu.[1] The rise of groups such as
Exo and
BTS in 2012 and 2013 launched the third generation of boy bands and launched K-pop to mass global appeal.[1] BTS, in particular, has attained mainstream western appeal with number one hits on the
Billboard charts and multiple collaborations with global artists such as
Coldplay,
Nicki Minaj and
Halsey. Other major boy bands to have debuted from 2012 onward include
Seventeen,
NCT,
Got7,
Tomorrow X Together,
Stray Kids,
Ateez and
Enhypen all of who continue to garner widespread attention and build K-pop's global appeal.[1]
Generation 1
Before the early 1990s, it was only solo artists doing
trot. Then in 1992, South Korean music started shifting to a more
hip hop-influenced sound with the debut of
Seo Taiji and Boys, who used English in their songs. It was not until
SM Entertainment founder
Lee Soo-man created several groups such as
H.O.T. and
Shinhwa that the
Hallyu Wave started. The first generation of K-pop began with the birth of the idol industry after the debut of H.O.T. in 1996 and follows the early years of K-pop and includes idol groups debuting from 1996 to 2002.
South Korean boy bands that debuted in 2003 to 2011.
As the popular first-generation idols disbanded during the early 2000s, ballads and R&B music became mainstream in the Korean music industry again. Since 2003, singers such as
SG Wannabe,
Wheesung, and
Buzz became very popular.
K-pop saw a revival with the third generation that grew in the digital age with the influence of social media and resulted in the
globalization of the genre. This era also saw a growth in
survival programs that pushed for more competition, and includes idol groups that primarily debuted in 2012 to 2017.
This generation has had to overcome problems such as the
COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic disruption, and the transition to virtual concerts. These groups are in a situation that needs them to pioneer a wider variety of publicity methods, including the recently active online performance.[4]
Best selling boy bands
Best-selling generation 4 South Korean boy bands[C]
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song received 3,000,000 sales.[2]
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song peaked at #4 on the MIAK charts for the month of January 2004. It entered the
Circle Album Chart in 2014 and peaked at #12 for the week of January 12–18, 2014.
^Circle Chart did not exist at that time. However, the song received 4,173,225 sales.[2]
^An, Jin-yong (June 23, 2020).
<전지적 문화 시점>BTS·블핑에 도전장... '4세대 아이돌'이 온다 [<Omniscient cultural perspective>Challenge to BTS and Blackpink... '4th generation idol' is coming]. Munhwa Ilbo.
Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.