I'm no ~music critic~, so this list consists of my personal opinions (duh) and focuses mostly on the songs themselves, and less emphasis on the visuals (though, yes, the music videos are embedded). For the visual elements, check out Emlyn's list of the best K-pop music videos!

Did your faves make it? And if I missed your faves, I'd love to hear about them (nicely!) in the comments below, or tweet at us anytime @BuzzFeedDaebak — but just a gentle reminder that we're not here to bash any groups/songs, but to enjoy and share a year of amazing music together. Cue the aww's.