Seo Taiji and Boys
서태지와 아이들
Gen 1 Group · Male Debuted 1992 Disbanded
A group formed in 1992 by Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno. Blending rap, rock and hip-hop into Korean pop, it is credited with changing the course of Korean popular music.
Photo: acrofan.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Basic info
- Debut
- March 23, 1992 · Debut song 난 알아요
- Debut agency
- Years active
- 1992–1996
- Generation
- 1st Gen (1992–2002)
- Number of members
- 3 members
Group Story
Seo Taiji, who had played bass in the heavy metal band Sinawe in 1991, formed the group. He recruited dancers Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, and the three released their first album in March 1992.
Seo Taiji made songs with MIDI equipment, which was still unfamiliar in Korea at the time. Starting with rap and dance, the group changed color with every album, moving into rock, gangsta rap and socially critical lyrics.
All four studio albums sold over 1.6 million copies each, and the 2nd and 4th topped 2 million. They won the Seoul Music Awards daesang two years running, in 1992 and 1993.
Announced their retirement at a press conference on January 31, 1996, and ended their activities. A farewell best-of album came out the same year, and the group has never reunited.
Members
| Stage name | Real name | Birthday | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seo Taiji 서태지 | 정현철 | February 21, 1972 | Leader · Maknae |
| Yang Hyun-suk 양현석 | 양현석 | January 9, 1970 | |
| Lee Juno 이주노 | 이상우 | February 10, 1967 |
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Signature songs
- 1992 난 알아요 YouTube Spotify
- 1992 환상 속의 그대 YouTube Spotify
- 1993 하여가 YouTube Spotify
- 1994 발해를 꿈꾸며 YouTube Spotify
- 1994 교실 이데아 YouTube Spotify
- 1995 Come Back Home YouTube Spotify
Links go to each service's search results. Lyrics are not included for copyright reasons.
Key releases
- 1992.03 Seo Taiji and Boys1st studio album
Includes 'I Know (난 알아요)' and 'You in My Fantasy (환상 속의 그대)' - 1993.06 Seo Taiji and Boys II2nd studio album
Includes '하여가 (Ha Yeo Ga)'; sold over 2 million copies - 1994.08 Seo Taiji and Boys III3rd studio album
Includes '발해를 꿈꾸며 (Dreaming of Balhae)' and '교실 이데아 (Classroom Ideology)' - 1995.10 Seo Taiji and Boys IV4th studio album
Includes 'Come Back Home' and '시대유감 (Regret of the Times)' - 1996 Goodbye Best AlbumBest-of album
Farewell album released after retirement
Major awards
- 1992 Seoul Music Awards daesang
- Rookie award at the 1992 MBC 10 Best Singers Festival
- 1993 Seoul Music Awards daesang
- 1993 Golden Disc Awards bonsang
- Viewer's Choice Award (Asia) at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards ('Come Back Home')
Key records and stories
- Released their first album in March 1992 and made their TV debut on April 11 that year on an MBC rookie showcase.
- Won the daesang at the Seoul Music Awards two years in a row, in 1992 and 1993.
- Announced their retirement at their peak in January 1996, ending their career.
- Yang Hyun-suk later founded YG Entertainment.
- '시대유감 (Regret of the Times)' was blocked by censors and included as an instrumental without lyrics. The incident helped fuel the movement that abolished pre-release censorship of records in 1996.
- Their four studio albums have sold around 8 million copies combined.