[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.
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- [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
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- Hit songs that colored 2011! Timeless tracks that bring back those days
- Songs that were popular in 2020. A roundup of hit songs from Reiwa 2.
- [2010–2019] A roundup of theme songs from popular dramas
[2013 J-Pop Hits] Masterpieces That Colored the Ama-chan Boom, Group Popularity, and the Band Scene (31–40)
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.
WORLD QUESTNEWS
I personally know this Johnny’s talent agency idol group because one of the members serves as a newscaster on a news program.
He comes across as a serious young man, so I personally expect a big hit, but at the moment something seems to be missing, and their ranking isn’t doing well.
Sayonara CrawlAKB48
AKB48’s momentum showed no signs of slowing down in 2013.
This song recorded an overwhelming sales figure of over 1.9 million copies, and they monopolized the annual singles chart from first to fourth place.
Even if handshake event tickets have a big effect, it’s still amazing that they keep selling so much every year.
BURNING UPEXILE TRIBE (Sandaime J Soul Brothers VS GENERATIONS)
I think it’s hard for anyone who isn’t a fan to keep track, since more and more spin-off groups and members are being added to the EXILE-related acts to compete with idols from AKB and Johnny’s.
Also, the songs have a similar style, which is unfortunate, but I can feel their determination.
Melon juiceHKT48
This group is also related to AKB.
Even if you don’t know the group’s name, if it’s three letters followed by numbers, you can tell it’s AKB-related, so in that sense it’s easy to understand even for non-fans.
The song can be described as a dazzling track that’s full-on idol style.