Japanese hit songs from 1990. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
B.B.
Queens, Kome Kome Club, LINDBERG, THE BLUE HEARTS, Hideaki Tokunaga, JUN SKY WALKER(S)…
From among the many classic and popular songs that colored the J-POP hit charts of 1990 (Heisei 2), we’ve selected hit tracks recommended by our studio staff.
It’s a nostalgic playlist that represents the golden age of J-POP.
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Japanese hit songs of 1990 (11–20)
LA LA LA Love SongKubota Toshinobu
It’s a sweet and heartrending love song that’s vivid enough to wake you up.
Like a carousel, it spins with ever-turning feelings of love, expressed through a catchy melody that lingers in your ears.
Beginning with the two taking shelter from the rain in the city, this sweet romance paints their memories with cinematic clarity and gently sings of their deepening love.
It’s a wonderful classic that leaves listeners with an impression of eternal romance.
Released as a single in May 1996, it drew attention as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Long Vacation.” As one of Toshinobu Kubota’s signature works, featuring Naomi Campbell, it’s a refined track with a strong R&B flavor.
Many listeners may find it brings back memories of their youth.
Broken RadioTokunaga Hideaki
Like music flowing from a nostalgic radio, a timeless song that seeps into the heart along with memories was created by Hideaki Tokunaga in July 1990.
The track, which overlays the feelings of a boy transitioning from adolescence to adulthood with the image of a broken radio, was used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Tokai no Mori” (“Urban Forest”) and reached No.
5 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
Featuring a grand arrangement by Ichizo Seo and beautifully harmonized with Tokunaga’s delicate vocals, the song artfully blends elements of pop and ballad into a moving piece.
It was also included on the album “JUSTICE” and performed at NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 2006 and 2009.
Conveying the transience and passion of youth, as well as a yearning for self-renewal, this work gently embraces the emotional fluctuations everyone experiences while growing up—a resonant song that speaks to the heart.
Odoru Pompoko RinB.B. Kuīnzu
The best-selling single in 1990 is the theme song of the anime Chibi Maruko-chan, which is still popular and on the air today.
Although anime theme songs would normally be considered music for children, this track is packed with fun elements that also appealed to adults.
Kiss me right nowLINDBERG
This song, which speaks for young people—similar to what we’d now call youth punk—was also a big hit.
With its easy-to-sing melody and female vocals, it remains a karaoke staple even today.
It’s a timeless track that would likely be a hit in the current era as well.
OH YEAH！PRINCESS PRINCESS
They’re an authentic all-women rock band known by the nickname “Puri Puri.” They churned out a string of hit songs and, even today, I think they’ve had a major influence on women.
They showed that “women can rock too,” and actually put it into action, which I think is admirable.
They’re an indispensable presence in Japan’s music scene.
Romantic Flightkome kome CLUB
The next best-selling group after B.B.
Queens was Kome Kome Club.
This song sold around 600,000 copies, which may seem underwhelming compared to the years that followed with consecutive million sellers, but it was still a huge hit that could be heard everywhere in town.
Goodbye, Humanitytama
The members gave off the vibe of simple, country boys and were extremely popular.
Traditionally, the basic strategy was that good-looking people would sell well, but I think that rule was somewhat shaken by TAMA’s emergence and hit.
Their unique melodies are quite addictive.
Dear FriendNakamori Akina
I think the life of the female idol Akina Nakamori, with all its twists and turns, could truly be made into a movie or drama.
Despite her overwhelming vocal talent and string of hit singles, she somehow always seemed unhappy, and her life continued to be tumultuous.
That’s why this song makes me feel nostalgic.
1990 J-Pop hit songs. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (1–10)
SundayJITTERIN’JINN
This band/group has also been lingering faintly in the back of my mind.
It feels like pulling out a box of memories, and back then I never would have imagined they offered such colorful songs.
With this catchy melodic sense, they’d still be a huge hit today.
Rose of PassionTHE BLUE HEARTS
The Blue Hearts are the band that had the greatest influence on Japanese punk rock and indie guitar rock.
I happen to be exactly of that generation, so I had many friends around me who were inspired by them.
I was more of an original punk fan, so I watched from the sidelines, but their music still hasn’t faded for me even now.