IU Reigns as Melon’s Most Loved Artist Over the Past 20 Years

Melon’s epic 20-year playlist deep dive has crowned IU the undisputed monarch of musical love, with BTS hot on her heels.

A staggering 100 million playlists, featuring a universe of 12.84 million songs by over a million artists, revealed that IU’s tunes grace a mind-blowing 16.6% of all user-created lists—that’s one in every six!

According to Melon’s Data Lab analysis released on the 24th, IU’s songs appeared on the most user-generated playlists since the platform’s launch in 2004. Out of a staggering 102 million playlists created over the past 20 years—featuring 12.84 million songs by 1.13 million artists—IU’s tracks were included in a record 16.97 million playlists. That means one in six playlists on Melon features her music, securing her the top spot.

IU’s songs have added a total of 91.85 million times, far surpassing BTS, who ranked second. The global supergroup’s tracks were featured in 9.5 million playlists with a total of 68.1 million inclusions. Meanwhile, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon also proved her staying power, as her songs appeared in 11.14 million playlists, accumulating 35.35 million total inclusions.

When it comes to the most-added individual songs, Paul Kim’s Every Day, Every Moment took the crown, appearing in 3.93 million playlists. IU followed closely behind with Through the Night at 3.44 million, while BTS’ Spring Day ranked third with 3.07 million. Other fan favorites rounding out the list included Akmu’s How Can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the One I Love, Paul Kim’s Meet You, and Ailee’s I Will Go to You Like the First Snow.

With IU continuing to dominate Melon’s charts and BTS securing its legacy as a top-tier act, the data reaffirms both artists’ immense influence in shaping K-pop’s musical landscape over the years.