Flashback Friday: K-pop hits of 1996 & 1997

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Posted by GhostWriter Friday, September 4, 2015

H.O.T, Sechskies, S.E.S, Turbo, Kim Jong Kook, J.Y. Park, Yoo Seung Joon, Cool, Jinusean

13. H.O.T. (1996) - Warrior's Descendant

Idol groups weren't really popular in Korea... that is until H.O.T. came along. They basically reshaped the Korean music landscape overnight and this was their debut track.

12. Sechskies (1997) - Chivalry

With the huge success of H.O.T., rival entertainment companies wanted to emulate the boy idol group formula and formed their own boy groups. The biggest rival to H.O.T. was none other than Sechs Kies. Check out their song "Chivalry" although they weren't quite chivalrous in the beginning with the random curse words.

11. Clon (1996) - Nan

Some of you may know DJ Koo but back in the day he was in the group Clon. This MV today would be banned and receiving a 19+ rating but back in the day, there was no controversy at all.

10. Yoo Seung Joon (1997) - Nightmare

Little did Yoo Seung Joon know that his life would become somewhat of a "Nightmare" a few years after his debut with the military issue. He was one of the biggest stars in K-pop and you can check out his debut song above.

9. Jinusean (1997) - Tell Me

You may know of Jinusean because of their recent comeback but back in the day they were YG royalty and "Tell Me" was a huge hit in 1997 featuring the gorgeous Uhm Jung Hwa.

8. Turbo (1997) - Goodbye Yesterday

You may know Kim Jong Kook from 'Running Man' but before he was Sparta Kook, he was a member in Turbo.

7. J.Y. Park (1997) - She Was Pretty

Before he was JYP, he was Park Jin Young. There hasn't been another entertainer in K-pop history like the one and only J.Y. Park. He brought fashion, flair, and good old fashioned groove to the industry.

6. Ahn Jae Wook (1997) - Forever

If you've ever hit up the NRB (noraebang or Karaoke) with a hyung, you've probably heard him sing this song. There have been other awesome songs from soundtracks but nothing on the level of this song from one of great dramas in Korea, 'Star in My Heart'.

5. DJ DOC (1997) - Dance With DOC

No other group had more of a let's-have-fun attitude than the bad boys of K-pop. The other tracks on their legendary 4th album were a bit controversial with harsh words towards censorship in Korea but this track was a hit because of its carefree nature.

4. Turbo (1996) - Twist King

Another great song from Turbo back in the day.

3. Cool (1996) - Woman Of The Beach

It's been nearly 20 years since the release of this song but it's still considered a great summer anthem.

2. S.E.S (1997) - I'm Your Girl

With the success of H.O.T., SM Entertainment wanted to replicate that idol group formula but this time with a girl group. S.E.S debuted to much fanfare with "I'm Your Girl."

1. H.O.T. (1996) - Candy

You've probably heard this song before covered by Super Junior but the original was done by H.O.T. This song is the one that brought them to the top of K-pop.

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