These eight tracks were huge hits in South Korea, but they unfortunately didn't win a first-place trophy from music shows.
There's a lot of masterpieces in K-pop that bring people together, the same generation or not, by playing these songs. These are hits that we can all hum or sing our hearts out to.
Sadly, some of these gems failed to win their much-deserving first-place trophies in music shows despite the love they received and the impact they made.
Here Are 8 Masterpieces That Failed To Earn First Place in Music Shows:
1. Rainbow - 'A'
Rainbow's "A," a song released in 2010, was greatly loved not only for its sound but also for popularizing the so-called "belly button dance" choreography.
However, at the time of its release, the song never topped any music show, and it was a shame for many that it also missed the first place on the Korean music sites.
Despite this, K-pop fans still consider this track as Rainbow's representative song.
2. Brown Eyed Girls - 'How Come'
Prior to their megahit track "Abracadabra," BEG drew immense love for their release "How Come."
Unfortunately, it never brought home a first place trophy from music shows even after being nominated more than five times due to stronger competitors, TVXQ's "Mirotic" and Wonder Girls' "Nobody," in 2008.
3. U-KISS - 'Am I That Easy'
In a past broadcast, U-KISS leader Soohyun revealed that the group didn't top a music show broadcast at the time they were active.
Although they did took their first trophy from a music show, "The Show - China Choice" in 2015, the leader was referring to winning first place in Korea.
In response, many people looked back at their past releases and wondered why "Am I That Easy?" of U-KISS didn't earn a music show win.
4. ZE:A - 'Mazeltov'
Throughout ZE: A's career, "Mazeltov" is considered their biggest hit, which was loved for its lyrics, such as "Friday, Saturday, Sunday" and "Latin Girl, Mexican Girl, Korean Girl, Japanese Girl."
Although the song remains known to many K-pop fans, it's regrettable that the song didn't succeed in taking the top spot in music programs during its promotions.
5. T-ARA - 'Roly Poly'
"Roly Poly" of T-ARA is one of the most iconic K-pop songs from second-gen girl groups, but it never topped any music show.
When it was released, the song was loved for its simple choreography and retro concept. Due to its popularity, it set a record in KBS2's "Music Bank" by ranking second place for 12 consecutive weeks.
6. SHINee - 'Replay'
SHINee's "Replay" was released in 2008, but the song remains one of the most legendary debut songs of all time. In fact, the song became a standard for younger men, then being covered mostly by junior boy groups such as TXT and NCT Dream.
But in 2021, SHINee themselves expressed their regret that the song didn't have a first-place trophy from music broadcasts due to Wonder Girls' "So Hot" and Alex Chu's "Flowerpot."
7. aespa - 'Next Level'
aespa's "Next Level," which caused the "D-dance" syndrome in 2021, surprisingly did not win first place in music shows.
Apparently, this is because the song become viral in South Korea just before the group ended their promotion. Still a shame, though!
8. Be'O - 'Counting Stars'
Be'O, a South Korean rapper and songwriter, became known in the K-pop scene for his song "Counting Stars."
Not only music fans but even idols supported the song that dominated Korean digital music charts, yet it sadly never topped in music show rankings.
His competitors at that time were IVE and IU, who both have stable and strong fandoms.
READ MORE: These 8 Hit K-Pop Songs Shockingly Did Not Earn Any Music Show Wins
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Written by Eunice Dawson
