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Covers of Old Hit Songs Sweep Music Charts

Popular songs from the 1980s through the 2000s have returned, hitting the contemporary music market anew in the form of cover versions that are even topping Korean music charts. One notable example is Lim Jae Hyun’s cover of “Rhapsody of Sadness,” originally sung by Choi Jae Hoon in 2000. The cover remains popular after first topping Genie Music’s monthly chart in January.

The soundtrack for the JTBC series Welcome to Samdal-ri includes two covers of songs by renowned singer Cho Yong-pil: “Short Hair,” covered by DK of SEVENTEEN, and “Dream,” covered by Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation. This trend has also extended to fourth-generation K-pop groups, such as aespa, who earned positive reviews for their cover of Seo Taiji and Boys’ “Regret of the Times;” NewJeans, who covered Kim Jong-seo’s “Beautiful Restriction;” and singer-songwriter Solar of Mamamoo, who covered the late Kim Kwang Seok’s “Love Has Gone.”

Fans aren’t stopping at simply listening to the songs, either; they’re going on to sing them at noraebang (singing rooms) as well. According to KY Entertainment’s popular song chart for January, Position’s “I Love You” claimed second place and Lim Jae Hyun’s “Rhapsody of Sadness” took sixth.

As these cover songs sweep the musical market, they make a fresh impact on younger listeners unfamiliar with the old hits while simultaneously inviting those aged 30 and older to reminisce about the past.

Covers of Old Hit SongsLim Jae HyunRhapsody of SadnessChoi Jae HoonCho Yong-pilShort HairDreamSeo Taiji and BoysRegret of the TimesKim Jong-seoBeautiful RestrictionKim Kwang SeokLove Has Gone