NCT's Discography: A Self Indulgent Ranking of Their Diverse Music Catalogue

written by Chiamaka Ibeh

As we all know, NCT, which stands for Neo Culture Technology, is a multi-faceted, talented South Korean group formed by SM Entertainment. NCT has gained a massive following both domestically and internationally, with fans admiring their unique concept and talented members. This growth is also visualised in their discography. 

The group debuted in 2016 and has a unique concept of having an unlimited number of members divided into several sub-units based in different countries and regions. As of 2021, NCT has 23 members from various countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, Canada, Thailand, and the United States, making them the largest Kpop group in history. With plans of increment in members, they’re arguably the one group bound to always break norms. 

There are 4 total subunits: 

NCT U

NCT U is the rotational unit of NCT, which means that there's a different line up of members for each comeback. They were the first unit under NCT to debut.The group debuted in 2016 with the song "The 7th Sense" and "Without You," featuring members Taeil, Taeyong, Doyoung, Ten, Jaehyun, and Mark. NCT U focuses on experimenting with different music styles and concepts.

NCT U Members

NCT127

A 9-member group consisting of members Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan. They are the Seoul-based subunit of NCT, whose name is derived from the longitude of Seoul. The group debuted in 2016 with their self-titled mini-album and is known for their dynamic performances and powerful music style, making them the second sub group to debut under NCT.

NCT Dream

Formerly a temporary group, NCT Dream was the youth-based subunit of NCT made to house the underaged members of NCT. The group debuted in 2016 with the song "Chewing Gum" and has undergone several lineup changes due to the graduation system, which means that members graduate from the group once they reach the age of 20. But they’ve recently been made into a permanent subunit with 7 members, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Haechan, Chenle, Jisung.

NCT Dream tour in Tokyo

WayV

This is the Chinese subunit of NCT, made from the collaboration of SM and Label V. It houses the Chinese members Kun, Ten, Winwin, Lucas, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang. They’re a 7-member group and their main genre is Mandopop. The group debuted in 2019 with the digital EP "The Vision," and their music style is heavily influenced by Chinese culture and language.

WayV concept photos for 4th mini album 'Phantom' 

In addition to these subunits, NCT had previously announced the formation of a new sub-unit called NCT Hollywood, which was set to debut in 2022. NCT Hollywood was supposed to be a joint venture between SM Entertainment and MGM Worldwide Television, that will feature NCT members from the United States but this was scrapped due to a change in SM management. The latest new subunit announced is for NCT Tokyo. 

NCT has a wide discography with genres ranging from hiphop to electropop. They're essentially the Amazons of Kpop, they possess everything from A to Z. I’ll be ranking my top 5 singles/albums from the discographies of each subunit. We’ll be going in chronological order of debut. Opinions may differ where necessary. 

NCT U: 

1. 일곱 번째 감각 The 7th Sense
2. Universe- The 3rd Album
3. NCT Resonance Pt1&2 
4. NCT 2018: Empathy 
5. Rain Day- SM STATION: NCT LAB

NCT 127:

1. Sticker- The 3rd Album; Favorite- 3rd Repackage 
2. 2Baddies- The 4th Album
3. NCT#127 Neo Zone- The 2nd Album
4. NCT#127 Regular-Irregular- The 1st Album; Regulate- The 1st Repackage 
5. WE ARE SUPERHUMAN- The 4th Mini Album

NCT DREAM:

1. Hot Sauce- The 1st Album
2. Glitch Mode- The 2nd Album
3. The First- The 1st Single Album
4. We Boom
5. DNYL- Don’t Need Your Love

WayV:

1. Kick Back- The 3rd Mini Album
2. Take Over The Moon- The 2nd Mini Album 
3. Phantom- The 4th Mini Album
4. Awaken The World- The 1st Album
5. Take Off- The 1st Mini Album