Top 10 Most Popular K-Pop Boy Groups (2018)

The following boy bands are considered to be the most popular and successful in the world. Since “Gangnam Style” went viral in 2012, numerous K-pop bands have taken the world by storm! So let’s check out these top 10 most popular K-pop boy groups!

Top 10 Most Popular K-Pop Boy Groups (2018)

1. BTS
2. EXO
3. Wanna One
4. BTOB
5. JBJ
6. SEVENTEEN
7. Super Junior
8. Highlight
9. SHINee
10. INFINITE

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite boy group in the poll at the end of the list. If your favorite group isn’t included on the list, leave a comment in the comment section below!

Members: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, Jungkook

Years Active: 2013–present

Label: Big Hit Entertainment, Pony Canyon, Def Jam Japan, Columbia

The first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards and win a Billboard Music Award, and the first South Korean act to reach 10 million followers on Twitter, BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys and Beyond the Scene, has put the world under the K-pop spell! They are considered to be the most tweeted about celebrity in 2017: they were liked and retweeted more than half a billion times worldwide! The band is comprised of seven members: RM, J-Hope, Jimin, V, Jin, Suga, and Jungkook. BTS blend dance-oriented K-pop with hip-hop influences; they compose, produce, and write lyrics for performances themselves.

Members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, Sehun

Years Active: 2012–present

Label: SM Entertainment, Avex Trax

EXO was formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2011. The band made their debut in 2012 with twelve members – they were separated into two subgroups, EXO-M and EXO-K, performing music in different languages (Mandarin and Korean respectively). The K-pop boy band was considered the "most influential celebrity" by Forbes Korea Power Celebrity in both 2014 and 2015! Currently, EXO consists of nine members: Xiumin, Baekhyun, Suho, Lay, Chen, Chanyeol, Sehun, D.O., and Kai.

Members: Yoon Ji-sung, Ha Sung-woon, Hwang Min-hyun, Ong Seong-wu, Kim Jae-hwan, Kang Daniel, Park Ji-hoon, Park Woo-jin, Bae Jin-young, Lee Dae-hwi, Lai Guan-lin

Years Active: 2017–present

Label: YMC Entertainment, Stone Music Entertainment, Swing Entertainment

Wanna One has been formed by CJ E&M, and it’s the second group in this list that was formed through the 2017 series Produce 101 Season 2! Wanna One has been chosen as the Best New K-Pop Act of 2017 (Billboard). With their electro-pop tracks and highly-stylized choreography garnering a lot of attention, the boy band became a top act in Korea from its very formation on Produce 101 in 2017. Even though they are planned to disband by the end of 2018, after which its members plan to focus on their solo careers, there’s still time left for the group to impress their fans. Wanna One consists of eleven members: Ji Seong, Sung Woon, Min Hyun, Seong Woo, Ji Hoon, Woo Jin, Jae Hwan, Kang Daniel, Jin Young, Dae Hwi, and Kuan Lin.

Members: Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Changsub, Hyunsik, Peniel, Ilhoon, Sungjae

Years Active: 2012–present

Label: Cube Entertainment, Kiss Entertainment (Japan)

BtoB (Born to Beat) is a boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The K-Pop group consists of seven members: Seo Eun-kwang, Yook Sung-jae, Lee Chang-sub, Lee Min-hyuk, Peniel Shin, Im Hyun-sik, and Jung Il-hoon. Since their debut, BtoB has received various awards: the Singer of the Year (2015, KBS Music Festival), a Ballad Award (the 25th Seoul Music Awards), and the Best Vocal Group Award (the 30th Golden Disk Awards), to name a few.

Members: Roh Tae-hyun, Takada Kenta, Kim Sang-gyun, Jin Longguo, Kim Dong-han, Kwon Hyun-bin

Years Active: 2017–2018

Label: Fave Entertainment, CJ E&M

JBJ (stands for Just Be Joyful) is a project boy band managed by Fave Entertainment. The group consists of six members: No Tae Hyun, Kenta, Kim Sang Gyun, Kim Yong Guk, Kwon Hyun Bin, and Kim Dong Han. They were all contestants on the 2017 survival show, Produce 101 Season 2, and the band has been formed due to fan requests. They made their debut in October 2017 with their first mini album Fantasy.

Members: S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, Dino

Years Active: 2015–present

Label: Pledis Entertainment

Despite the group’s name, Seventeen (also stylized as SVT) consists of only thirteen members: S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, Vernon, and Dino. However, sometimes, the boy band did consist of 16 members! So then what does the name Seventeen signify? It turns out that the number signifies the medium age of the members at the time of band formation! The group is divided into three teams, each with a different area of specialization: vocal, hip-hop, and performance. Moreover, they are involved in composition and production of their own choreography and discography, so they even have been given the nickname of a “self-producing” idol group. The group was formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2015.

Members: Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun

Years Active: 2005–present

Label: Label SJ, S.M. Entertainment, Avex Trax, Media Asia, UMG

Also known as SJ or SUJU, Super Junior was formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of S.M. Entertainment. At its peak, the band comprised of thirteen members! Now it consists of seven members: Leeteuk, Siwon, Heechul, Eunhyuk, Yesung, Shindong, and Donghae. SJ gained international recognition with the release of the title song of their best-selling album, Sorry, Sorry. They were the best-selling K-pop artists for more than four years in a row! In recent years, the boy band was divided into smaller groups. Some of the group's vocalists have also branched out into acting, hosting, and presenting.

Members: Yoon Doo-joon, Yong Jun-hyung, Yang Yo-seob, Lee Gi-kwang, Son Dong-woon

Years Active: 2009–present

Label: Around US Entertainment, Cube Entertainment, Universal

One of K-pop’s most well-known and loved boy bands, Highlight (formerly known as BEAST or B2ST), is a five-member group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2009 (but they established their own agency called Around Us Entertainment in 2016). The band is considered to be unique, as most of the members originally came from different agencies. It’s composed of five members: Doojoon, Junhyung, Yoseop, Gikwang, and Dongwoon. Highlight caught the attention of audiences being strong and tough – the worked their way up with their “beastly idol” image.

Members: Onew, Key, Minho, Taemin

Years Active: 2008–present

Label: SM Entertainment, Virgin, EMI

SHINee is a boy group under S.M. Entertainment with four members: Key, Onew, Taemin, and Minho. Originally a five-piece group, it has been left with only four members after the death of vocalist Jonghyun in December 2017. The boy band debuted in 2008 with their song “Replay”. Later, in 2011, a Japanese version of the single was released. Their other singles, “Juliette” and “Lucifer”, soon followed. The success of all three songs gained them the foreign artist category title of “The artist who managed to get in top 3 for 3 continuous releases since their debut”! These boys are not only considered fashion icons (they started “SHINee Trend”), but are also known for their interesting and complicated dance routines.

Members: Sungkyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, Sungyeol, L, Sungjong

Years Active: 2010–Present

Label: Woollim Entertainment, Universal D

Infinite was formed in 2010 by Woollim Entertainment. Originally composed of seven members, the group has become a six-member act after the departure of Hoya. Currently, the group consists of Sungkyu, Sungyeol, L, Sungjong, Dongwoo, and Woohyun. Infinite made their first debut showcase in 2010 with the song “Come Back Again” and many other singles from their first mini-album, First Invasion. This is the boy band that is well known for making dance moves viral. Who could ever forget the dances routines in “BTD”, “Be Mine”, and “Paradise”?