BoA's song 'No.1' is the top K-pop song of all time, say music industry experts

K-pop star BoA recently celebrated 21 years in the music business. Photo: Handout

Queen of K-pop BoA's song No.1 lives up to its title.

In a ranking by South Korea's largest music streaming service, Melon, the 2002 hit is the top K-pop song since the genre rose to prominence 30 years ago.

Melon enlisted the help of 35 music critics and industry experts, who were asked to compile a list of what they considered the 100 best K-pop songs of all time.

They based their selections on four criteria: significance (such as its contribution to K-pop and its influence internationally), success, artistic quality and performance.

The 35 lists were then used to create Melon's list of top 100 K-pop songs.

Coming in at No.2 was boy band Exo's Growl (2013) and in third place was Psy's viral hit from 2012, Gangnam Style.

BoA, who recently celebrated 21 years in the music business, made another appearance at No. 93 with Atlantis Princess.

Mega boy band BTS was the most popular artiste on the list, with five songs making the cut, including its first English song Dynamite (No.4) and Blood Sweat & Tears (No.25).

Girl group Girls' Generation had four songs on the list, including Gee (No.5) and Into The New World (No.6).

Other popular groups such as BigBang, Red Velvet, Shinee and NCT had multiple entries on the list, although surprisingly, top girl group Blackpink had only one song that made it - their mega hit Ddu-du Ddu-du came in at No. 13. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network