Performances by Big Bang and 2NE1 have been included in the New York Times’ “Best Concerts of 2012.”

In a list compiled by the music critics of the newspaper, 2NE1 and Big Bang placed second after rapper Jay-Z.

Although both groups have yet to release a hit song in the U.S., their fan base there is big enough to earn them the spotlight, the newspaper said. The critics said that the concerts, both held at the Prudential Center, Newark, captivated “thousands of young, paying fans eager to see the girls of 2NE1 and the boys of Big Bang.”

Earlier coverage of Big Bang by the same newspaper described the group as “beyond Gangnam” and “the true wild heart of K-pop.”

By Bae Soo-min, Intern reporter (soomin623@heraldcorp.com)