BTS' "Dynamite" makes Rolling Stone's all-time greatest songs list

The Korean group made history by being the first Korean artist or group to be included on the renowned list

Rolling Stone’s blurb about BTS’ song “Dynamite” (Rolling Stone website)

K-pop group BTS’ hit song “Dynamite” has been named on the list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” by Rolling Stone, the storied music magazine. This is the first time a Korean artist or group has appeared on the list.

Rolling Stone ranked “Dynamite” No. 346 on its list of the top 500 songs, which it published on Wednesday. The magazine described the song — which was BTS’ first number one hit in the US — as “a landmark, hegemony-shattering moment for the world-conquering South Korean group” and praised their “intertwined vocal talent.”

When “Dynamite” came out in August 2020, it was BTS’ first English-language song. It occupied the top spot on the Hot 100, Billboard’s main singles chart, for a total of three weeks.

Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” is a highly regarded list in popular music circles. It was first released in 2004 and then revised in 2010.

For its latest iteration, Rolling Stone polled more than 250 artists, composers, and industry representatives. Previous versions of the list have focused on rock and soul, but this one covers a wider variety of genres, including indie rock and hip hop.

The No. 1 song on the list is “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, nicknamed the “Queen of Soul.”

Rounding out the top 5 is “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy at No. 2, “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke at No. 3, “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan at No. 4, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana at No. 5.

By Jung Hyuk-june, staff reporter

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