Hit J-Pop songs from 2002. Recommended classics and popular tracks.
Dragon Ash, Chitose Hajime, Ketsumeishi, Hikaru Utada, Porno Graffitti, MISIA, Kishidan…
From among the many classic songs that lit up the J-POP charts in 2002, our studio staff have selected their recommended hits.
It’s a moving playlist that still hasn’t lost its luster.
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Female Artists (11–20)
HANABIHamasaki Ayumi
This is a song whose bittersweet yet beautiful melody seeps into the heart, as if announcing the end of summer.
Ayumi Hamasaki expresses the fleeting beauty that vanishes in an instant, and the yearning for rebirth that arises from it, all conveyed through a deeply emotive vocal performance.
This track is included on the EP “H,” released in July 2002 and certified a million-seller.
Many of you may also remember it as a commercial jingle.
It’s a classic you’ll want to listen to on nights when you want to linger over the passing season and lose yourself in a beautiful melody.
July 1stHamasaki Ayumi
This is Ayumi Hamasaki’s summer anthem, distinguished by a sparkling, dazzling sound that seems to herald the arrival of summer.
Under the blue sky, the protagonist’s exhilaration as they set out to meet their beloved and their straightforward emotions brimming with hope for the future set listeners’ hearts free.
The song appears on the single “H,” released in July 2002, which became the only million-selling single of that year.
It was also widely known as the theme song for KOSÉ’s VISÉE commercial.
It’s a track you’ll want to play during summer drives or events when you want to boost your mood to the max.
SAMURAI DRIVEhitomi
This is a song in which hitomi, who used to perform as part of the Komuro Family, changed her previous image and presented a rock flavor.
Originally, it was a song by a band called Cune—in fact, it’s a cover.
With the release of this single, Cune’s name recognition also rose, and sales increased through a synergistic effect.
The Curry Rice WomanSonin
Speaking of “Curry Rice no Onna,” it drew attention for its music video featuring a nude-apron look, but contrary to the strikingly sensual PV, the song’s content is deeply poignant and sorrowful.
In particular, the lyrics of the chorus possess an exceptional expressive power, standing out even among the many songs that sing of heartbreak and emptiness.
As expected of Tsunku.
Aiin ExercisesBaka tonosama to Minimoni hime.
A miraculous unit formed by the idol group Mini Moni.
and the comedian Ken Shimura.
Back then, kids would often keep repeating “Aiin” at school.
The word “Aiin” naturally appears countless times in the lyrics as well, and in the music video the idols repeatedly jut out their chins to do the “Aiin,” making it a very comical song.