KTV Charts Look Frozen in the 2000s: Jay Chou Still Sings “Adrift,” Jolin Tsai Keeps “Rewind” on Top

A visit to a KTV venue left one Taiwanese internet user feeling as if time had stopped. After years away, the user opened the song-ranking screen and found many of the same familiar titles still near the top: Jay Chou’s “Adrift,” Jolin Tsai’s “Rewind” and Eason Chan’s “Ten Years.”

“

Why is it still almost the same as 20 years ago?

The user shared a screenshot on Threads and wondered why the rankings still looked almost the same as they had 20 years ago. The familiar songs triggered a wave of nostalgia online. Some commenters called the 2000s Mandopop scene an era packed with exceptional artists, while others said truly classic songs do not lose their appeal with time.

“

The 2000s Mandopop scene was full of legendary artists.

Several commenters also pointed to the makeup of KTV customers. People who regularly visited KTV in the past remain a major part of its audience, helping established hits stay on the rankings. Younger people now have more entertainment options and visit KTV less often, making it harder for new songs to rapidly replace the old favorites.

“

Classics are classics. They do not go out of fashion just because time has passed.

New music has not disappeared entirely. Public rankings released by KTV operators also include recent tracks such as Yao Hsiao-tang and Zhang Yuan’s “Look Into My Eyes and Tell Me,” Crowd Lu’s “The Sun and the Earth,” Cosmos People’s “Nobody Is Like Me,” Ivy’s “If You Don’t Love Me, Then Don’t” and LBI Libi’s “Drop Tower.” The result is a chart where enduring classics and newer songs continue to share space.

“

Good songs are really hard to replace.