Some of the staff members combed through this year's numerous releases to bring you a list of fifty of the year's most noteworthy songs. Check in every Wednesday between now and the new year (January 1) for the next group of songs in our ranking. Note: To be on this ranking, the songs had to be released between the dates of December 1, 2012 to November 15, 2013 for consideration. Today, we bring you the ranking for numbers eleven through twenty on our list.
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20. IU "The Red Shoes"
Album: Modern Times
Label: LOEN Entertainment
Release Date: October 8th, 2013
IU's 2013 comeback had a lot riding on it, and every K-Pop fan was watching to see what would happen. Could the nation's little sister really be knocked from her throne so easily? As it turns out, the answer is a resounding no - IU ruled the charts and did it with class.
19. Dynamic Duo "BAAAM" feat. Muzie
Album: LUCKYNUMBERS
Label: Amoeba Culture
Release Date: July 1st, 2013
From a diss battle with a former labelmate to a dating scandal with f(x)'s Sulli, it seemed the guys of Dynamic Duo couldn't stay out of the news this year. Don't let all the hype fool you, however - these guys put out some good music, such as hit track "BAAAM". Don't let the song's chill vibe fool you - it's actually about the frustration of dealing with a girl who can't decide if she's hot or cold and won't explain why she's acting that way.
18. Busker Busker "Love, At First"
Album: Busker Busker 2
Label: Chungchun Music, CJ E&M
Release Date: September 25th, 2013
Busker Busker continues to be an anomaly in the world of K-Pop, setting their own new standard and playing by their own rules. We saw the power of Busker Busker earlier in the year when their 2012 single "Cherry Blossom Ending" re-entered and re-scaled the charts, competing to win on music shows all over again with absolutely no promotion. Their 2013 sophomore single, "Love, At First", further cemented their position as the unlikely kings of 2013 K-Pop.
17. Block B "Very Good"
Album: Very Good
Label: CJ E&M
Release Date: October 2nd, 2013
Man, for a while there it seemed like the boys of Block B just couldn't catch a break! Earlier this year, fans finally got to cheer for them on stage once more as they not only made their first comeback in a very long time, but earned their first music show win with the rambunctious "Very Good".
16. Girl's Day "Expectation"
Album: Expectation
Label: DreamTea Entertainment
Release Date: March 14th, 2013
Girl's Day has been bubbling just under the surface of K-Pop for a long time - everyone knew who they were, everyone liked them, but they couldn't quite seem to break through to that next level of success. Then, "Expectation" happened. The song and dance blew up and gave the girls their first major hit since "Twinkle Twinkle". While their follow up track, "Female President", actually out-performed "Expectation", it was "Expectation" that paved the way for that success.
15. Lee Hyori "Miss Korea"
Album: Monochrome
Label: B2M Entertainment
Release Date: May 21st, 2013
Fans have waited a long, long time for Lee Hyori to return to the stage, and this year's return was everything we could have hoped for. Her multi-single comeback showed us why she's still one of the reigning queens of K-Pop, all starting with the super-classy "Miss Korea".
14. Psy "Gentleman"
Album: Gentlemen
Label: YG Entertainment
Release Date: April 12th, 2013
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Most of us simply can't imagine the pressure that Psy must have been under to follow up "Gangnam Style", and many people declared "Gentleman" a failure right out of the gate for a number of reasons - the song didn't soar as high as "Gangnam Style", the dance was
borrowed from Brown Eyed Girls' "Abracadabra", the song sounded too much like "Gangnam Style"... Yet "Gentleman" was still one of this year's biggest hits and it still gained significant traction internationally- more so than any K-Pop artist before him, for sure.
13. B1A4 "What's Going On?"
Album: What's Going On?
Label: WM Entertainment
Release Date: May 6th, 2013
B1A4 just missed their first win last year with "Tried to Walk"- one of many songs steamrollered by the "Gangnam Style" juggernaut. For 2013, they returned to their fun-loving image with "What's Going On?", finally earning that first win and showing us all just
how far they've come since their "OK Girl" days. With Sandeul earning nothing but praise for his run on 'Immortal Song' and Baro bringing in new fans by the day with his acting in 'Reply 1994', B1A4 is headed nowhere but up going into the new year.
12. f(x) "Rum Pum Pum Pum"
Album: Pink Tape
Label: SM Entertainment
Release Date: July 29th, 2013
After an unfortunate, last-minute title song change, the ladies of f(x) brought us the weird but wonderful "Rum Pum Pum Pum", a song that compared a first love to the experience of wisdom teeth growing in and then being removed. In spite of accusations that the album was too weird to succeed and constant netizen attacks on Sulli, 'Pink Tape' and "Rum Pum Pum Pum" not only soared high, but stayed on the charts for a long, long time. As they say, success is the best revenge.
11. A Pink "No No No"
Album: Secret Garden
Label: A Cube Entertainment
Release Date: July 5th, 2013
A Pink was away from the spotlight for a surprisingly long time after "Hush", especially for a rookie group still trying to get recognized. After Eunji shot to fame for her roles in 'Reply 1997' and 'Wind Blows in Winter', Na-Eun's rise to popularity on "We Got Married", and a slight lineup change, A Pink finally came back with their S.E.S-inspired "No No No", a song of encouragement for those going through tough times. With a cute concept that didn't overdo it and an audience nostalgic for girl groups of the past, "No No No" swept the nation and propelled A Pink out of rookie status.
Check back next week on Monday, January 1st for songs one through ten!
allkpop's 'Top 50 K-Pop Songs of 2013' is staff-determined and is not in any way connected with the fan-voted 2013 allkpop awards.
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