The Heartfelt Stories Behind Iconic K-Pop Hits Revealed

In the latest episode of KBS Joy's 'Twenty Century Hit Song' aired on June 27 at 8:30 PM, the show highlighted the emotional backstories of popular K-Pop songs. The top spot was claimed by Cho Sung-mo's 'To Heaven' (1998).

The ninth position went to Park Jin-young's 'Don't Leave Me' (1994), which detailed his struggles after debuting with 'Park Jin-young and the New Generation' during college, only to face failure. He later attempted to debut with a team called 'Freestyle' while working as a dancer for Kim Gun-mo, but that too fell through.

Kim Jung-min's 'Sad Wedding' (1995) took the eighth spot, showcasing a touching moment when he became emotional after winning first place. Kim Hee-chul shared that Kim Jung-min had a challenging upbringing, being born in an unlicensed shanty and debuting as a faceless singer while his mother worked as a building cleaner and his father as a construction worker. The family of five lived in a cramped room in the shanty during his early career.

Seventh place went to Song Chang-sik's 'The Piper' (1974), who, despite his musical talent that earned him a top spot at Seoul Arts High School, had to drop out due to financial difficulties. Sixth place was awarded to So Chan-whee's 'The Chance to Break Up' (1996), which recounted her eight years of obscurity and the hardships she faced as a rock band guitarist.

Lee Ji-hoon's 'Why Does the Sky' (1996) was fifth, revealing that he lived in a semi-basement in a poor neighborhood before his debut, likening it to the house featured in the film 'Parasite.' After debuting, he continued to live in a rooftop room with his family.

Fourth place went to Lee Soo-young's 'I Believe' (1999), where Kim Hee-chul revealed that she was a young breadwinner after losing her father in a car accident when she was in second grade. Tragically, her mother also passed away in a car accident a year before her debut, and she later lost her entire fortune due to a relative's mishandling of her finances.

In third place, the group g.o.d's 'To Mother' (1999) shared their own heartbreaking stories, including member Park Jun-hyung suffering from alopecia due to poor living conditions and the staggering food expenses during their sixth album activities.

Rain's 'Instead of Goodbye' secured the second position, detailing his arduous journey to stardom, which included working multiple part-time jobs and attending 19 auditions before meeting Park Jin-young. He also shared the tragic story of his mother, who passed away shortly after receiving treatment for diabetes, leaving him unable to afford her funeral.

Finally, the number one spot was awarded to Cho Sung-mo's 'To Heaven' (1998). The episode revealed that Cho's mother opposed his dream of becoming a singer, leading him to leave home for four years, vowing to return as a successful artist. After facing numerous rejections in auditions and working menial jobs, he experienced significant hardships, including his father's business failure during the IMF crisis, which left the family in debt and led to the tragic death of his missing brother in a hit-and-run accident.