[PLAYLIST] Top 20 KDrama Original Soundtracks You Won’t Forget!

Every KDrama has its own unique soundtrack that enhances its overall impact! After all, we couldn’t fully appreciate a heartbreaking scene without emotional music, and couldn’t be moved by a romantic scene without a sweet love song in the background!

Here are the Top 20 KDrama OSTs for your pleasant listening experience!

Lee Jonghyun- My Love [A Gentleman’s Dignity] (2012)

Lee Jonghyun, the vocalist and main guitarist of veteran four member rock band CNBLUE, composed and sang “My Love” for SBS’ weekend drama A Gentleman’s Dignity, which he also starred in as Collin Black. This song marked Lee’s first solo release since his debut. The musician was nominated for the Best OST Award at the Korea Drama Awards, Mnet Asian Music Awards and MelOn Music Awards, and won the Best OST Award from the Seoul Music Awards. The OST ranked high on both the Billboard K-POP Hot 100 2012 Year End Chart and South Korea’s National Gaon Yearly Single Chart, at no. 4 and no. 2 respectively, and has sold 2,187,150+ copies to date.

The sweet melody fits the drama perfectly and Lee plays the guitar as well as sings in his soulful voice, showing off his multitude of talents. Notably, Lee sang this song along with Super Junior’s Kyuhyun in Mumbai while filming the 2015 variety show “Fluttering India”, and attracted a huge audience who took selfies with the two stars without even knowing who they were! You can read more about this incident by clicking here.

Taeyeon- If [Hong Gildong] (2008)

Girls’ Generation’s “kid leader” and main vocalist Taeyeon sang the moving ballad “If” for the 2008 KBS2 period drama “Hong Gildong”. The sensitive and subtle vocals along with the poignant lyrics will make you pensive and emotional. The OST became popular on several music charts, with the Korea Economic Daily describing Taeyeon as having “an exceptional voice and sad tone”; “If” proved to be a success, selling 122,747 copies according to the Korean Gaon Chart. Notably, “If”, along with another 2008 OST sung by Taeyeon titled “Can You Hear Me?”, has remained on MelOn’s Top 100 OSTs Chart since its release in 2008.

XIA Junsu- How Can I Love You? [Descendants of the Sun] (2016)

Veteran idol group JYJ’s main vocalist Xia Junsu sang this poignant ballad for the massively popular 2016 KBS2 drama “Descendants of the Sun”. The lyrics are sweet and romantic, and the singer’s emotive vocal delivery will leave you enchanted. Dedicated to the couples of this well received drama, the song skyrocketed to the top spot in less than an hour, achieving an all-kill on major music charts, including reaching the No. 1 spot on MelOn, Mnet, Naver Music, and Genie Music Charts.

Kang Minhyuk- I See You [Entertainer] (2016)

CNBLUE’s drummer Kang Minhyuk wowed fans with his magnificent vocal delivery in the OST “I See You” for the 2016 SBS drama “Entertainer”, in which he also starred in as Jo Haneul. Although Kang has recorded OSTs for his previous dramas, notably “Star” for the 2011 MBC drama “Heartstrings”, which charted at no. 66 on the Korean Gaon Chart without having been released officially as a single; this release was different from the rest in that it showcased a completely new side of the musician. Through this song, Kang confesses his feelings about the girl he loves, and his heartfelt emotions soulfully shine through the song, touching the very core of your heart.

Yeeun- Hello to Myself [Dream High 2] (2012)

Wonder Girls’ main vocalist and current leader Yeeun showed off her vocal prowess as well as her songwriting skills by writing and recording the OST “Hello to Myself” for the 2012 KBS drama “Dream High 2”. A sequel to the successful first season of “Dream High” (2011), this drama series gained a large fanbase because a large number of idols including 2AM’s Jinwoon, T-ARA’s Jiyeon, GOT7’s Junior and JB, SISTAR’s Hyolyn, Ailee, Afterschool’s Park Kahi, and JYP’s CEO Park Jinyoung starred in it. Yeeun made a cameo appearance on the drama following the release to perform the song. The OST proved popular, and is regarded as a beautiful melody reflecting character stories, struggles and dreams in the drama. 

Tiffany- Only One [Blood] (2015)

Tiffany, the lead vocalist of veteran girl group Girls’ Generation, recorded the OST “Only One” for the 2015 KBS2 drama, “Blood.” The soft-paced ballad showcases the singer’s youthfully crystal clear soprano voice, and fits the drama well. The high notes towards the end of the bridge prove her mettle as a vocalist, and are reminiscent of Mariah Carey‘s famous whistle register. The song also performed well on the charts, peaking at no. 90 on the Korean Gaon Chart, and has sold 18,141 copies to date. Fun fact, lead actress Ku Hyesun is a fan of Girls’ Generation!

Kyuhyun- The Time I Loved You [The Time We Were Not in Love] (2015)

A part of veteran idol group Super Junior’s vocal line, maknae Kyuhyun added another successful song to his long list of OSTs by recording “The Time I Loved You” for the 2015 SBS romantic drama “The Time We Were Not in Love.” The romantic song suits the drama perfectly, the lyrics describe the wonderful realization of finding true love, and the singer’s rich voice moves throughout the song like a soft spring breeze. This song will definitely make you feel all warm on the inside!

Onew- In Your Eyes [To the Beautiful You] (2012)

Onew, the leader and lead vocalist of veteran boy group SHINee, recorded the soulful ballad “In Your Eyes” for the 2012 SBS drama “To the Beautiful You”, starring fellow band member Minho. The track was included as the B-side of the second single which also included “It’s Me”, sung by Girls’ Generation’s Sunny and f(x)’s Luna. Both songs were written and composed by Lee Sang-yeol and Park Geun-cheol. The music producing duo had previously composed many tracks of the critically acclaimed City Hunter OST. They also penned the lyrics for the musical piece. The song proved successful because of Onew’s excellent vocal performance, and peaked at no. 60 on the Korean Gaon Chart.

Gayoon and Junhyung- Nightmare [Yong Pal] (2015)

Cube Entertainment labelmates, 4MINUTE’s main vocalist Gayoon and BEAST’s main rapper Junhyung, teamed up for the passionate ballad “Nightmare“ for the hit 2015 SBS drama “Yong Pal.” It was the second digital single OST released by the drama, and Junhyung’s signature rap coupled with Gayoon’s beautiful vocals prove to be the perfect combination. It’s a sad song about feeling like you’re in a ‘nightmare’ because you’re separated from the person you’re still in love with, but their awesome collaboration may just erase any nightmare from your mind! It’s a beautiful OST worth your listen!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V9yAOvq63R4&itct=CA8QpDAYACITCNPi3pWJ9M4CFdzhvgodeoQOrzIHcmVsYXRlZEiima_D5bSk_Es%3D&gl=IN&hl=en&client=mv-google#watch_actions

Park Shinhye- Lovely Day [You’re Beautiful] (2009)

Park Shinhye recorded the OST “Lovely Day” for the hit 2009 SBS drama “You’re Beautiful”, in which she also starred in as the lead character Go Minyeo/ Go Minam. The track served as the time song for ther character, and also showcased Park’s innocent and youthful voice. Additionally, the soundtrack of the miniseries also sold 20,000 copies within its first seven days of released due to the popularity of the show. The album became a top seller on all the various online sites, such as MelOn, Dosirak, and Mnet. The album was written and produced by Han Sungho, who also worked on the dramas Lovers, On Air, and Brilliant Legacy. The soundtrack ended up selling 57,000 copies in 2011 in South Korea alone.

Jung Yonghwa- Because I Miss You [Heartstrings] (2011)

Long-running rock band CNBLUE’s leader, rhythm guitarist and main vocalist Jung Yonghwa recorded the OST “Because I Miss You” for the hit 2011 MBC drama “Heartstrings”, in which he also starred in as the lead character Lee Shin. Because of Yonghwa and Shinhye’s strong fanbase due to their earlier pairing in the 2009 SBS drama, “You’re Beautiful”, both the drama and the soundtrack performed strongly in Korea as well as overseas. Featuring melodious and mournful guitars and Yonghwa’s soulful voice, this track proved to be a success by charting at no. 14 on the Korean Gaon Chart; alongside several other tracks from the OST which also charted simultaneously due to high sales. This track will make your heart ache and you will automatically reach for the tissues to wipe those tears falling down your face.

ChoA- Words I Couldn’t Say Yet [Bride of the Century] (2014)

ChoA, the main vocalist of female idol group AOA, recorded the OST “Words I Couldn’t Say Yet” for the 2014 pay cable channel TV Chosun drama “Bride of the Century”, starring fellow label mate Lee Hongki of FTISLAND. Hongki recorded the male version of the song, which was also included in the soundtrack. The drama received a good response in Korea for a cable drama, with a peak viewership rating of 1.451%. According to one of China’s biggest internet portal sites QQ, the drama ranked number one on weekly and monthly charts in both March and April 2014, exceeding 100 million views. It was also ranked as the most searched phrase on China’s microblogging service Weibo. The trademark powerful vocals of ChoA infiltrate the song, and her voice booms from the speakers to jump straight into your heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iduo7rpvZ2Y

Hongki- I’m Saying [The Heirs] (2013)

Lee Hongki, the main vocalist of veteran rock band FTISLAND, recorded the OST “I’m Saying” for the massively popular 2013 SBS series “The Heirs”, starring fellow label mate Kang Minhyuk of CNBLUE, along with a star-studded ensemble cast including superstars Lee Minho, Park Shinhye, f(x)’s Krystal, Kim Woobin, and ZE:A’s Hyungsik. Retaining Hongki’s signature rock and roll flavour, this song also makes full use of his robust voice to stand out in the original soundtrack!

Park Hyoshin- Snow Flower (I’m Sorry, I Love You) (2004)

Park Hyoshin, one of the most well-known and powerful vocalists of Korea, recorded the OST “Snow Flower” for the hit 2004 KBS2 drama, “I’m Sorry, I Love You.” Park is considered as one of the best Korean singers, he is included amongst the top 4 singers in Korea whom Koreans call “Kim Na Park Lee” , as in Kim Bumsoo, Naul, Park Hyoshin and Lee Soo. This remake OST song is credited for bringing Park to fame. The original song was sung by Mika Nakashima, however, people thought that Park had better delivery. This song has attained legendary status, having become well known even today, and is perceived with high acclaim by musicians and music critics.

Hyolyn- Goodbye (My Love from the Star) (2013)

SISTAR’s main vocalist Hyolyn recorded the OST “Goodbye” for the massively popular 2013 SBS drama, “My Love from the Star”. The drama was Jun Jihyun’s small screen comeback in 14 years and enjoyed massive popularity; while the soundtrack also charted strongly in various countries. Hyolyn’s sweeter than honey voice led to the huge success of the track, it charted at the no. 1 position on both the domestic Korean Gaon Chart and the Billboard KPop Hot 100 Chart, and ended up selling 1,161,073 copies in Korea alone.

Siwon- Only You [She Was Pretty] (2015)

Super Junior’s Siwon recorded the OST “Only You” for the hit 2015 MBC drama, “She Was Pretty”, in which he was also starring in as Shin Hyuk. The track serves as the theme song for his character and is a combination of romantic lyrics as well as the singer’s soothingly sentimental voice. It reveals a different side of his character as it is a huge jump from his comical behaviour in the drama to becoming a romanticist. Symptoms of the second-lead syndrome will be experienced by anyone who listens to this heartfelt song.

Melody Day- Like Back Then [Seoyoung, My Daughter] (2012)

Girl group Melody Day recorded the OST “Like Back Then” for the massively popular 2012 KBS2 drama, “Seoyoung, My Daughter.”  According to AGB Nielsen Media Research and TNmS (Total National Multimedia Statistics), it reached 20% ratings in just its first two episodes, and went on to dominate the weekly ratings chart for 22 straight weeks. It recorded a series high of 47.6% on its last episode, which was the highest Korean drama rating of 2013. The song also enjoyed popularity, and the strong but simultaneously subtle and soft vocals will make you tear up.

Kangin- Memories [D-Day] (2015)

Super Junior’s Kangin recorded the OST “Memories” for the 2015 pay cable channel JTBC drama, “D-Day.”  His contribution to the disaster medical drama performed well on music sites like MelOn, genie, Naver, and more. The song uses the swelling instrumentals of piano, cello, and nylon guitar to create an easy-on-the-ears sound with Kangin’s soothing vocals. This song is guaranteed to touch your heart.

Yesung- Dreaming [Splendid Politics] (2015)

A part of Super Junior’s vocal line, Yesung recorded the OST “Dreaming” for the 2015 MBC period drama “Splendid Politics.” The singer’s beautifully dreamy voice and the magnificent violins and piano in this song will indeed transport you to dreamland. The drama, “Hwajung”, also known as “Splendid Politics”, performed well in terms of viewership, and the soundtrack also enjoyed success.

Jessica- The One Like You [Dating Agency: Cyrano] (2013)

Solo artist and entrepreneur Jessica, who was then a member of Girls’ Generation, recorded the OST “The One Like You” for the 2013 tvN drama, “Dating Agency: Cyrano”, starring fellow group member Sooyoung. The song has been composed and arranged by Melodesign (Kim Doohyun), widely known for working on various songs of the artists under Jellyfish Entertainment including Seo Inguk’s “With Laughter or with Tears”. The lyrics were penned by Kim Jihyang known for working on lyrics of U-Kiss’s “Take Me Away”. The song performed well on the charts, peaking at no. 37 and no. 21 on the Gaon Weekly Singles Chart and K-Pop Billboard weekly Singles Chart respectively. Jessica’s versatile voice delivers the song in a way that is just right!

Hope you enjoyed this playlist! Which are the songs you think we missed out on? What kind of a playlist do you want to see next weekend? Let us know in the comments below!