Yo Kass answered
One way to gauge the most famous Korean band of all time would be to compare record sales. Along these lines, the girl-group Girls' Generation top the popularity chart according to YesAsia's annual sales record - although other K-pop groups like Super Junior and JYJ regularly feature at the summit of album charts too.
What is K-pop?
K-pop is the term used to describe the most popular brand of music in Korea and is a blend of dance music, electro, hip hop, R&B, and pop.
Since the early 2000s, K-pop has boomed in popularity and is now a big business catering to a global demand. It is also considered to be one of the biggest cultural exports in Korean history, and the term Hallyu is used to describe this 'Korean wave' of popularity that has seen bands like Big Bang chart in the top 10 on US iTunes.
Other big names on the K-pop scene include:
Other big names on the K-pop scene include:
- 2AM
- 2PM
- 4 Minute
- Brown Eyed Girls
- BtoB
- f(x)
- Jewelry
- SNSD
- 2NE1
- Ft Island
A darker side to K-pop
Although the face of K-pop is sugary sweet and incredibly catchy, a force behind the phenomenon has been the subject of increasing concern in recent years.
With the explosion of K-pop onto the global market, the industry has become a big player worth well over $60million.
The main criticism is that, whilst the talent and production companies behind success stories like Girls' Generation rake in huge profits, the young girls and boys who front the campaigns often work gruelling hours, see little of the money coming in, and are often tied down to ridiculously long contracts.
With the explosion of K-pop onto the global market, the industry has become a big player worth well over $60million.
The main criticism is that, whilst the talent and production companies behind success stories like Girls' Generation rake in huge profits, the young girls and boys who front the campaigns often work gruelling hours, see little of the money coming in, and are often tied down to ridiculously long contracts.
Several high-profile court cases have brought this concern to light, although the nature of the problem appears to get buried under the slick dance routines and glossy music videos of the artists themselves.
