[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
- 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 Japanese Hit Songs] The Ama-chan boom, group popularity, and classic tracks that colored the band scene (41–50)
Slave to chocolateSKE48
This group may be overshadowed by AKB and Arashi, but they’ve steadily matured year after year for many years.
Without those two giants, they would undoubtedly have topped the annual singles chart, so fans must have mixed feelings.
The Stinging FlowerNot yet
The 50th spot in the 2013 single sales ranking goes to an idol group called Not yet.
It sold about 130,000 copies, and I think everyone suspects that if AKB didn’t include handshake tickets, they might only sell about this much as well.
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.
In conclusion
2013 was a year when we were obsessed with Ama-chan, danced to Koi Suru Fortune Cookie, and got hyped at karaoke.
It was a vibrant year filled with the energy of music connecting people and creating social phenomena.
It might be nice to soak in the hit songs of 2013 while recalling the excitement of those days.