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.

Playlist

Heisei Song Collection: Iconic Hits That Colored the ’90s and 2000s
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	cherrysupittsu		This work, known as one of Spitz’s signature songs…
2	Time goes byEvery Little Thing		A signature hit by Kaori Mochida that represents the Heisei era
3	Like tonight’s moonElefanto Kashimashi		A masterpiece that portrays everyday hope and emptiness
4	Tomorrow never knowsMr.Children		A refreshing melody under a clear autumn sky...
5	SaudadePorunogurafiti		A beautiful, nostalgia-evoking melody and the ache of heartbreak...
6	fragileEvery Little Thing		This song, which portrays a heartrending love, is Every…
7	PRIDEImai Miki		Miki Imai’s ballad of love and independence
8	SaraiKayama Yūzō & Tanimura Shinji		24-Hour TV theme song, so moving
9	I’m glad I met you.Koizumi Kyoko		Kyoko’s Heartwarming Song to Her Father
10	Far, far awayMakihara Noriyuki		Gain courage from Noriyuki Makihara's graduation song
11	MiracleGReeeeN		One of GReeeeN’s signature songs, and the theme for the drama “R…
12	Chase the ChanceAmuro Namie		The Heisei era’s iconic songstress, Namie Amuro, milli…
13	BLUE BIRDHamasaki Ayumi		This song, which evokes a refreshing summer breeze, is Hamasaki…
14	FINAL DISTANCEUtada Hikaru		Utada: a requiem prayer and a bittersweet longing
15	No way to sayHamasaki Ayumi		Ayumi Hamasaki’s 31st single
16	Summer Colorsyuzu		A refreshing guitar sound that evokes the arrival of summer…
17	AutomaticUtada Hikaru		This piece, which begins with the resonance of the piano, the listener…
18	You Go Your WayCHEMISTRY		A moving ballad of chemistry (CHEMISTRY)
19	frecklesJUDY AND MARY		JUDY, a rock band representing the 1990s...
20	cherry (sweet cherry; cherry fruit)Otsuka Ai		Ai Otsuka’s songs made an explosive impact on the world of J-pop…
21	Osaka LoverDREAMS COME TRUE		A heartfelt expression, in Osaka dialect, of the bittersweetness of a long-distance relationship…
22	Feeling great!!mihimaru GT		A must-listen hype song for Heisei-era gals
23	ButterflyKōda Kumi		Kumi Koda’s classic that celebrates women’s beauty and freedom
24	Seesaw Game ~A Brave Love Song~Mr.Children		A cheer song that likens the push-and-pull of love to a seesaw
25	Paradoxw-inds.		A signature youthful dance song by w-inds.
26	DearestHamasaki Ayumi		The appeal of Ayumi Hamasaki’s classic song “Seasons”
27	FlowerORANGE RANGE		In 2004, the film Be With You...
28	【es】～Theme of es～Mr.Children		Singing of human frailty and the resolve to live
29	What I can do for youGACKT		GACKT’s heartwarming classic ballad
30	Mini Moni. Janken Pyon!Minimoni.		Mini Moni's debut single is a big hit.
31	I’m here saying nothingYaita Hitomi		Yaiko’s classic: a fusion of acoustic guitar and trad
32	save your dreamKahara Tomomi		In the 1990s, Tomomi Kahala had a huge hit under Komuro’s production.
33	dogwood (flowering dogwood)Hitoto Yo		Speaking of Yo Hitoto’s signature songs, it would be one that represents the Heisei era…
34	SakurazakaFukuyama Masaharu		This song, which evokes the arrival of spring, is about a lost love…
35	sympathetic tearsHitoto Yo		Hitoto Yo’s debut song, a masterpiece that portrays emotion
36	Peach-Colored Unrequited LoveMatsuura Aya		Aya Matsuura’s peach-colored love song
37	Chocolate DiscoPerfume		A classic, pop-style love song for Valentine’s Day
38	TSUNAMISazan Ōrusutāzu		A timeless, heart-touching masterpiece by Southern All Stars
39	StoryAI		AI's masterpiece: a voice that resonates with the heart
40	LOVE〜Destiny〜Hamasaki Ayumi		Ayumi Hamasaki’s fateful, heartrending ballad
41	Pure Love SongShonan no Kaze		A Clumsy Love Story by Shonan no Kaze
42	A Little Love SongMONGOL800		A moving song about feelings for someone special
43	All of the YouthFujifaburikku		A classic coming-of-age song that depicts the end of summer
44	cherry blossomMoriyama Naotaro		Iconic songs of parting and new beginnings in the cherry blossom season
45	ALL MY TRUE LOVESPEED		SPEED’s passionate love song, the World Championship theme song
46	Close your eyesHirai Ken		Ken Hirai's soul-stirring love song
47	cherry blossomKetsumeishi		A poignant masterpiece themed around cherry blossoms, depicting memory and a sense of loss
48	Tree of WadatsumiHajime Chitose		Chitose Hajime’s groundbreaking Amami folk debut song
49	Odoru Pompoko RinB.B. Kuīnzu		The nationwide hit song “Koi Suru Fortune Cookie”
50	Eternal, unchanging loveOda Tetsurō		Pocari commercial song, a masterpiece by Tetsuro Oda
51	YOU DON’T GIVE UPKahara Tomomi		Tomomi Kahala’s encouraging cheer song and warm message
52	If you are with meKahara Tomomi		Tomomi Kahala’s moving ballad: the presence of someone precious
53	suddenlyFIELD OF VIEW		ZARD “Totsuzen,” a moving anthem of youth
54	Swaying FeelingsZARD		“Don’t Give Up” is a classic of youth, resonating in the heart
55	POWER OF LOVEJUDY AND MARY		YUKI’s airy vocals and the deliberate sound…
56	Flavor Of LifeUtada Hikaru		A masterpiece whose words of gratitude heighten the sense of poignancy
57	WOW WAR TONIGHT ~Sometimes You Gotta Make a MovementH Jungle with T		Hamada and Komuro’s hit song throws a stone into everyday life
58	The One and Only Flower in the WorldSMAP		SMAP’s classic songs, music that heals the heart
59	budKobukuro		A moving ballad filled with feelings for my mother
60	Youthful AmigoShūji to Akira		The passionate bond of youth songs by Shuji and Akira
61	Becoming a Thousand WindsAkiyama Masashi		The classic singer Akikawa’s famous song
62	crescent moonayaka		A masterpiece that sings of the poignant feelings of a long-distance romance
63	As I love you selfishly, I won’t hurt anyone but you.B’z		The classic song “Ai no mama ni, wagamama ni” by B’z
64	Until the World Ends…WANDS		The moving ending of the anime 'SLAM DUNK'
65	Surely more than anyone else in the worldNagayama Miho & WANDS		The legendary classic song by Miho Nakayama & WANDS
66	Liar! Liar!B’z		An overwhelming guitar riff and a sound brimming with speed…
67	Soulmatesupittsu		I find the meaning of life in the small moments of everyday life...
68	FACEglobe		Tetsuya Komuro’s outstanding production skills and K…
69	Broken RadioTokunaga Hideaki		Timeless anthems that color our youth, music that resonates with the heart
70	Island SongTHE BOOM		THE BO... begins with the melancholic tones of a sanshin
71	The Future Projection IIDREAMS COME TRUE		A masterpiece among masterpieces representing the Heisei era! Even as time goes by…