[1998 Japanese Hit Songs] A roundup of timeless classics that still live on in people’s memories!
GLAY, T.M.Revolution, L’Arc~en~Ciel, MISIA, Morning Musume…
1998 was a year when a stream of timeless hits were born from artists who still enjoy enduring popularity today.
In this article, we introduce standout classics from the 1998 J-POP hit charts—songs that earned overwhelming support from listeners and fans, and continue to do so even now.
Enjoy this nostalgic playlist that still shines in vibrant color.
- [1998 Japanese Hit Songs] A roundup of timeless classics that still live on in people’s memories!
- [Hit Songs of 1999] A roundup of timeless tracks that dominated the charts!
- Hit Japanese songs that represent 1997. Recommended masterpieces.
- Songs popular among men in their 40s. Timeless classics that bring back memories.
- Heisei-era heartbreak songs: A roundup of classic tracks from the ’90s to the 2010s
- [Hit Songs of 1996] Spotlight on the iconic tracks and popular tunes that colored the Heisei era!
- Ranking of Popular Songs by Female Singer-Songwriters of the 1990s [2026]
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- Anime songs that were hits in the 1990s. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- Hit J-Pop songs of 2008: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
- Classic and hit J-pop songs from the nostalgic ’90s
- Japanese Music of the 2000s: Revival Included! A J-POP Hit Song Special
- [Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs that defined the 1990s. Recommended J-POP classics.
[1998 Japanese Hit Songs] Introducing at Once the Masterpieces That Still Remain in People’s Memories! (51–60)
As if gently enveloping…MISIA
MISIA’s debut single.
Word of mouth about her vocal prowess spread, and sales steadily accumulated over time.
Although both the 8 cm and 12 cm versions debuted in the 90s on the charts, it went on to reach a monthly peak of No.
16 and a weekly peak of No.
8.
The groovy sax solo is seriously cool.
A third of pure-hearted feelingsSIAM SHADE
SIAM SHADE’s sixth single, released in November 1997 and charting into 1998.
At the time of its release, it was selected as the ending theme for the anime Rurouni Kenshin and became the band’s biggest hit.
From the arpeggiated intro alone, a sense of aching melancholy and frustration overflows.
Not just an anime song—this is a masterpiece among masterpieces in the band world as well!
Gokigen Bird ~crawler is crazy~SOPHIA
This is a song by the band SOPHIA, which Mitsuru Matsuoka—who is now also active as an actor and in other fields—was a member of.
The subtitle, taken literally, would be “Flattery Is Out of Its Mind,” and the lyrics deliver a biting satire of that way of living.
It unfolds like a story in which the character’s room gradually grows larger.
Turn the roulette of fateZARD
ZARD’s 25th single, which ranked No.
1 weekly, No.
11 for September, No.
14 for October, and No.
96 for the year.
It was used as the opening theme for the Nippon TV anime Detective Conan and was also chosen as the theme song for the film Detective Conan: The Fourteenth Target.
Since then, it has been used multiple times as a theme for the anime, so people who watched the show back then may associate ZARD as “the Conan artist.”
ever freehide with Spread Beaver
This is a song by the band hide with Spread Beaver, which he formed the day after X JAPAN disbanded in 1997.
hide passed away suddenly on May 1, 1998, and the single—featuring this title track—was released shortly after, on May 27.
Given the timing, it almost feels as if hide himself truly attained eternal freedom.
The song itself carries no sadness or negativity; it’s a deeply forward-looking piece expressing the desire to grasp freedom.
Even now, it remains a timeless work by a Japanese legend—highly recommended, always.