South Korea’s Top 10 Songs Of 2024, According To Prestigious Gallup Survey
Gallup is known as one of the most prestigious and accurate rankings of what Koreans really think, polling thousands of citizens aged 13 and up to vote on music, television, sports, and more. This year, more than 5,000 Koreans were asked to vote for their top three favorite songs of 2024 — and the rankings differ hugely among people in their 30s and below compared to citizens aged 40 and over.
Among Koreans aged 13–39, idol music and K-Pop soloists unsurprisingly dominated the top ten ranking.
1. BLACKPINK’s Rosé & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Alongside global acclaim, Rosé’s hit song with Bruno Mars has topped Korean favor too, swinging 9.8% of the vote.
“APT.” was also the highest-ranking song in the Gallup poll among the 19–29, 30s, and 40s age categories and the only idol song that made the top 10 for citizens in their 50s.
2. aespa – “Supernova”
“Supernova” received 7.2% of the votes, placing it second among all under 30s.
Within the 13–18 age group, however, aespa’s track ranked first with 12.2% of the vote. The song also made the top 10 for 19–29-year-olds (second place) and people in their 30s (fifth place).
3. NewJeans – “How Sweet”
One of multiple NewJeans appearances on the list, “How Sweet” ranked third with 5.9% of the votes.
It held the same ranking for both 13–18 and 19–29-year-olds, also placing sixth in the 30s age category.
4. IVE – “HEYA”
IVE’s “HEYA” ranked in fourth place on the 13–18, 19–29, and 30s age group rankings, as well as coming in fourth place overall for the under 30s category with 5.3% of the votes.
5. DAY6 – “Happy”
The only third-generation group in the top 10 is DAY6, who received 4.7% of the votes with their enduring hit “Happy.”
“Happy” also ranked sixth for 13–18 and 19–29-year-olds but jumped to third place in the 30s category
6. IU – “Through the Night”
Despite being released back in 2017, IU’s “Through the Night” remains a firm favourite for Koreans, receiving 4.3% of the under 30s vote.
This was also the second most popular song among people in their 30s, and the fourth most liked for people in their 40s.
7. NewJeans – “Hype Boy”
The only other track in the top 10 ranking that wasn’t released this year was NewJeans’ “Hype Boy,” which was still charming listeners with 4.1% of the vote.
8. BIBI – “Bam Yang Gang”
BIBI’s viral song “Bam Yang Gang” also made the top 10 this year, receiving 3.7% of the total votes for under 30s.
The track appears to have been most popular among people in their 40s, who ranked it sixth.
9. IU – “Love Wins All”
IU appears again in ninth place with “Love Wins All,” for which BTS’s V appeared in the music video. “Love Wins All” received 2.7% of the votes.
10. NewJeans – “Supernatural”
Last but not least, “Supernatural” marks NewJeans’ third entry on the list with 2.5% of the votes. Interestingly, their 2022 song “Ditto” also ranked in joint tenth place with “Supernatural” for people aged 13–18, while “Bubblegum” ranked joint tenth for people aged 19–29.
People aged 40 and over, on the other hand, didn’t favor K-Pop groups at all in 2024. In fact, most of the songs that made the top 10 were released years (or even decades) ago!
1. Lim Young Woong – “Love Always Run Away”
Lim Young Woong dominates the top 10 for over-40s in Korea, his first entry being “Love Always Run Away,” with 5.9% of the vote.
Interestingly, this frontrunner is actually one of Lim Young Woong’s older songs, released as an OST for Young Lady and Gentleman back in 2021.
2. Lim Young Woong – “Warmth”
His second entry, with 5.5% of the vote, was “Warmth.” “Warmth” was released in May this year, making it his most recent song on the Gallup chart.
3. Jin Sung – “At Andong Station”
Jin Sung’s 2012 song “At Andong Station” rounds out the top three with 3.9% of the vote.
4. Lim Young Woong – “Trust in Me” and Young Tak – “Drink Makgeolli”
In joint fourth and fifth place are Young Tak’s “Drink Makgeolli” and another Lim Young Woong song, “Trust in Me.”
Both were released in 2020 and earned 3.8% of the vote.
6. Jang Yoon Jeong – “First Marriage”
The oldest track in the over 40s top ten ranking was released in 2010: “First Marriage” by Jang Yoon Jeong, which received 3.3% of the votes.
7. Lim Young Woong – “Grain of Sand”
“Grain of Sand,” released in 2023, is still a firm favorite among this age group, with 3.1% of the vote.
8. Lim Young Woong – “Purple-Colored Postcard”
Lim Young Woong charts a fifth song on the Gallup over-40s ranking with “Purple-Colored Postcard” (2.8% of the votes), released in 2020.
9. Lee Chan Won – “Fate in Time,” Lee Chan Won – “A Travel to the Sky,” and Lim Young Woong – “My Starry Love”
“My Starry Love” (2021) is the final Lim Young Woong entry in the top ten.
It tied for ninth place with Lee Chan Won’s recent release “A Travel to the Sky” and his 2020 song “Fate in Time,” all of which earned 2.7% of the votes.
