A history lesson.

Where did KPOP come from? This is going up to Seo Taiji and Boys because I already made a thread on that. https://twitter.com/mizzbutterfly81/status/1198876124287094785

The Kim Sisters (1959) were the first Korean artist to release an album in the US. Their cover of "Charlie Brown" reached No.7 on the Billboard Single Chart. The Kim Sisters also appeared on TV programs & radio programs and held tours in the U.S. & Europe

The Kim Sisters, Yoon Bok-hee and Patti Kim were the first singers to debut in such countries as Vietnam and the United States.

Yoon Bok-hee was the leader of the Korean Kittens that toured with Bob Hope and the USO to American Army Vietnam War bases in 1966.

Patti Kim was the first South Korean singer to perform in Japan (following the end of the Japanese occupation of Korea), in Las Vegas, and on The Johnny Carson Show.

In the 1960s, Korean artists like Shin Joong-hyun, Pearl Sisters & Patti Kim who previously performed for U.S. army clubs reached out to the Korean public. In the mid-60s, due to the The Beatles, there was a rise of group sound in South Korea, for example, Add4 and the Key Boys

Shin Jung-hyeon is a South Korean rock guitarist and singer-songwriter often referred to as Korea's "Godfather of Rock." and a pioneer of Korean rock music.

The Pearl Sisters were two Korean women called Bae In Soon and Bae In Sook. Unlike a lot of 60's Korean 'happy happy' pop music they produced music with a beautifully moving melancholy edge.

The Key Boys were a very successful Korean rock group that got their start by playing to American GIs stationed in Korea. Often called the Korean Yardbirds, their music ranged from tepid covers of American songs to fuzzy psych freakouts.

Add4, Korea's first rock group, was formed by Shin Joong-hyun in 1962 and produced Korea's first rock song, "The Woman in the Rain", which is a form of light rock reminiscent of the early Beatles.

During this period, with the rise of Western pop music and Korean rock music, trot was no longer predominant in South Korea. However trot singers like Lee Mi-ja still managed to attract a certain level of popularity, with famous songs like "Camellia Lady"

At the end of the 1960s Korean pop music transformed. Many musicians were university students & grads & were influenced by American culture and lifestyle and made lighthearted music unlike their predecessors, who were influenced by war and Japanese oppression.

In the 1970s, the Park Chung-hee government banned American pop music and Korean rock music for their association with sex and drugs. Shin Joong-hyun, the "godfather of Korean rock music", was imprisoned in 1975 due to a marijuana scandal.

One of the leading figures of the era was Han Dae-soo, who was raised in the US & influenced by Dylan, Cohen & Lennon. Han's song Mul jom juso became iconic among the young in Korea. His performances & singing style shocked public & later he was banned from performing in Korea

The 1980s saw the rise of ballad singers after Lee Gwang-jo’s 1985 album "You’re Too Far Away to Get Close to" Gakkai Hagien Neomu Meon Dangsin) sold more than 300,000 copies.

Other popular ballad singers included Lee Moon-se and Byun Jin-sub nicknamed the "Prince of Ballads". One of the most sought-after ballad composers of the era was Lee Young-hoon whose songs were compiled into a modern musical in 2011 titled Gwanghwamun Yeonga

Asia Music Forum was launched in 1980, with reps from 5 different Asian countries competing. Korean singer Cho Yong-pil won first place & went on to have a successful career in Hong Kong & Japan.

Cho Yong-pil’s first album was a hit & he became the first Korean singer to take to the stage at Carnegie Hall in NYC.

This is around the time where Seo Taiji and Boys entered their scene. Remember the history you see? They changed it completely. Prior to this, it was rock, ballads and trot.

https://twitter.com/mizzbutterfly81/status/1198876124287094785?s=21 https://twitter.com/mizzbutterfly81/status/1198876124287094785

Without Seo Taiji and Boys, KPOP wouldn’t have existed. Without the ones who came after that built it, KPOP wouldn’t sound like what it does today. Music doesn’t evolve in an instant. It’s over time.

Saying one group is the most influential doesn’t make sense.

THEY ALL ARE!

In addition, I’m making a “KPOP evolution” playlist on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIk4F3FGkkxLKVmz5eWKx4EucGMjHGyjc