[2013 Japanese Hit Songs] Masterpieces that Colored the Ama-chan Boom, Group Popularity, and the Band Scene
Japan’s music scene in 2013 was truly a year of “diversity” and “phenomena.” The smash hit NHK morning drama Amachan sparked a social phenomenon, with its insert song Shiosai no Memory and its theme song, ushering in a revival boom of 1980s idol pop.
Meanwhile, the idol warring era—led by the AKB48 groups—reached its peak, and Koi Suru Fortune Cookie became a nationally beloved dance song.
In the rock band scene, acts like SEKAI NO OWARI and CreepHyp rose to prominence, with new talent blossoming one after another.
The expansion of the digital distribution market also accelerated, marking a turning point in how people listened to music.
In this article, we look back at the hit songs that colored 2013—from award-winning works to timeless karaoke favorites.
- Hit J-Pop songs of 2014: recommended classics and popular tracks
- 2012 Hit Song Rankings! A roundup of nostalgic classics all at once
- Hit J-Pop songs of 2015. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- Cool songs of the Heisei era. Hit tracks that energized the times.
- Japanese Music of the 2000s: Revival Included! A J-POP Hit Song Special
- Heisei-era masterpieces revisited through the hit songs of 2001
- [Hit Songs of 2010] A Roundup of Nostalgic Japanese Tracks!
- AKB48’s classic and hit songs: Relive your youth! A comprehensive introduction to their popular tracks
- 2003 J-Pop hit songs special: the golden age of music when diversity blossomed
- [Also for year-end parties and karaoke song choices] Anime songs that were popular in 2023
- Hit songs that colored 2011! Timeless tracks that bring back those days
- [2010–2019] A roundup of theme songs from popular dramas
- Songs that were popular in 2020. A roundup of hit songs from Reiwa 2.
[2013 J-Pop Hits] Masterpieces That Colored the Ama-chan Boom, Group Popularity, and the Band Scene (31–40)
Mystery VirginYamada Ryosuke
Ryosuke Yamada, a central member of Hey! Say! JUMP, achieved annual sales of 220,000 copies with his solo single.
I can’t speak to how he feels about it, but for a member of a group that isn’t yet as popular as SMAP or Arashi to go solo and sell this much, it can be said he has delivered solid results.
Calling×Breathlessarashi
It was a milestone year in which Arashi, who had been competing with AKB in the rankings for years, were defeated by the dark horse, EXILE.
Even so, they sold around 900,000 copies, which I think is more than enough by the standards of ordinary artists or idols.
GirlHata Motohiro
The artist who took first place in the annual J-Pop rankings on cable radio was Motohiro Hata.
Since he didn’t make the top 50 in the sales rankings, you could say this is popularity unique to cable radio, but I think rankings other than sales are also important points of reference.
Contrarian / A view you can find only hereKanjani Eito (Eito)
As an idol group from Johnny & Associates, they occupy a position similar to that of SMAP.
The members are steadily establishing themselves in the entertainment industry, with some even hosting variety shows.
This song shows a different side of them compared to their previous work, so I recommend it.
Red ShoesSalley
This anime theme song is ranked second in the annual USEN charts.
I used to think it was hard for anime themes to make it onto USEN, so I can now confidently say that anime songs are definitely growing in popularity.
Songs paired with anime might be a new style of music.
[2013 Japanese Hit Songs] The Ama-chan boom, group popularity, and classic tracks that colored the band scene (41–50)
Selfish, carefree, a joke of love / Army of loveMōningu Musume.
Even Morning Musume, who hadn’t appeared in the annual singles rankings for some time, made a comeback and ranked.
They were a group that once recorded huge hits, but lately I had the impression they were far behind AKB.
However, in 2013 they made a comeback, and we can look forward to their future success.
GIVE ME LOVE2PM
They’re a South Korean female idol group.
Compared with AKB, they feel more polished and have the vibe of American or Western idol groups.
They can’t compete in sales at all, but they still have their own strengths, and making it onto the annual singles chart is impressive.