From the title, most of you would probably have a few examples on your minds already if you’ve been listening to K-Pop long enough. Some songs have such an incredible hold on Koreans that they keep coming back every single time. Other times, songs that didn’t perform particularly well on digital charts miraculously re-charted on MelOn and somehow climbed their way to the top of the charts.
Let’s take a look at 9 of them.
Mino – I’m Him
Show Me The Money was a rollercoaster ride for Mino, but the return of I’m Him from Winner’s debut album 2014 S/S was definitely one of his highs. I’m Him was released in 2014, a year before competing on SMTM, but it re-charted on the MelOn’s Top 100. Mino was the only artist on the charts back then who could hold his own against songs from Infinite Challenge.
Beast – Bad Girl
B2utys banded together to stream Bad Girl on MelOn to celebrate the group’s anniversary this month. I personally wish they’d chosen Fiction or Shock simply because I prefer these two songs by far. Fiction is particularly flawless. But who cares what I think, really? I’m not a B2uty, and Bad Girl was Beast’s debut after all. The beginning is always something that ought to be celebrated.
Park Kyung – Ordinary Love AND Inferiority Complex
Kyung’s appearance on Radio Star recently pushed not one, but two of his songs back on MelOn, Ordinary Love from last year and his latest digital single Inferiority Complex (feat. GFriend Eunha). His digital performances and longevity discredit the oddly pervasive myth that Zico is the only Block B member who can succeed out of the group. All hail.
Busker Busker – Cherry Blossom Ending
After shocking EXO and BAP fans back in 2013, the men of Busker Busker still continue to ghost chart on MelOn three years later. I won’t be surprised if Busker Busker reappears on MelOn next spring too. Such is their impact on the Korean music industry.
SISTAR – Touch My Body
SISTAR’s Touch My Body returned to the charts last year, a sign of the Korean public’s anticipation of their comeback in the girl group summer war of 2015. Shake It and all their other summery songs are pretty polarizing among KPOP fans, at least among international fans, but I love them. I love them a lot.
Big Bang – Lies
VIPs successfully brought Lies back to the charts, marking Big Bang’s anniversary this year. Lies was Big Bang’s first critically acclaimed major chart-topping hit that catapulted the group to fame. A fitting way to mark the anniversary of a boy group that arguably left one of the strongest, and longest lasting impressions on Korean music charts.
Loco – Hold Me Tight (ft. Crush)
Variety shows with high viewership can give old songs a little push back up the charts, as was the case with Park Kyung. Loco, winner of the first season of Show Me The Money, re-charted on MelOn with a 2 year old song in August this year after his appearance on Happy Together.
High4 & IU – Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms
Two songs seemingly haunt MelOn every spring. Busker Busker’s song is one of them. High4 & IU’s Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms is the other. Clearly IU’s music is still well-loved in South Korea in spite of her scandals.
EXID – Up&Down
Finally, what is this list without EXID’s career-defining moment when Up&Down unexpectedly re-charted and peaked at the top when Hani’s fancam turned viral? Their latest song hasn’t been doing as well commercially, but EXID has definitely come a long way since.
Do you know of any other songs that gave the ol’ MelOn chart the Madison Montgomery treatment?
