It goes without saying, this industry has brought us many talented individuals both male and female.

With the growing list of K-Pop artists, it’s hard to keep up, but it’s not hard to remember our first groups. While this group is in no particular order, these are the top 4 male K-pop artists of the decade!

1. BigBang

These guys are without a doubt the OGs of Kpop. The have excelled in their own side projects as well as a group, they have given us hit after hit. While many groups have artists do side projects, the overwhelming success of this group is in a work – iconic. Taeyang, G-Dragon, T.O.P, Seungri, and Daesung have created the most influential groups of the entire Kpop industry since their debut in 2006, and we don’t see them stopping anytime soon.

2. Super Junior

As BB’s senior, these guys have paved the way. Their story is one of commitment and dedication during their time period. Their beginning year was difficult, but 2008 marked their breakthrough with the album, Sorry, Sorry – I know “Monster” was a whole jam. SJ’s success is one to be admired greatly, if you’d like to catch them in action they even have a TV show, Super TV, here!

3. ShinEE

Another SM Entertainment success, ShinEE came to rise in 2008 with their album “The ShinEE World”. While there are always competitors for the top, this group has the official mark as the prince’s of kpop respectively. They were initially a 5 man group, but after a tragic accident in 2017, they lost their vocalist Jonghyun. They paid their respects and made a song in memorial for their late member (guaranteed to make you cry) in their album, The Story of Light EP. 3,  in the song Our Page. 

4. BTS

While BTS is the younger sibling of all these groups, they are not affiliated with SM or YG which are the dominators of the industry. This group came with a vengeance and with songs with meaning and depth that have carried them to the success that they have now. Their fandom may be problematic, but the boys are not. Their successors have definitely had global awareness, but the popularity of this group isn’t just limited to concerts, but wining not one, but two AMA’s, Billboards and even being invited to the UN.

All of these men have shown us that if you work hard, your success is a given. What was the first Kpop song you heard?

Interested in the top four female K-Pop groups? Click here!