Every year, data is collected to show the most popular songs that have been released in that year. This is the same for the K-pop industry. Every year, various music streaming sites collect data on the number of streams and album sales of the songs that were released annually to show the most popular songs of that year.

Recently, a collection of the data of the top 3 legendary songs each year was shared in an online community where netizens were able to see the top 3 most popular songs per year, starting from 2008 all the way to 2021.

The data provided two lists of the top 3 popular songs from male and female artists each year.

Male Artists:

2008

1st - Big Bang's "Haru Haru"

2nd - Taeyang's "Only Look At Me"

3rd - SHINee's "Replay"

2009

1st - SHINee's "Ring Ding Dong"

2nd - Big Bang and 2NE1's "Lollipop"

3rd - 2PM's "Again & Again"

2010

1st - SHINee's "Lucifer"

2nd - CN Blue's "I'm a Loner"

3rd - 2AM's "Can't Let You Go Even If I Die"

2011

1st - B2ST's "Fiction"

2nd - INFINITE's "Be Mine"

3rd - 2PM's "Hands Up"

2012

1st - Big Bang's "Fantastic Baby"

2nd - SHINee's "Sherlock"

3rd - B2ST's "Beautiful Night"

2013

1st - EXO's "Growl"

2nd - G-Dragon's "Crooked"

3rd - EXO's "Wolf"

2014

1st - Taeyang's "Eyes, Nose, Lips"

2nd - EXO's "Overdose"

3rd - WINNER's "Empty"

2015

1st - Big Bang's "Loser"

2nd - Big Bang's "Bang Bang Bang"

3rd - EXO's "Call Me Baby"

2016

1st - Zico's "I am you, you are me"

2nd - EXO's "Monster"

3rd - BTS's "FIRE"

2017

1st - BTS's "Spring Day"

2nd - Wanna One's "Energetic"

3rd - BTS's "DNA"

2018

1st - iKON's "Love Scenario"

2nd - BTS's "FAKE LOVE"

3rd - BTS's "IDOL"

2019

1st - BTS's "Boy With Luv"

2nd - N.Flying's "Rooftop"

3rd - EXO's "Love Shot"

2020

1st - Zico's "Any Song"

2nd - BTS's "Dynamite"

3rd - BTS's "ON"

2021

1st - BTS's "Butter"

2nd - BTS's "Permission to Dance"
3rd - SHINee's "Don't Call Me"

Female Artists:

2008

1st - Wonder Girls' "Nobody"

2nd - Girls' Generation's "Kissing You"

3rd - Wonder Girls' "So Hot"

2009

1st - Girls' Generation's "Gee"

2nd - Girls' Generation's "Genie"

3rd - 2NE1's "I Don't Care"

2010

1st - Miss A's "Bad Girl Good Girl"

2nd - IU's "Nagging"

3rd - Girls' Generation's "Oh"

2011

1st - IU's "Good Day"

2nd - T-ara's "Roly-Poly"

3rd - IU's "You and I"

2012

1st - T-ara's "Lovey Dovey"

2nd - SISTAR's "Alone"

3rd - Girls' Generation-TTS's "Twinkle"

2013

1st - Crayon Pop's "Bar Bar Bar"

2nd - A Pink's "No No No"

3rd - Girl's Day's "Expectation"

2014

1st - IU's "The Meaning of You"

2nd - A Pink's "Mr. Chu"

3rd - AOA's "Short Skirt"

2015

1st - EXID's "Up Down"

2nd - IU's "23"

3rd - Girls' Generation's "Lion Heart"

2016

1st - TWICE's "TT"

2nd - GFriend's "Rough"

3rd - TWICE's "CHEER UP"

2017

1st - Red Velvet's "Red Flavor"

2nd - IU's "Night Letter"

3rd - BLACKPINK's "As If It's Your Last"

2018

1st - Momoland's "Boom Boom"

2nd - BLACKPINK's "DDU DU DDU DU"

3rd - TWICE's "What Is Love"

2019

1st - TWICE's "Fancy"

2nd - BLACKPINK's "Kill This Love"

3rd - Taeyeon's "Four Seasons"

2020

1st - BLACKPINK's "How You Like That"

2nd - Oh My Girl's "Nonstop"

3rd - IU's "Blooming"

2021

1st - Aespa's "Next Level"

2nd - Brave Girl's "Rollin'"

3rd - IU's "Celebrity"