Following Bruno Mars‘s Billboard interview about “APT.” with BLACKPINK’s Rosé having a similar impact to PSY‘s “Gangnam Style” (and the bit of backlash that sparked from BTS fans), Korean netizens have since come together in the comments under a viral online forum post listing the three undeniable “worldwide K-Pop mega-hit songs.”
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Here’s the lineup for the Hall of Fame, according to the post, now with over 66,000 views and 700+ comments. Would you agree?
1. PSY’s “Gangnam Style”
If anyone, it’s PSY who paved the way for K-Pop’s globalization, many would say. The catchy song became an international phenomenon, thanks to its “shareable” music video filled with cheeky horse-riding choreography, making it one of the very first K-Pop songs to “go viral” all over the world.
Released in July 2012, “Gangnam Style” became the first video in YouTube history to reach one billion views, a milestone it achieved in December 2012. It also set records as the most liked video on the platform, solidifying its status as a landmark moment in the genre’s global spread.
2. BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Bruno Mars’s “APT.”
An unexpected but most successful collaboration, “APT.” by BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Bruno Mars became a global sensation due to its catchy cross‑genre pop sound, playful cultural references, and record‑breaking streaming and chart performance worldwide.
But of course, what really sets “APT.” apart from other accomplished K-Pop hits is that even non-Korean, non-K-pop listeners outside the genre’s usual reach knew about the song, thanks to social media. Released in October 2024, the song topped the Billboard Global 200 for multiple weeks, marked Rosé as the highest‑charting female K‑Pop soloist in the U.S., and has topped charts in over 50 countries. It also became the fastest song by a K‑Pop act to surpass one billion streams on Spotify and set records on YouTube as one of the quickest Asian artist music videos to reach massive view counts.
3. KPop Demon Hunters‘ “Golden”
“Golden,” the breakout song from Netflix‘s KPop Demon Hunters, became an international success because it dominated global charts in a way rarely seen for a K‑Pop track, especially one tied to an animated movie. The song, performed by the fictional girl group HUNTR/X (voiced by real artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami), topped the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first K‑pop girl‑group track, real or fictional, to reach No. 1 and one of the few K‑pop songs ever to lead the chart.
“Golden” truly crossed over beyond typical K‑Pop fandom: it appealed not just to fans of the franchise or genre but entered mainstream global music markets, topping charts in major territories including the U.S. and U.K., becoming a top‑streamed song worldwide, and even gaining significant radio play—achievements that indicate widespread interest outside the usual K‑Pop audience.
Here’s the ongoing discussion among Korean netizens, some of whom said “Baby Shark” should at least make honorable mention.
- “I live in the U.K., and “APT.” was playing nonstop in the mall. I haven’t heard any BTS songs there.”
- “I’m a kindergarten teacher, and both “APT.” and “Golden” have huge influence on the kids. If you look at it as “songs kids sing all day,” then yeah, worldwide is accurate. BTS is popular as a group.”
- “Agreed.”
- “Yes, both “Golden” and “APT.” were global phenomena. If you felt like only “Gangnam Style” was “that level,” that’s just because of your age at the time when the original phenomenon was happening.”
- “Totally agree.”
- “Agreed.”
- “I’ve heard both “APT.” and “Golden” blasting insanely loud at an overseas sports event that had nothing to do with K-Pop and without a single Korean person attending.”
- “Totally agree. There’s zero evidence that “Dynamite” surpassed “APT.” Saying “APT.” doesn’t deserve a spot on this list is completely baseless.”
- “Yeah, I’d say four songs. If you include “Baby Shark,” then it’s four songs.”
- “Totally agreed.”
- “BTS is truly an amazing team, but their hits never really blew up in the general public like “APT.” did. Even kids in the U.S. who don’t know K-Pop can sing that song.”
- “Agreed.”
- “No room for argument here.”
- “I think BTS’s success is the result of fandom power plus people’s curiosity, whereas “APT.” is more like a “Gangnam Style”–type phenomenon. They’re different categories.”
- “Honestly, if we’re talking about a real global phenomenon, besides “APT.” I’d say it’s “Baby Shark,” LOL.”
