Best City Pop Classics: Recommended Popular Songs [Timeless & Modern]
City pop has been gaining momentum, especially overseas, after Mariya Takeuchi’s “Plastic Love” exploded in views on YouTube.
Originally, it referred to songs from the late 1970s to the 1980s that emphasized a sophisticated, urban vibe, but over time its definition and interpretation have gradually expanded.
Since the 2000s, it’s also been discussed in terms of its stylish, moody image, and perceptions vary from person to person.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of tracks—from classic, beloved city pop that laid the foundations of modern pop music to songs that capture a fresh, contemporary feel.
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- A collection of nostalgic hit songs and classics from the 70s
- Classic and hit J-pop songs from the nostalgic ’90s
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- [Japanese Music] Masterpieces of 2000s Pop: A roundup of hit songs from 00s J-POP
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- From Japan! Technopop masterpieces and recommended popular tracks
- Popular Showa-era pop. Timeless hit songs.
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- A Classic of Korean City Pop [KOREAN CITY POP]
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Best City Pop Classics: Recommended Popular Songs [Timeless & Modern] (51–60)
Dance at Nightfurenzu
Friends, a super danceable and upbeat band in high demand at live houses and music festivals.
Their moody dance track “Yoru ni Dance” captures that vibe perfectly.
It’s a song you can really move to, yet it has a mature feel—pure city pop through and through.
The bass and drum groove feels amazing, and the male-female twin vocals add a dramatic touch.
The catchy melody is another draw, making it a killer tune that gets the crowd swaying at Friends’ shows.
Hold on MeKohiruimaki Kahoru
Kahoru Kohiruimaki’s fourth single, released in February 1987.
Known for her vocal prowess since her debut and active not only in Japan but around the world, she gained broader recognition for her musical style when this song was chosen as the theme song for the Nippon TV drama “Kekkon Monogatari” (A Marriage Tale).
It peaked at No.
9 on the Oricon charts and sold a total of 127,000 copies.
Circus NightNanao Tabito
Singer-songwriter TAVITO NANAO’s masterpiece “Circus Night.” That slow, unhurried beat and laid-back groove—it’s a song where the drama just never stops.
It has an urban vibe that’s similar to city pop, and this track might well fit into that genre too.
This kind of mellow, beautiful ensemble is the best good music for chilling out with your shoulders relaxed.
It’s one of those moments, unique to the melody of Japanese lyrics, that makes me feel glad to be Japanese.
The Last RainYasushi Nakanishi
Yasushi Nakanishi debuted in 1992, and his second single, “Saigo no Ame,” released in August of the same year, became a hit and his signature song.
Although it was featured on a Nippon TV variety show, it did not become an explosive hit.
It peaked at No.
16 on the Oricon charts, but spread mainly through cable broadcasting and became a long-running hit.
Total sales reached 737,000 copies.
Having won an audition in the past, he is well-regarded for his vocal ability, and he continues his singing career with a focus on ballads.
Best City Pop Classics: Recommended Popular Songs [Timeless & Modern] (61–70)
The Amagi Legend Murder CaseSekiguchi Makoto
Makoto Sekiguchi, a former member of C-C-B known for hits like “Romantic ga Tomaranai,” has also been active as a solo singer since 1988.
“Tenkawa Densetsu Satsujin Jiken” was released in February 1991.
It was used as the theme song for a film of the same title and became his biggest hit.
Around the same time, Akina Nakamori also performed a song titled “Futari Shizuka,” which drew attention.
It peaked at No.
16 on the Oricon charts and sold a total of 171,000 copies.
My Pure LadyOzaki Ami
Released in 1977, this piece quickly became famous after it was used as the background music for a cosmetics commercial featuring Asami Kobayashi.
At the time, the songwriter Ami Ozaki was just 19 years old.
The fresh, sparkling sensibility of youth created an unprecedentedly light, airy world that signaled the arrival of a new era.
Southern CrossInagaki Junichi
Released in March 1988 as the artist’s 13th single, this song was chosen as the image track for ANA’s Spring Okinawa campaign.
The lyrics are by Yasushi Akimoto, and the music and arrangement are by Tetsuji Hayashi, who, together with Inagaki, has produced numerous hits.
The lyrics layer images of a landscape dissolving into a blue sea with the trembling of the heart, depicting a scene where the desire to escape the city’s clamor and be enveloped by the tropical air intersects with feelings for someone special.
Set to a medium tempo, Inagaki’s gentle vocals bring out an AOR sound that is fresh yet tinged with a certain wistfulness.
It’s a fine city-pop number that blends openness and nostalgia—one you’ll want to hear in the season of departures.