Japanese Music of the 2000s: Revival Included! A J-POP Hit Song Special
The 2000s marked a major turning point for Japan’s music scene.
While CD sales were strong, ringtones and digital distribution also began to spread.
Superstar icons like Ayumi Hamasaki, Hikaru Utada, and Masaharu Fukuyama commanded overwhelming presence, while a new generation of artists such as ORANGE RANGE and GReeeeN emerged one after another.
In recent years, classic Heisei-era hits have been rediscovered through social media, capturing the hearts of a new generation.
This time, we look back on the gem-like hit songs that colored the 2000s.
- All big hits! A roundup of classic J‑Pop songs that were popular in 2000
- 2000s Japanese Hits | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! Exquisite Masterpieces
- Heisei-era masterpieces revisited through the hit songs of 2001
- [Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs that defined the 1990s. Recommended J-POP classics.
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- Hit J-Pop songs from 2002. Recommended classics and popular tracks.
- [2013 Japanese Hit Songs] Masterpieces that Colored the Ama-chan Boom, Group Popularity, and the Band Scene
- Hit J-Pop songs of 2008: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
- Girls’ rock: female vocal bands that were active in the 2000s
- [Heisei Songs] Classic hits from the Heisei era that are popular on Instagram Reels
- 2003 J-Pop hit songs special: the golden age of music when diversity blossomed
- Hit J-pop songs of 2005. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- Heisei-era masterpieces. Hit songs that represent the Heisei period.
Japanese Music of the 2000s: Revivals Too! J-POP Hit Song Special (61–70)
Sky of OblivionSADS
It’s a classic song that became a long-running hit as the theme for the TV drama Ikebukuro West Gate Park, starring Tomoya Nagase with a script by Kankuro Kudo.
Kiyoharu’s voice is especially striking.
SADS is a rock band formed by Kiyoharu, who had been active as the vocalist of Kuroyume.
Lion HeartSMAP
It’s the theme song for the drama “Food Fight” starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and as a single by SMAP it became their second million-selling hit.
It’s a love song expressing a man’s feelings for a woman, and it has become a staple at weddings.
ChicagoKuramubon
Amid its uptempo feel, this is one of their signature songs that conveys Clammbon’s characteristic stylishness and warmth.
At the time, it was placed on heavy rotation by numerous radio stations and music television channels.
After releasing the double A-side single that included this track, the band temporarily suspended activities due to an illness affecting key vocalist Ikuko Harada, but she made a remarkably swift recovery and they resumed within the same year.
HOTEL PACIFICSazan Ōrusutāzu
The year 2000 was one in which many major artists released multiple singles, and those songs became huge hits.
This song, too, was a massive hit, selling over 820,000 copies—enough to normally break into the top 10—but it ranked 20th on the singles chart.
Love / can’t hold me backKoyanagi Yuki
Among many female artists, if you’re looking for a truly soulful voice, I think she’s the one.
If you care about vocal power and tone, I recommend this song.
It ranked 26th on the annual singles chart and became a big hit, selling 710,000 copies.
Shingo Mama’s Ohay-RockShingo Mama
Shingo Katori’s impression as Shingo Mama was pretty striking, and this song sparked a huge craze for phrases like “Ohha!” and “Mayo Chuchu.” If you were in kindergarten or elementary school back then, you probably danced to it at least once.
Hanjirō of the Hakone Eight RiHikawa Kiyoshi
This is the debut release by Kiyoshi Hikawa, a leading enka singer of the 2000s who is widely popular for his sweet looks and robust, powerful vocals.
The phrase “Yada ne ttara, yada ne” became so famous that it gained widespread popularity, and on Nico Nico Douga it was even covered by the Vocaloid Kagamine Len.
It is one of the works that made a major impact on the enka scene.