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 (11–20)
You are the star.Sazan Ōrusutāzu
Southern All Stars’ 49th single features multiple tie-ins, including several commercial jingles, the entrance march for the National High School Baseball Championship, and even the theme song for the Athens Olympics—several of them large-scale.
It’s a refreshing track packed with summer-related keywords that embody the band’s signature style, and its very first word, “Inamuragasaki,” evokes a sense of hometown love.
Days of Love and DesireSazan Ōrusutāzu
This is Southern All Stars’ 50th single, an upbeat disco-style track.
It reached No.
1 on both the weekly and monthly Oricon charts, which is remarkable, as it marked their fifth consecutive No.
1 since the 2003 re-release of “Katteni Sinbad.” The song was tied in as the theme for the Fuji TV drama “Ōoku: The First Chapter,” lightening the show’s deeply rooted dark aspects a bit while highlighting its powerful elements.
Before our feelings overlap…Hirai Ken
This is Ken Hirai’s 22nd single and his third song to reach number one on the Oricon Singles Chart.
It was used in a Toyota “Corolla Fielder” commercial, and eleven months after its release, it was also chosen as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Tsumiki Kuzushi Shinsō: Ano Kazoku, Sono Ato no Higeki” (The True Story of the Collapse of the Building Blocks: That Family, The Tragedy That Followed).
Close your eyesHirai Ken
Ken Hirai’s 20th single, which was chosen as the theme song for the Toho-distributed film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World.” It reached No.
1 on Oricon’s year-end chart that year and led to his appearance on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
The song has also been covered by many musicians both in Japan and abroad.
Matsuken Samba IIMatsudaira Ken
It’s an extremely famous song for being cheerful and upbeat.
Matsudaira Ken, who often played roles with a dignified, majestic presence, dances in flashy, glittering costumes—you can’t help but laugh.
At first, the track was only available from theater performances, but its popularity gradually grew to the point where he even appeared on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
To all living thingsMoriyama Naotaro
This is Naotaro Moriyama’s fifth single, which carries a somewhat mysterious worldview.
In addition to being chosen as the theme song for the drama “To the One I Love,” it was also used as an insert song in “Mr.
Kinpachi in Class 3B.” With themes like vitality and the myriad phenomena of the universe, the song feels grand yet gentle, and imbued with an unfathomable strength.
Male artist (21–30)
Marriage Fighting-Spirit March “Best Buddies”Kishidan
This is Kishidan’s sixth single.
As you can tell from the title, it’s a song with a march-like rhythm, conveying a message to a friend embarking on marriage and to the parents who have supported them.
It also has choreography, making it a wedding staple that can be used for entertainment segments.