K-pop albums have grown into a global phenomenon, grabbing hearts and minds with their addictive beats, enthralling choreography, and charismatic performers in a world where music crosses boundaries and languages. Delving into the immense ocean of K-pop albums may be a daunting experience for both K-pop fans and beginners.
On September 11, the entertainment publication Paste published a list of the 30 top K-pop albums of all time. They based their selections on a survey of 100 fans, and the list includes musicians from every K-pop generation as well as groups and soloists.
Paste Magazine has provided complete details on this list by ranking them accordingly with the album name and musician name. This list includes current Korean pop luminaries like J-hope, BTS, IU, and BLACKPINK, as well as some veteran names like SHINee, f(x), and Taeyeon.
From J-hope’s Jack In The Box to IU’s Palette: Here is the list of 15 greatest K-pop albums of all time
1) Pink Tape by f(x)
Pink Tape is South Korean girl group f(x)’s second studio K-pop album. S.M. Entertainment published the album on July 29, 2013. Pink Tape is f(x)’s first studio album in over two years, following the repackage of their debut album Hot Summer in 2011. The album reached number one on many foreign music charts, including Billboard’s World Albums and South Korea’s Gaon charts.
2) Jack in The Box by J-hope
J-hope’s debut K-pop album was released in 2022 and featured the title singles MORE and Arson. Jack in the Box, J-hope’s debut solo album, is a sonic accomplishment in every way. Based on the Greek relic of Pandora’s Box, the singer/songwriter and rapper draws from old-school hip-hop to provide actual K-pop brilliance while also playing with grunge, R&B, and pop.
3) Love Yourself: Tear by BTS
The title track, Fake Love, from this K-pop album was released in 2018. Love Yourself: Tear, BTS’ third studio album, is an album concept focused on self-acceptance and self-love. The band leaned heavily on emo and grunge influences, mixing them with hip-hop, jazz, EDM, alt-R&B, and pop.
Songs like Fake Love and The Truth Untold feature poignant studies of love and grief in technicolor songs with a melodic intensity that culminates in some of BTS’ catchiest and brightest smashes.
4) Palette by IU
The title song Palette from this K-pop album was released in 2017. Palette, K-pop artist IU’s fourth studio album, expands her soprano vocal range to new heights and provides the listener with an expansive, gratifying emotional trip. The tracks are simple and laid out, but they are wonderful in both ways. The album received a Melon Music Award for Album of the Year and sold about 150,000 copies.
5) Perfect Velvet by Red Velvet
Perfect Velvet is the second studio K-pop album by Red Velvet, a South Korean girl group. On November 17, 2017, SM Entertainment released the record, which blends R&B, soul, and hip-hop with elements from future bass, trap, and synth-pop and saw contributions from several songwriters and production teams.
Perfect Velvet received positive reviews from music critics; music webzines Idology and Weiv [ko] rated it the greatest album of 2017, while Billboard named it the sixth-best K-pop album of the 2010s.
6) Odd by SHINee
Odd is the fourth Korean studio album (and seventh overall) released by the South Korean boy band SHINee. On May 18, 2015, it was released digitally and physically by SM Entertainment and distributed by KT Music. The album comprises 11 tracks, one of which is the title track, View.
Music critics lauded the album, praising SHINee’s creative and fun sound, which resulted in a fresh and evolved album, as well as the group’s return to their R&B side.
7) The Chaos Chapter: Freeze by TOMORROW X TOGETHER
TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s second studio K-pop album defies expectations of what a hybrid pop-rock album in the K-pop canon could become, according to Paste magazine. The Chaos Chapter: Freeze was the band’s fourth number-one album in South Korea, selling over 850,000 copies in its first year.
It was praised by critics for its strong musicianship and brilliant, auspicious production. Songs like Magic, Frost, and OX1=Lovesong are among the greatest in TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s discography.
8) Reboot by Wonder Girls
Reboot was Wonder Girls’ third and last album, with every member earning songwriting and/or producing credits across the tracklist. In many respects, it was a bittersweet homecoming because it was the first album to include original member Sunmi since 2007. Throughout the album, there is heavy use of very nostalgic, 1980s-inspired elements such as synth-pop, chillwave, hip-hop, pop-rock, and electro-pop.
9) INVU by TAEYEON
Taeyeon revealed on January 11, 2022, that she would release a digital single named Can’t Control Myself on January 17, 2022, before the release of her third studio album in February 2022. INVU was named one of the Best K-pop Albums of 2022 So Far by Time.
10) Noeasy by Stray Kids
Noeasy, a play on the term “noisy,” intends to comment on the impact of creating music for the world to consume and enjoy. It is Stray Kids‘ second studio album. It combines several elements, including EDM, hip-hop, pop, R&B, and rock, making it one of the most diverse entries on our list.
The record has depth and character that outweigh the “noise” foundation on which it was built. According to Paste magazine, Noeasy is an expressive, balanced stroke of brilliance with a mixture of uptempo and slow-burn compositions that have sold over one million copies since its release two years ago.
11) Advice by TAEMIN
Advice, TAEMIN’s final EP before joining the military, is a terrific mix of dance-pop and R&B—and the Seoul singer/songwriter crafts a great tapestry of distinct, appealing dance stylings. Advice is a wonderful exhibition of Taemin’s breadth and ambition, with everything from piano instrumentals to trap segues. Tamar Herman complimented Advice for its “creativity and androgynous aesthetic” in the South China Morning Post.
12) MADE by BIGBANG
The title of the album is an acronym for “Music, Achievement, Design, and Experience,” and the lyrics address mature sentiments of uncertainty and fear, as well as sexuality and societal issues. MADE has sold over a million records worldwide and reached number one on Billboard’s US World Albums charts. MADE followed a unique release strategy of releasing all the album songs as singles so the fanbase could hear something new every month in the summer of 2015.
13) Heng:garae by SEVENTEEN
Heng:garae, the eighth EP by Seoul boy band SEVENTEEN, uses summery vibes to counteract the melancholy and despair of the epidemic it was launched into. The EP went on to sell a million copies, a first for the band, and singles like My My and Left & Right solidified it as one of the best pop fusions of hip-hop and electronica.
14) Lucky Man by Bobby
Lucky Man was K-pop singer/songwriter, rapper, and iKon member Bobby‘s second studio album, released in 2021. He explores a diversified, complicated arrangement of misery, sadness, and recovery across 17 tracks. It’s a breakup album that seeks happiness in the transient enthusiasm of youth. Bobby made an impression here, composing the lyrics by himself for all the songs and applying his strong rap style throughout.
15) The Album by BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK, maybe the most known K-pop name in the world, established their footing on their 2020 debut, The Album—a bright and punctuated pop hybrid of EDM and hip-hop. Songs like How You Like That, Ice Cream, and Lovesick Girls are among the genre’s most catchy singles in recent memory. The Album features Selena Gomez, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, and David Guetta.
Now, with this list of the best K-pop albums by Paste magazine, it is easier for K-pop fans to dive into their preferred genres and listen to and experiment with K-pop.
