Heisei Song Collection: Iconic Hits That Colored the ’90s and 2000s
During the Heisei era, which lasted from 1989 to 2019, many CDs achieved million-selling hits.
In addition to songs that became such huge hits they could be called social phenomena at the time, there are also many tracks that remain perennial favorites to this day.
In this article, we’ll introduce carefully selected Heisei songs, focusing mainly on J-pop from the 1990s to the 2000s.
These are timeless masterpieces, so please take your time and listen to each one.
We hope this brings back fond memories for adults, and that younger readers will use this as a gateway to discover other classic hits from the Heisei era.
- Heisei-era masterpieces. Hit songs that represent the Heisei period.
- Emotional songs from the Heisei era. Nostalgic tracks that really hit you.
- 2000s: A Collection of Hit Karaoke Classics
- All big hits! A roundup of classic J‑Pop songs that were popular in 2000
- A collection of nostalgic hits from the Heisei era: Let’s look back at iconic songs from the 1990s and 2000s.
- Heisei-era masterpieces: Easy to sing! Carefully selected songs recommended for karaoke choices!
- Resonates across generations! Hit songs that colored the Heisei era, perfect as BGM
- Cool songs of the Heisei era. Hit tracks that energized the times.
- Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs.
- Nothing but iconic hits that defined an era! 2000s classics popular on TikTok
- Songs from the Heisei retro era that will get any generation excited! Timeless tracks you’ll want to listen to now.
- Healing songs from the Heisei era that soothe daily fatigue and stress
- A Must-See for the Heisei Generation: Nostalgic Songs That Were Popular in the Heisei Era
Heisei Song Collection: Classic Hits that Colored the ’90s and 2000s (51–60)
WOW WAR TONIGHT ~Sometimes You Gotta Make a MovementH Jungle with T
H Jungle with t is a music unit formed by Masatoshi Hamada of the comedy duo Downtown and music producer Tetsuya Komuro.
Their debut single, released in February 1995, was a massive hit and became a social phenomenon.
This work is an anthem that lights a fire in the hearts of those who question the monotony of everyday life and wish to change something.
Rather than settling for the status quo, it delivers a powerful message to take action and create a movement, which truly resonates.
It’s an energetic track you’ll want to listen to when you’re tired from work or daily life and want to gain fresh strength for tomorrow with your friends.
The One and Only Flower in the WorldSMAP
Even after their breakup, calls for a reunion remain strong, and the five-member idol group SMAP is becoming legendary thanks to their immense popularity.
One of their songs was used as the theme for the TV drama “Boku no Ikiru Michi,” starring group member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and it became a massive hit, selling over 3 million copies in total.
It’s also well known for being written by singer-songwriter Noriyuki Makihara.
In a world that tends to rank and compare everything, the lyrics—encouraging the uniqueness only you possess—lightened the hearts of many listeners and resonated widely.
With gentle words and a warm melody that quietly soothe wounded, troubled feelings, it is a masterpiece that has etched its name in J-POP history.
budKobukuro
Kobukuro is a musical duo formed after a chance meeting during a street performance.
Their 14th single, released in March 2007, was written as the theme song for the drama “Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad,” and went on to win the 49th Japan Record Award that same year.
The song is also known for expressing member Kentaro Kobuchi’s feelings for his late mother, conveying profound love and the aching sorrow of parting.
Beginning with the gentle tones of an acoustic guitar, the intro and the duo’s interwoven vocals spin out emotions like a story.
It’s a gem of a ballad to listen to quietly when you want to reaffirm the bond with someone dear.
Youthful AmigoShūji to Akira
A signature 2000s youth anthem by the duo Shuuji to Akira.
The golden pairing of Kazuya Kamenashi and Tomohisa Yamashita, who co-starred in the drama “Nobuta wo Produce,” generated huge buzz.
The melancholic ensemble—created in collaboration with a Swedish songwriting team—leaves a strong impression.
The lyrics depict a passionate friendship and vows for the future between two guys undefeated in their hometown, sparked by a call from a best friend in a tight spot.
The track topped the 2005 annual singles chart, and many people likely fired it up as a karaoke duet.
It’s a song packed with the radiance and bittersweetness of youth—one that still makes your heart swell even as an adult.
Heisei Song Collection: Famous Tracks That Colored the 1990s to 2000s (61–70)
Becoming a Thousand WindsAkiyama Masashi
Masafumi Akikawa is a tenor who, while grounded in the classics, performs across genre boundaries.
This work is a number released as a single in May 2006.
Its universal message—that a loved one has not died, but has become part of the great natural world and is always nearby watching over us—resonates deeply through Akikawa’s majestic voice.
Originally included on the September 2005 album “Pomp and Circumstance,” the song gained widespread attention after his performance at the 2006 NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, leading him to become the first classical singer in history to top the Oricon annual chart the following year.
The profound love carried by this piece gently envelops the sorrow of parting.
A one-of-a-kind, timeless masterpiece that defined the 2000s.
crescent moonayaka
Ayaka’s fourth single, released in September 2006.
A love ballad that captures the heartache of a long-distance relationship, it remains a beloved classic for many.
Even when apart, looking up at the same sky connects their hearts, and the resolve to keep moving forward despite loneliness deeply resonates with listeners.
It’s said the song reflects Ayaka’s own feelings when she moved to Tokyo, and that genuine emotion adds depth to her vocals.
It was featured in an au “LISMO” commercial and as a theme song for an NHK program, and it earned her the Best New Artist award at the 48th Japan Record Awards.
It’s a sentimental number you’ll want to listen to alone on nights when you can’t see someone dear to you.
As I love you selfishly, I won’t hurt anyone but you.B’z
A landmark track by B’z where Koshi Inaba’s passionate vocals intertwine with Takahiro Matsumoto’s brilliant guitar riffs.
It’s an irresistible, glittering yet powerful sound that epitomizes Being, the label that dominated the music scene of the ’90s.
The famously long title “Ai no mama ni wagamama ni boku wa kimi dake wo kizutsukenai” is, as Inaba himself puts it, the very embodiment of “the ultimate selfish song.” It superbly portrays a single-minded love that is a hair’s breadth away from intense possessiveness.
The vow “I won’t hurt anyone but you”—or literally, “I won’t hurt only you”—carries the dangerous implication that “everything else can be sacrificed,” and many listeners were likely shaken by that contradictory expression of love.