YB, formerly known as Yoon Do-hyun Band (), is a South Korean rock band. Formed in 1996, the band consists of Yoon Do-hyun (lead vocals, keyboard, guitar), Heo Jun (guitar, keyboard), Kim Jin-won (drums), Park Tae-hee (bass guitar) and Scott Hellowell (guitar). YB rose to popularity during the 2002 World Cup, and once again in 2011 through appearing in the Korean TV show I Am a Singer. They have performed across the world and regularly headline major rock festivals in South Korea.
The band has released nine full-length studio albums and numerous other releases and live albums. Their music style is primarily influenced by classic rock with elements of modern rock, also combined with a contemporary Korean cultural identity. YB is widely known for their explosive and dynamic live performances, and a resonant directness in vocal style and songwriting. YB has won the "Best Music" award from Korea's three main broadcast stations KBS, MBC and SBS, and in 2011 won the "Mnet Specialized Award" at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.
History Formation Yoon Do-hyun debuted as a solo artist with the album In Front of the Post Office in Autumn (가을 우체국 앞에서) in 1994, and following that formed the eponymously named Yoon Do-hyun Band in 1996, with himself on vocals, drummer Kim Jin-won, guitarist Yoo Byung-yeol, and bass guitarist Park Tae-hee. Later that year, Yoon played the lead role in Jungle Story, Kim Hong-joon's film that recounts the rise and fall of a fictitious, underground band. His bandmates also appeared in the film.
The initial lack of success led to Yoon Do-hyun Band almost disbanding in 2000, and guitarist Yoo Byung-yeol left the band and was replaced by Heo Jun.
Other successes (2003–2011) YB won the WPMA (World Peace Music Award) in 2003 for their activities in 2002 promoting human rights, and through a concert in North Korea called "Oh Unification Korea". This is the first time a rock band has performed officially in North Korea.
Following YB's rise to being the foremost rock band in Korea, Yoon Do-hyun began to host TV shows such as Yoon Do-hyun's Love Letter (2002-2008) and grow as a celebrity in Korean media. In 2007, YB performed at the SXSW music festival held in Austin Texas, being the first Korean band to do so. YB continued to release various albums and tour extensively within Korea. In 2005 they were the first Korean band to tour Europe, returning to a crowded Trafalgar Square in London in 2008.
In 2009 they embarked on the Warped Tour in the USA. Following a friendship developed from 2005, YB began to include Scott Hellowell from England as a special guest guitarist for concerts in the summer and eventually winter, (2008-2010). This relationship progressed into the band inviting him to become a full-time official band member in 2011. His official induction to the band was later televised in Yoon Do-hyun's MUST music TV show.
Continued popularity (2011–present) In 2011, YB joined a cast of seven artists who provided the original line up for MBC's I Am a Singer, a TV show which proved to be a cultural phenomenon in Korea and across Asia that year winning many awards. This led to YB's second wave of huge success, at the same time the show also instated Yoon Do-hyun as its host. As a result of a second rise to major popularity, YB performed in several overseas concerts including China, Japan and America.
YB are regular headliners at many of the biggest Korean rock festivals such as Pentaport and Busan International Rock Festival. YB performed in Pyongyang on April 1, 2018. They contributed a cover of the Metallica song "Sad But True" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, released in September 2021.
On September 19, 2024, it was announced that Scott Hellowell would leave the group in October.
Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales KORMIAKMusic Industry Association of Korea monthly chart positions: Alienation: An Urbanite: Why Be?: KORCircleCircle Album Chart (formerly Gaon Album Chart) positions:
Blue Whale (EP): Reel Impulse: Twilight State: In Front of the Post Office in Autumn (가을 우체국 앞에서) Released: December 1994 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, cassette rowspan="2" rowspan="7" Yoon Do-hyun 2Released: March 1997 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, cassette Alienation (소외)Released: June 19, 1998 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, cassette 32 KOR: 21,365Cumulative sales of Alienation:
An UrbaniteReleased: June 28, 2001 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, cassette 12 KOR: 128,579 [YB] StreamReleased: July 24, 2003 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, cassette — Why Be?Released: August 10, 2006 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, cassette 4 KOR: 22,206 Coexistence (공존)Released: March 24, 2009 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, download rowspan="3" Reel ImpulseReleased: June 25, 2013 Label: Dee Company Format: CD, download 15 KOR: 3,190 Twilight StateReleased: October 10, 2019 Label: Dee Company Format: CD, download 44 KOR: 1,553
Extended plays Title EP details Peak chart positions Sales KORCircle Blue Whale (흰수염고래)Released: November 24, 2011 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, download 20 KOR: 1,687 RemindReleased: October 26, 2016 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: CD, download — 2018 YB Live in PyongyangReleased: April 24, 2018 Label: Daeum Entertainment Format: Download, streaming —
Live albums Yoon Do-hyun Band (2000) Live Is Life (2002) After 10 Years (2007) I Bow (2010)
Singles "Nation Anthem (애국가)" "2006 World-Cup Cheer Song" "Han Ban Do O.S.T - 1178" "Tell Me" "Taxi Driver O.S.T - SILENCE"
Awards Mnet Asian Music Awards Year Category Work Result 2002Best Rock Performance "Love Two""2002 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list" . MAMA. Retrieved 2014-06-12. 2003"I'll Get Over You" (잊을께)"2003 MMF part 1" . Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-20. 2005Best Male Artist"It Must Have Been Love" (사랑했나봐)"2005 MKMF part 1" . Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-28. 2006Best Music Video"Today" (오늘은)"2006 MKMF Part 1 : I Love Punk - Haerang + Lee SungWoo/ Break Through-SS501/ The Queen Is Back! - Cocoboys and Dodogirls + Um JungHwa" . MAMA. Retrieved 2014-10-26."2006 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list" . MAMA. Retrieved 2014-06-12.Best Rock Performance 2011Mnet Specialized Award"2010 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list" . MAMA. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
References
External links http://ybrocks.com http://deecompany.net/yb/