Debut song of an 80s visual-kei band
Visual kei bands, with their glamorous and sometimes decadent aesthetics that captivate many, have enduring popularity among both men and women.
Many visual kei bands debuted in the 1980s, but how much do you know about their debut songs?
Here, we’ve put together a roundup of debut songs from 1980s visual kei bands.
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Debut songs by visual kei bands from the 1980s (21–30)
ENDLESS RAINX
Released on April 21, 1989, X’s major-label debut album BLUE BLOOD.
Here’s a look at a track from that album.
This song is practically synonymous with X—a true masterpiece.
The album also sold over one million copies and became a huge hit.
Sexual PerversionEX-ANS
A visual-kei band formed in 1987.
While the vocalist, Rei, was known for his handsome looks, the band quickly rose to prominence as a “beautiful-style” act but had a brief lifespan.
Even so, they were one of the bands that laid the groundwork for both goth-style and beauty-focused bands.
This track is characterized by a wistful vocal and a crisp, cutting guitar.
Romantist TasteTHE YELLOW MONKEY
It begins with a heavy drum intro that almost induces a headache, and the uniquely chosen words—worthy of being called a quintessential “Yemon style”—can only be described as impressive.
The carefully crafted visual material, brimming with a simmering sense of soul, also leaves a strong impression that glitter and fragility exist back-to-back, resulting in a truly remarkable piece.
THE BEGINNING44MAGNUM
“THE BEGINNING,” delivered by a band emblematic of the ’80s, is a forward-looking, positive track brimming with excitement worthy of its title.
As their flamboyant outfits suggest, this song bursts with wild, no-holds-barred energy that won’t let you down—a must-hear killer tune!
Chasing ShadowsASYLUM
It’s a song that depicts a sense of urgency and emptiness, like relentlessly chasing a shadow that stretches on forever.
Over a hard, tight beat, Gazelle’s vocals—both the purely aesthetic singing and the morose shouts—leave a powerful impression.
This worldview, where punk’s raw impulse coexists with a decadent beauty, may well have been the source of what later came to be called the visual-kei scene.
The track is included on the album Crystal Days, released in June 1987, which was so popular it topped Japan’s indie charts at the time.
If you listen to it while grappling with a nebulous anxiety about the future, its searing passion will pierce straight into your heart.
GET THE GLORYLAUGHIN’ NOSE
With their distinctive fashion and high-energy sound, LAUGHIN’ NOSE blasted a fresh hole in the music scene of the ’80s.
This track—said to have been born from a melody that came to the songwriter impulsively on a train platform—embodies their very origin.
Its simple, powerful message, “Seize the glory,” strikes directly at the listener’s soul.
Released in December 1983 as the title track of an EP on their own independent label, it paved the way to their later major-label debut album, LAUGHIN’ NOSE, and stands as a true emblem of the band.
The pure energy and passion radiating from this work offer boundless courage—perfect for moments when you want to break through the status quo or share a surge of optimism with friends as you head into the future.
Dark SidePHAIDIA
With a searing vocal presence and a heavy, resonant sound, the music draws listeners in an instant into a dark and beautiful world.
Representing the early days of Japan’s gothic rock scene, PHAIDIA delivers a work that distills the allure of their initial period.
This track appears on the acclaimed 1985 release In The Dark.
Even as it portrays despair and inner darkness, you can feel an irresistible, decadent beauty residing within.
The fact that it was recorded in a Tokyo studio in May 1985 seems to convey the heat of the underground scene at the time.
Put it on at night when you want to forget the everyday and immerse yourself in a beautifully mysterious world, and its decadent splendor will surely resonate in your heart.