Hit Japanese songs of 2004: recommended classics and popular tracks
Mr.
Children, Kishidan, Ken Hirai, Ayaka Hirahara, Hikaru Utada, Tokyo Jihen…
From the many classic and popular songs that colored the J-POP hit charts of 2004 (Heisei 16), our studio staff has selected recommended hits.
A playlist that still doesn’t fade with time—one that represents the Heisei era.
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Male artists (1–10)
Roco LotionORANGE RANGE
This is ORANGE RANGE’s 6th single, which reached No.
1 weekly and No.
6 for the year.
Together with their 2nd single “Shanghai Honey,” its success gave the band a summer image.
It was tied in as the CM song for Otsuka Beverage’s “MATCH,” which likely also contributed to their summery band image.
In addition, there is a song by Carole King called “The Loco-Motion,” and due to similarities in parts of the lyrics and melody, the track seems to have been referenced or intended as an homage.
However, since it was released as an original song without any explanation about this, trouble arose with the creators of “The Loco-Motion,” and starting from the album release, the songwriting credits have been listed under the “original song creators.”
FlowerORANGE RANGE
The theme song for the film “Be With You.” It debuted at No.
1 on the Oricon chart, went on to spend a total of four weeks at No.
1, ranked No.
4 for the year, and extended its success the following year to reach No.
1 again.
The song was originally planned as a solo track for member RYO, and the lyrics were completely revised for the film tie-in.
It is ORANGE RANGE’s biggest hit to date.
GALAXYRIP SLYME
RIP SLYME’s 9th single “GALAXY” is one of their hit songs, debuting at No.
5 on the Oricon chart.
In the music video, they use hand plays to depict animals, and each member appears as a finger puppet or hand puppet, making it visually entertaining as well.
True to the title “GALAXY,” the lyrics evoke space, mentioning things like the Milky Way and meteorites.
Male Artists (11–20)
Heart Throbsnobobyknows̟+
This was nobodyknows+’s 3rd single and served as the second-season ending theme for the TV Tokyo anime SD Gundam Force.
Perhaps due to the tie-in, the first pressing limited edition came with a plastic model kit.
It debuted at No.
10, rose to a peak of No.
5, and ranked 37th for the year.
It was the group’s biggest hit, and at the time, many people probably shouted the raspy “Enjoy!” line at karaoke.
Everything becomes my strength!kuzu
This is the third single by Kuzu, the duo of Hiroyuki Miyasako and Tomomitsu Yamaguchi that was formed on the then-popular variety show “One-Night R&R.” It became a hit, partly because it was used as a cheer song for the World Judo Championships, and it earned them their first and only No.
1 on the Oricon chart.
It’s an encouraging song that conveys a powerful message: take all your painful and sad experiences and turn them into your own strength.
Bridge of Gloryyuzu
It became the official theme song for NHK’s Athens Olympic broadcasts.
It’s so famous and popular that it’s almost surprising it never reached No.
1 on the Oricon chart.
Perhaps due to the commentary during the men’s team gymnastics event, it is often mistakenly referred to as “Eikō e no Kakehashi” or “Eikō no Kakehashi.”
BUMP to youKetsumeishi
This is Ketsumeishi’s 10th single.
It’s said to have been created with the film Saturday Night Fever in mind, resulting in a relaxed, danceable track with a disco sound.
It also drew attention for having the choreography in the music video handled by Papaya Suzuki.