The end of the year countdowns are here! We’re starting things off with the big one… the top 50 songs of the year! Each day this week, I’ll be counting down ten of the year’s best, until number one is revealed on Friday. 

Unlike last year, j-pop releases will be placed in their own countdown, including those by Korean artists.

To be eligible for this top 50 list, tracks must have had a commercial release between Dec. 1st, 2015 and Nov. 30th, 2016.

MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE COUNTDOWN FIRST

Day One: 50-41
Day Two: 40-31

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30. Shinee – Tell Me What To Do

Working with producer Yoo Young-Jin for the first time in years, Shinee returned with this dark, dramatic ballad/dance hybrid and proved once again why k-pop would be a much duller landscape without them. (full review)

29. Block B – Toy

After a nearly two-year break as a group, Block B made up for lost time with the ultra-melodic, midtempo Toy. It’s a strong example of a group evolving their sound while still retaining what makes them unique. (full review)

28. Akdong Musician – How People Move

Korea’s most successful sibling duo took the template that made their 2014 debut 200% so addicting and pushed it in even weirder directions with this kaleidoscopic pop confection. (full review)

27. VIXX – Dynamite

VIXX‘s ambitious 2016 resulted in six singles, running the gamut from light pop to dark, theatrical balladry. The 80’s-tinged Dynamite was their first Korean release of the year, and still the best. (full review)

26. BTS – Save Me

BTS had an incredible year, and even though Save Me didn’t receive as much promotion as their other singles, its emotive melody and tropical bounce easily mark it as one of 2016’s highlights. (full review)

25. Taemin – Press Your Number

Even better than Shinee’s full-group releases this year was Taemin’s solo work. Press Your Number‘s slinky dance beat and nimble vocals took full advantage of his charismatic, inimitable performance style. (full review)

24. Twice – Cheer Up

Perhaps the most ubiquitous, inescapable hit of the year, Cheer Up feels more like a k-pop moment than a mere song. But it’s hard to argue with its immense success, bolstered by that joyously anthemic hook. (full review)

23. B1A4 – A Lie

The most recently released track on this year’s countdown, A Lie is yet another example of B1A4‘s gorgeously cinematic sound. Entirely self-produced, they create pop music that sounds like nothing else in Korea. (full review)

22. Snuper – It’s Raining

With a production style that takes cues from k-pop’s all-time greatest song, Sweetune gave rookie group Snuper a gargantuan 80’s sound, full of bright brass and indelible hooks. (full review)

21. Mamamoo – Décalcomanie

Mamamoo lived up to their hype with a brash, powerful pop track that infuses their flawless vocals with the best (and biggest) chorus of their career. (full review)

NEXT: NUMBERS 20-11