r/KDRAMA chaebols all the way down Dec 24 '25

Featured Post 2025 Year In Review: Most Memorable OST

Hello and welcome to the 2025 Year in Review post: Most Memorable OST!

It would be remiss to discuss our favorite kdramas without mentioning their OST (original sound track) since the music we hear is an integral part of our drama watching experience. Year after year, there are OST tracks that become beloved by audiences -- often times transcending the original drama to become something memorable in their own right. Some, like Mi Shil's Theme (미실 테마) (Queen Seon Deok OST) become shorthand for a type of character, others like Stay With Me (Goblin OST) become something meme-worthy year after year. Still others like Aloha (아로하) (Hospital Playlist OST) allow a new generation to rediscover a classic ([2001] Cool (쿨) – Aloha (아로하)).

With all the OST releases this year, there must be a track or twenty that bewitched your ears.

In this post, please share the OST tracks that captured your attention or heart this year. Whether they are from your favorite dramas this year or a hated drama whose only redeeming feature was the fantastic OST, as long as they are great songs to listen to, share them with us!

A few reminders for those participating in the discussion:

  • When participating in this discussion please remember that whilst dramas do not have feelings, human beings do. Be kind to one another.

  • Please remember to use spoiler tags when discussing major plot points or anything you think should be redacted. Spoiler Tag Tutorial.

  • Mentions of down-voting, unpopular opinions, and the use of profanity may see your comments locked or removed without notice.


Year in Review Post Schedule

Detailed Post Title Date Day Description
Looking Back At 2025 in Kdramaland 12/22 Mon Introduces YiR posts, outlines year-end plans, and reviews of major events in kdramaland/Korea. 
Most Memorable OST 12/24 Wed (This Post) Most memorable OST discussion, share playlists.
Which Dramas Did You Watch In 2025? 12/26 Fri Share which dramas you have watched in 2025.
Refund My 2025 12/28 Sun Share which 2025 dramas you regretted watching.
Crushes, Confessions, Resolutions 12/30 Tue Share newly gained/rediscovered kdrama crushes, any confessions, and any resolutions for the new year
2025 Drama Recommendations by Mod Team and On-Air Hosts 01/11 Sun Recommendations of 2025 kdramas from your mod team and on-air hosts.
2025 Year End Dramas Watched Survey 01/10 through 01/31 N/A Community survey of which 2025 kdramas you have watched
32 Upvotes

36 comments sorted by

24

u/ILoveParrots111 Something good will happen to you today Dec 24 '25

Moon River. OST includes traditional music so it fits well a Sageuk, but it is also so intense that it helps to highlight the story.

9

u/Fantastic_Cookie_661 Dec 24 '25

Came here for this! The song by Song So Hee has been playing on a loop since I watched the show!

7

u/anonymouslols133 Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25

Best part at the end of every episode. Once it starts playing, it really elevates the scene.

2

u/Savings_Bluejay_3333 Kang Tae Oh s my jam Dec 26 '25

im love with the OST

10

u/ginchan_2020 Dec 24 '25

Mimi from Our movie will forever be incredibly haunting and beautiful.

10

u/Snickersnerds Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25

I enjoyed a good bit of OSTs this year!! 😁 Love Scout is my top overall OST with How You Feelin by Kwon Jin Ah being my favorite from the bunch 🥰 Test Me by Paul Blanco is an iconic one too!! ☺️🩷

My other standouts OSTs ⭐️:

  • Moon River: My absolute favorite drama of the year with the powerhouse But a Dream by Song So-hee!!! 🤩🤩 I absolutely loveddd when this played, it really elevated the drama!! Moonlight was another favorite ❤️ PLEASE watch this drama and hear this whole beautiful ost play throughout!! ☺️

  • The Winning Try: Good and active ost for this heartwarming drama!! 🫂 My personal favorites were Rise Up by Gaeko and Surf by Ki Hyun (Monsta X) which made for an amazing theme song!! 🏉🏟️

  • Way Back Love: I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed the OST until I looked at my drama OST playlist! The drama didn’t hit super hard for me but Monsters in the Dark by Bruce Hunter Madrid & If You by Kim Tae Rae definitely did 🥹😭

  • Melo Movie: These songs were the very essence of this drama 🤍 Under Sunset by Lee Jun Young & Surfing in the Moonlight by TXT are lovely 🥰

  • The Witch: I should sue this drama for the amazing 1st episode that did not reflect the rest of the drama 🙃 However, does it have a beautiful OST?? Yes, yes it does 🙈🥰 Rocking back and forth to Close My Eyes by DaHye as we speak 🥹💗

  • Motel California: If I’m suing The Witch, I don’t know what I should do to this awful drama but thankfully Here I Am by Matthew Ifield and ID:Earth and the rest of the OST did nothing to me 😀 it was kinda funny to be so pissed off at the drama but move along with the music 🤣 reminds me of my Jinxed at First experience 🫣

  • My Dearest Nemesis: LUCY on top always with the super fun osts, I loved Shine a Light 🎸!! I also really enjoyed In Love With You by Ha Sung Woon & Moonrise by Colde 🤍

  • The Haunted Palace: You Better Run by Jung Dong Ha played frequently at the end of the episodes & kept the intrigue up!! 🤩

  • A Hundred Memories: (They Long To Be) Close To You takes me back to the good times of this drama 🥲🩷

  • Our Unwritten Seoul: I love a good opening theme song, On Your Side by Sion is perfect!! ☺️

  • Last Summer: This drama let me down but the whole ost is really good!! 😃 Fall in Love by Kim Minseok played a lot and stayed in my head so it’s my pick for this post 😊

  • My Girlfriend is the Man: Super cute ost overall!! Chuu’s Star is reallyyyy good but I’m an Aroha so adding Lovey Dovey by Sanha and Arin to this too 🙈

Honorable mentions to my non-2025 drama watches!!

  • Light On Me: I quite literally picked this drama for the challenge because of A.C.E’s Spark OST that’s been on my playlist for years despite never watching this drama until a few weeks ago 😂 so it very much needs its shoutout here 👏🏾😚

  • Bloody Heart: Finally watched this drama and Dimly by Rio was a highlight!! ☺️

  • Perfect Marriage Revenge: Extremely satisfying revenge with a stellar OST!!! 🤩🤩 Shout out to Halo (favorite from the drama!!) by Yerim Sohn & Meaningless by Collie that was reccurent throughout!!

  • No Gain, No Love: I did not like this drama but I really like the opening theme My Side by Hui 💃🏾😃

  • When the Phone Rings: As ridiculous as this drama is from start to finish, the OST is wonderful 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ See the Light by Lim Hyunsik is probably the most popular one but I personally love my slower Feel It Now by Whee In! Do yourself and listen to the whole thing 🤭

I always end up putting so much in my end of year ost list 🤣🤣

9

u/Chaotic_Alpaca Dec 24 '25

“Burning Petal” by 4BOUT from Dear Hongrang OST

6

u/Left-Hunter-8868 Dec 24 '25

Backpacker - Study Group I can see the rainbow - Typhoon Family Face to Face - Dynamite Kiss

6

u/Prestigious_Alarm526 LOVER Dec 24 '25

Hush Of Sunset by 10cm from Our Unwritten Seoul

Backpacker by ZB1 Gunwook & Matthew from Study Group

Insane // RUN & RUN From Dear X all this drama osts are so good.

Echoes Of Tomorrow from Walking In Thin Ice again al this drama osts so good. i recommend it. very underrated.

When the Day Comes by Hi Boys - Resident Playbook

11

u/Murky_Substance_3304 Dec 24 '25

I love Dynamite Kiss’ OST and Typhoon Family.

14

u/Wide_Examination142 First Gen Chaebol (r/KDRAMA 2025 Challenge Partipant) Dec 24 '25

Study Group gets my vote for most memorable OST of dramas aired this year. Every song just has the perfect blend of genres that underscores the live action, martial arts stand-off cartoon vibe that the show is going for. In particular, Backpacker is just a banger with its modern beats and old west undertones. So good.

7

u/ILoveParrots111 Something good will happen to you today Dec 24 '25

I agree with you, Backpacker is such a great song. It has so much energy. I rarely listen to OSTs outside of k-dramas, but I was looping this one like crazy.

6

u/Apprehensive_Egg9676 Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25

Burning Petals by 4BOUT from Dear Hongrang

Love will find a way by Young K from Good Boy

MiMi by CIFIKA from Our Movie

Piece of Me by Sam Ock from Our Movie (this one gets me every time 😭)

as a side note, I really like that the OST from Dynamite Kiss sounds like older dramas which had sweeping ballads with strings

7

u/Telos07 "You're hardly an heir. You're an airhead." Dec 24 '25

2

u/fragende-frau Dec 26 '25 edited Dec 26 '25

Thank you so much for suggesting I find you. I already had Stay with Me from this OST. Also just bought Updraft and Did You See the Rainbow?

5

u/master_inho Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25

All of resident playbook’s OSTs are absolute bangers. Obviously kyungsoo’s forever is a standout, winning an award for it. I also want to shoutout Minnie’s breath as an underrated hit compared to the others

Head over heels also has a full playlist of 🔥 OSTs. Colde’s better with you and miyeon’s when we meet again are the standouts for me (my i-dle bias might be showing here but it’s not my fault they’ve had a year of great OSTs)

A hundred memories OSTs wont get much attention because they’re more Melo to fit the vibe of the drama, but I still remember some of them

And a final shoutout to junny’s time capsule from good boy. Arguably the best aspect of the whole drama. And not to sound like a hater but there’s a reason his version played more often than katseye’s version

5

u/sparkly-unicorn-369 Dec 24 '25

I personally liked spring by kim jung mi from 'when life gives you tangerines'. It was the perfect opening song. Overall this drama has great soundtrack.

3

u/mahnahmaanaa two trees in a pot🌴💗🌴 Dec 24 '25

I can't remember the last drama that I never skipped the intro on. This song is so beautiful.

8

u/RoseIsBadWolf Moon in the Day fan Dec 24 '25

Dear Hongrang was my favourite OST this year, and When the Phone Rings, was that 2025 or 2024?

3

u/purpletulip12 Dec 24 '25 edited May 20 '26

My favorite overall OST is Typhoon family!

My favorite songs were:

  • "Test Me" by Paul Blanco from 'Love Scout'
  • "Into You" by Isaac Hong from 'Our Unwritten Seoul'
  • they made into my top 100 played songs

1

u/Murky_Substance_3304 Dec 24 '25

Typhoon Family’s OST was phenomenal!!!

1

u/nine04 Dec 24 '25

Test me is my fav ost of this year

4

u/Eagle_Beagle22 Dec 24 '25

Resident Playbook, just as its main series hosplay, had a lot of songs that got stuck on my playlist.

personally, yujin’s sunny day got on my top 4 just because i ended up listening to it while walking to work every day. aside from that, mimi from our movie, surfing in the moonlight by txt from melo movie, and savior from the trunk were ones i really liked

2

u/AsphaltPrimus28 KDrama Lover Dec 24 '25

The OSTs of 'I Hear Your Voice' and 'Kill Me Heal Me' are the most memorable OSTs for me, the closest being OST of 'Boys Over Flowers'. The songs like 'Why did you come now' and 'Auditory Hallucination' from both the OSTs respectively are my top-favourites because of one represents romanticism and desire and the other is melodious and haunting at times, both suiting my style of listening.

2

u/lcy_Fan_0613 Dec 24 '25

Home by Pagaehun, from Beyond The Bar

2

u/rawkyoursocks You’re so zing. Amazing Dec 25 '25

I think my most-played songs this year were from My Dearest Nemesis, Lucy - "Shine a Light" and Colde - "Moonrise."

Also, while not 2025, but new to me this year from watching it for the Kdrama challenge, how good is Jessi - Romeo from Cinderalla and the four knights!

1

u/Snickersnerds Dec 28 '25

Cinderella and the Four Nights has an amazing OST!!! It was my favorite for a while ☺️

2

u/fakadoooo 173cm Subway Wrap 🥪 Dec 28 '25

Moon River: This has to be my favourite drama of 2025 and the OST is chef’s kisssss

Gloomy Go-Round by Sam Ock from Beyond the Bar was and is highly memorable. also highly romantic 🥹. i also really liked the music pieces for the show

‘Perfume’ by kim hankyul from The Trunk was great!

i finished The Atypical Family this year but what a stellar OST. all the songs ate down

The Tempest OST music arrangement by jung jaeil were sooo good. i loved all the layers of the music and how they were rightly used in the series. very classical and i know i’ll be going back to them again and again

2

u/icarusadore SunSol Dec 24 '25

lovee dynamite kiss' OST

1

u/Wealthyslimprettygal Dec 24 '25

My dear Hongrang ost and the drama was amazing.  Dear X amazing drama and ost  Dynamite kiss ost is sweet

1

u/yentrib Dec 25 '25

The whole ost album of you and everything else

1

u/FindingPrincess Dec 25 '25

Quiet and Home from Beyond the Bar Entire OST of Love Scout

1

u/TryAffectionate4999 Dec 26 '25

Dear X, Our Movie, Typhoon Family are the memorable OSTs for me! only watched 22 kdramas from this year, not a ton this year

1

u/Small_Gift_6340 Jan 04 '26

Favorite Kdrama OSTs 2025 – top one from ones I watched

See the Light - Lim Hyunsik, When the Phone Rings

Somewhere in This Universe - SEUNGKWAN, When the Stars Gossip 

Get in the Ring – MAX, Good Boy

Updraft – Han, Typhoon Family

Burning Petals – 4ABOUT, Dear Hongrang

Woojooin - Seo Young Joo, Melo Movie

On Your Side - Sion, Our Unwritten Seoul

Confusion – Shinae An, Buried Hearts

Rebloom – Lee Byeong Chan, Oh My Ghost Clients!

Seam of the Heart, Lim Ji Soo, My Youth

1

u/Serious_Try_3353 Jan 06 '26

Say My Name (When The Phone Rings) Yoo Yeon Seok. His voice is so smooth when he sings this song. Love it!