SHINee Track Rank List

This was originally published on Dreamwidth on 12/12/25.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have had a Big Shawol Year, and I have some extremely strong opinions to share with the world. I'm trying to write more about music, so I'm starting here! I might do more artist deep dives in the future, because it's fun and always delightful to find a b-side in the vault that I completely forgot about.

Anyways, here we go~!

I've linked live performances for many of these, but definitely go listen to the studio version for the full experience.

Honorable Mentions:

Lucifer

Electric Heart

1 of 1

Queen of New York

ABOAB

Perfect 10

Identity

Romance

Selene 6.23

Stand By Me

Starlight

U Need Me

25. Your Number (DxDxD, 2015)

This song hinges on selling you the idea that every part of it - instrumentation, choreography, performance - is completely effortless. It's meant to go down smooth like a good whiskey (if you're a whiskey person). It's laid back and showy simultaneously. The horn section really holds it down for me, not too overbearing but really satisfying. I love any time a SHINee member ventures into jazz, and this song makes me wish that they had done more full-group jazzy songs. (I guess SM was sending all their best jazz tracks directly to TVXQ! in this era.)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xq3NB3U0Ps8?rel=0

24. I Really Want You (Don't Call Me, 2021)

One thing you will learn about me as we move through this list is that I love nothing more than when SHINee does Michael Jackson. They just flourish on funk tracks. The chorus is so full and exciting, and the post-chorus has these little rolling horn stabs that are perhaps my favorite sound in the whole track. Part of me wishes this had been the title track of this album (though I understand why they went with DCM) - it's just such a quintessentially SHINee sound. I legitimately cannot sit still when this song comes on.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/vZk8IHxsCJo?rel=0

23. Kiss Yo (Boys Meet U, 2013)

Sometimes, SHINee make a song with a completely new and extremely specific sound, and then they never return to it again. Their Japanese discography is full of experiments like this, and I think it’s really strong because of it. This experiment is one of their best — it zigzags back and forth between singsong kawaii ska verses and the punky guitar-driven j-rock chorus, with a wild dubstep breakdown smack dab in the middle, like a guided tour through every early 2010's musical trope. It feels like getting on a rollercoaster that, every time you think you’ve come to the end, just drops you down another hill. Key’s adlibs are really delightful and the live performance is so fun. It deserves every second of its four minute runtime, and don't let the haters tell you otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3OlTND2Zies?rel=0

(I love this yaoibait thumbnail, thank you youtube user 빛돌이들.)

22. JUMP (The Story of Light Ep. 1, 2018)

This song is like View’s older, more mature cousin. Any time SHINee returns to house music, especially deep house, I’m on my feet clapping and cheering. I love the restraint on this track — it’s a great use of an antidrop (something I've reached a sort of exhaustion on in kpop) and plays with the illusion of huge, empty space in the vocal and instrumental production. I like that they still layer in tons of harmonics even when working in this genre. If they made a whole album of this kind of music, I would be so thrilled.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jX6Kki2D1ME?rel=0

21. Days and Years (Atlantis, 2021)

You won’t see any ballads on this list — not because SHINee’s ballads aren’t good (they’re great!), but because ballads just generally don’t hit for me. This song isn’t technically a ballad but it fills the requisite ballad spot on the album (along with Kind). I love how much space they dedicate to the rich harmonic prechoruses — it gives the whole song a light, breezy feeling. Taemin’s airy vocal tone really shines on this one, especially in the build of the last chorus. Catch me in the right mood and this song will make me cry :')

https://www.youtube.com/embed/0_Rmrg1PCRM?rel=0

20. Why So Serious? (Chapter 2. ‘Why So Serious?’ - The Misconceptions of Me, 2013)

What can I say. It's simply a banger. Taemin really went off on this one - like, they all did, but it feels like he really hit his stride vocally and suits this sound so well. The instrumental is like if someone k-pop-ified an Alice Cooper track (I'm reminded of "Feed My Frankenstein", which is also about being a horny undead guy). It's weighty and bombastic and rough - the guitars and drums chug along on top of an absolutely sickening bassline, and it really serves the lyrics about being a shuffling, amorous zombie. It's also one of their most underrated choreographies, in my opinion. I love when I watch a stage and I can tell they're having the absolute most fun.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XZESm8OOjjM?rel=0

19. Prism (1 of 1, 2016)

This track has such a fine polish to it. Packing a bunch of different ideas into three minutes is often where k-pop stumbles or flourishes, and this is one of the latter. It feels like every single sound, note, and ad-lib were placed with such thought and care that the whole song both flows easily over the ear and also breaks down into a million sparkling components. The bare minimalist bridge is so cool. If this is what SHINee’s run at garage/two-step sounds like, I’d love to hear more. I’ll even forgive the use of the bed spring sample.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4BSDV9uKEIo?rel=0

(Some of the best styling they've ever had, imho.)

18. JoJo (2009, Year of Us, 2009)

It’s the melodrama… the heartbreak… the tasteful autotune… JoJo manages to persist as one of my favorite early SHINee tracks. I find it so charming, even through the sometimes awkward lyrics and deeply ‘00s synth choices. It's self-serious in the way only a boyband breakup ballad can be, but their performances are so sincere that you can’t help but get swept along in the emotion. I love it unironically and sincerely and especially when I can belt that chorus full volume in my car.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HR5iG6HbJhs?rel=0

(Like, it was so fucking serious for all of them, except Taemin, who was still figuring out how to perform without smiling.)

17. Satellite (Hard, 2023)

The chorus of this song is absolutely fucking transcendent. Every time it hits I feel like I'm levitating out of my seat and up into space. It's just such a strong melody that soars and floats effortlessly, supported by incredibly dense harmonies below. I like the way the verses and bridge sit in their lower ranges to really drive home how buoyant the chorus is. The instrumental feels distinctly them, and the flow throughout is just soooo smooth. Honestly though, I could just listen to the chorus on repeat for an hour and be perfectly happy.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rIHFtRtVA94?rel=0

16. Juliette (Romeo, 2009)

I mean, it's an objectively perfect song! Every time I hear those nasty squishy vocoder samples start up, I am immediately on my feet. Minho's verse is such a lovely contrast to Jonghyun and Onew just having a wild time screaming in the background (and you can see them discover the power of this formula in real time). This feels like one of those fundamental songs in their body of work that really sets up their sound for the next fifteen years.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XwkP3qfwqs8?rel=0

(Pretty sure I wore at least one of these outfits myself in 2009.)

15. CØDE (Don't Call Me, 2021)

I know I talked about Satellite having the most transcendent chorus of all time, however... this one also sends me into space. I love the way it drives forward with this thumpy beat and chugging synths that always feel slightly out of sync with the rest of the track; it lends a fullness and organic quality to the synthetic instrumental. I think Onew really stands out on this one -- his voice, especially in falsetto, works in a really satisfying way against this type of bass-heavy electronica track.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/hLrb1BXowt0?rel=0

(I need at least one of these suits. Perhaps all of them.)

14. Senorita (Romeo, 2009)

A high contender for Goofiest Intro (yo amigo, baila conmigo!), and yet one of their sexiest songs? The guitar, the flamenco percussion, the synthy horn stabs... it all comes together in the way they approach this song vocally, with both aggressive intensity and delicate restraint in turns. When the track drops down to only percussion in the last chorus before doubling down on the brass — it takes the song from good to transcendent. Dramatic, sensual, delicious, silly.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nyzlgBUK5-E?rel=0

(The way they raise and lower Jonghyun on that platform for every single line makes me chortle.)

13. Dream Girl (Chapter 1. ‘Dream Girl - The Misconceptions of You, 2013)

The heavy synthy funk of this era is some of my favorite stuff they've ever done. It's no wonder this netted the crazy winning streak it did — it's an undeniably infectious song in its construction, production, and execution. This track may have my favorite Minho verse of all time — the instrumental breakdown paired with his tone make for such a great contrast with the rest of the song without losing any energy, only serving to make the last chorus feel more triumphant. It almost makes me want to put on a pair of insanely patterned skinny jeans. Almost.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/vhxjEXDAy6s?rel=0

12. Married to the Music (Married to the Music, 2016)

I think this song has the longevity it does because it really leans into the silliest aspects of the genre. The beatboxing, the adlibs, the riffing — you can just tell when artists have had fun recording a song. The brass composition elevates this track from really good funk to REALLY good funk. Every moment of the vocal performance is full of energetic, infectious silliness, just tight enough to suit this tight production but loose enough to suit funk as a genre - something I think SHINee have mastered. I think some kpop falls down when the song is uncoupled from the music video and no longer has context or visual aesthetics to support it, but MTTM brings so much of that tongue-in-cheek, goofy energy from the music video and bakes it right into the track.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/bcu7yZBeSKw?rel=0

(One of the most perfect music videos ever made, I think.)

11. Destination (Everybody, 2013)

The Everybody mini album is, in my opinion, SHINee's most sonically cohesive work. It’s got a really anthemic vibe, the kind of song meant to be shouted along to in a packed stadium. It never really lets up in intensity or loses energy, especially thanks to Minho's delivery in the post-bridge (one of his best verses, in my opinion). It’s another song that plays with the feeling of big, empty space; singular voices and reverb-soaked drums give way to a gigantic vocal arrangement that works like a wall of sound. I’m kind of obsessed with the gong at the beginning and peppered throughout; it creates this very specific sense of drama that I love hearing from them.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UgvnOYUN2g4?rel=0

10. Excuse Me Miss (Chapter 2. ‘Why So Serious?’ - The Misconceptions of Me, 2013)

I'm endlessly fascinated by this song. It barely has a recognizable structure - rather, it feels like a rambling monologue, a drawn-out seduction. No one overlaps on the main line (with relatively subtle background harmonies and adlibs), which only accentuates that feeling - this song is a love letter effectively written in one voice, delivered by five. Obviously Jonghyun is the star of the show here, but I think they all sound incredible and I'm so impressed by how smoothly and effortlessly they are able to pass the vocal line off to each other. Perhaps their sexiest song; absolutely Key and Minho’s sexiest verses. The uber classic 90s R&B production doesn't hurt that either — those midi strings really sell it.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/T0MAL3hVwoE?rel=0

(God, I love being yaoi baited.)

9. Punch Drunk Love (Chapter 1. ‘Dream Girl - The Misconceptions of You, 2013)

If much of SHINee's early work was chasing the specter of Michael Jackson, I feel like this song has Prince's influence all over it. The tight harmonies, the light funk guitar interplaying with overdriven riffs below, the sick bassline underneath it all - it leads to a track that's bursting with energy and dynamism. With a structure that could easily get repetitive and tiring, it maintains its bounciness, freshness, and spark through every second. I like how up-close and un-processed their voices sound; it gives the track a youthful quality that reminds me so much of some of their best early work.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oPVtdECtUYg?rel=0

(Whenever I'm sad, I simply watch this performance and I'm no longer sad.)

8. Sherlock (Clue + Note) (Sherlock, 2012)

What am I even supposed to say about this song? We all know it's a masterpiece. SHINee knows it's a masterpiece. We're so lucky to be living in a world where this song got made. It's always fun to go back and listen to both Clue and Note separately - there's a lot to get out of them as individual tracks, and I think it's genius that they still released them both on the album because going back to Sherlock afterwards just drives home how necessary it was to smush them together. This track is so dynamic, intense, compelling, and immaculately produced. There's nothing like hearing that intro and knowing the next four minutes are going to slap.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8kyG5tTZ1iE?rel=0

7. View (Odd, 2015)

This is not the first time on this list I am talking about SHINee's immaculate house music (and it won't be the last), but it wouldn't be right if I didn't rank THEEEEE SHINee house track. There's just something magical about the way they approach this genre — they're so comfortable on maximalist and minimalist tracks, and especially pulling off tracks that marry both. I also appreciate how much they let a track like this be a dance track — the relatively empty post-chorus and especially post-bridge makes it feel like they're approaching the genre on level ground, rather than forcing their standard style overtop a new beat. View is That Girl for a reason, and I’ll never get tired of it (no matter how many times I have to hear it on variety shows).

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UF53cptEE5k?rel=0

(Music video of all time.)

6. Shift (1 of 1, 2016)

And now I talk about SHINee house music for the last time on this list, I PROMISE. At a scant three minutes, this song still manages to feel complete and full, with one of my favorite bridges in their discography. This track's flavor owes so much to the strategic vocal chopping, screwing, and layering going on, creating this light, ethereal yet intense energy that flows through the entire thing. It's just a stunning example of incredibly tight production and execution.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2_cszS-YPmo?rel=0

5. Odd Eye (Odd, 2015)

Here we are in the top five, and you KNEW this was gonna be up here. I am going to assert that this is THE most iconic Key intro — the strings, the little laugh, like are we kidding? Honestly, I think the real genius of Kim Jonghyun here is the way he deploys every member's voice right exactly where they thrive: Onew and Taemin holding down that breathy, heady topline; Minho and Key giving some of their best rap verses of their whole discog; and Jonghyun adding really fascinating, unconventional harmony choices over the entire thing. This song is all of them at 150%, and their live performances of it are a testament to that. Evil eyepatch Key you live rent free in my brain.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/uQbtuQ2-2WQ?rel=0

4. Love Like Oxygen (The SHINee World, 2008)

Somehow, this manages to be the oldest song on this list and also my favorite title track of them all. Maybe it's the way they still sound a little raw, still finding their synergy and style, but the energy of this track is just irrepressible. It’s not particularly fast-paced or particularly bombastic, but thrives in the steadiness of the beat and bassline and on the strength of their harmonies. I love how much time they carve out for the outro. I find this track all the more charming for the way you can hear that they’re trying so, so hard. It’s hard to articulate why it sits above all of their other funk/R&B tracks for me, but it does. Let’s all bring fedoras back.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7_pyar0I3Rc?rel=0

3. Hitchhiking (Chapter 1. ‘Dream Girl - The Misconceptions of You, 2013)

YEAH! HA HA! SHINEE! UH! TIME MACHINE RIDE!!!!! I have like, a visceral, fully-body reaction every time this song starts. It hits hard on beat one and just keeps going at an 11 the entire 4 minute run time. This is a song meant for an arena -- the production is just huge. So much of the song is underscored and defined by these nasty (positive), gritty synths. There are like, ten seconds total when the energy pulls back, feeling like the electric anticipation before the drop on a rollercoaster. The members are doing incredible vocal gymnastics. They're having fun, and they want you to have fun, too. I'm having a blast!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/YRcy-QVKPzY?rel=0

(This song looks insanely tiring to perform. Like, oh my god.)

2. One Minute Back (Everybody, 2013)

It's hard to say in just a few sentences why I'm obsessed with this song. K-pop is enamored by the idea of a bunch of songs smashed together (which SHINee has executed to great success before), but often the results are uneven and jarring. This song is one of the best experiments of this type ever executed. The uneasy minimalism of the intro and verse, the dynamism of the choruses, the unexpected funk break under the rap verse, the tender introspection of the bridge. The production really ties it together -- the instrumentation all feels like it's living in the same world, even when deployed in such disparate ways. The melodies are complex and varied, but every moment still sticks in your brain, which is not an easy feat. In its ambition and execution, this song is not only defining of SHINee to me, but also represents k-pop's best qualities.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lhu3FiPMHqo?rel=0

1. Password (Boys Meet U, 2013)

When I think of SHINee's sound, I don't necessarily think of a psychedelic prog rock anthem. However, they tried it exactly once, and it remains the best thing they've ever made. SHINee's Japanese discography - while at times experimental - is often defined by light, popcorn-y songs and sentimental ballads. Password makes no attempt to be marketable, or easily consumed. It's a full five minutes long, and the build is slow. But it does build, crescendoing to a bridge that's literally just Jonghyun riffing for a full minute (some of the best vocal work he ever did), followed by a crash back into the chorus, drawn out for so long that it should get tiring, and yet the instrumentation continues to layer and build until the final moments ring out. There's part of me that wishes they'd tried anything near this sound again, but another part of me loves its uniqueness. It's undeniably my favorite track.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NUWY-SGP4gw?rel=0

OKAYYYY AND THAT'S IT!!!!! I know this list is 100% objectively true, but I also do want to hear your top tracks! I had so much fun putting this together. Thank you for reading!

<3 Han