Nostalgic Yet Everlasting: Classic Hits by 1990s Idol Singers
In recent years, 80s idols have often been featured again thanks to the renewed interest in Showa-era pop, but 90s idol singers are incredibly appealing too!
In this article, we’ll spotlight the hit songs and classics by idol singers who were active in the 1990s.
It was a time when Japan’s pop scene grew even more vibrant, right at the peak of CD sales—many of you probably listened to these tracks in your car stereos.
From cute tunes to cool tracks, the catchy 90s vibe really shines through.
There are plenty of familiar hits as well, including debut songs by actresses you still see often in TV dramas today.
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- Thrilling to Cool Showa-Era Tunes! Classic Songs from Female Singers and Artists of the Showa Period
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- 1990s J-Pop to listen to in summer: classic and hit summer songs
- Looking back at the gem-like debut songs of female singers who debuted in 1990
- A must-see for people in their 30s and 40s! A roundup of nostalgic 1990s commercial jingles
- Tear-jerking J-pop from the ’90s. Hit songs and real tearjerkers.
- Hits that resonate across generations! Popular 1990s songs on TikTok
- [Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs that defined the 1990s. Recommended J-POP classics.
[Nostalgic Yet Timeless] Classic and Hit Songs by 1990s Idol Singers (11–20)
NO TITLISTMiyazawa Rie
Rie Miyazawa is now best known as an actress, but she also left behind a wealth of remarkable work as a musician.
“NON TITLIST” is a uniquely individual track—a bundle of personality—with a curious rhythm that can sound like either triple or quadruple time, lyrics that still feel natural today, a melody that seems familiar yet exists nowhere else, and a strange blend of digital and analog sounds.
The fact that there were virtually no songs like it before or after speaks for itself.
The composer was Tetsuya Komuro—a genius whose expressive power overflowed to the point that it sometimes felt like he wrote half the hits of that era.
Be sure to experience Komuro’s music for yourself.
Self ControlAsaka Yui
A 1990 classic whose highly polished arrangement shines—sitting squarely between the vibe of 1980s hard rock, 1990s visual-kei rock, and the long-running tradition of Showa-era idol songs.
In the early Heisei years, the aftereffects of the American women’s liberation movement still lingered in Japan, making it a time when works featuring strong female figures stood out, and when messages like “believe in yourself” began to proliferate.
It’s a song that seems to reveal the resolve of people moving beyond the frenzy of the bubble era and into the next age.
5 seconds before I fall seriously in loveHirosue Ryōko
Here’s the debut single by Ryoko Hirosue, who is now thriving as an actress.
It’s a song where you can still enjoy the hint of boyishness in her voice.
Released in 1997, it was used in a pager commercial—one of those nostalgic gadgets now.
It’s said she sang this track with little formal vocal training, but that straightforward voice is actually part of its charm.
Mariya Takeuchi wrote and composed the song and also seems to have provided some vocal coaching.
How luxurious!
Longing, poignancy, and strength of heartShinohara Ryoko with t.komuro
When the so-called Komuro Sound swept through the world, Japan seemed to be resisting something while savoring the lingering scent of the bubble era.
I always felt that Tetsuya Komuro’s songs held both glamour and a kind of heart-tightening ache at the same time—how did they sound to you? Ryoko Shinohara, who had also appeared on variety shows, suddenly showed a stern expression and powerfully embodied a stylish, cool image of womanhood in this song, “Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to” (“Love, Sadness, and Strength”).
Its strong impact from the hook right at the start and its easy-to-sing minimal modulation made it instantly likable, and before anyone knew it, it became a defining hit of its era.
Even now, it’s a track that radiates the strength of women.
Be sure to compare it with her self-cover, “Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to 2023,” released in 2022.
I BELIEVEKahara Tomomi
When looking back on the 1990s, this song is impossible to forget.
It’s a quintessential ballad that embodies 1990s J-pop no matter how you slice it—practically a textbook example of the genre.
The lyrics and composition were done by Tetsuya Komuro.
Thanks to this song, Kahala became a major star, and she continues to be active as a TV personality today.
In 1995, the year the song was released, Japan was in the midst of great turmoil, with major incidents and disasters occurring one after another.
Perhaps because of that backdrop, a portion of the proceeds was donated to relief efforts for the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
wailing in griefKudō Shizuka
When it comes to bubbly-era fashion, makeup, and hairstyles, it’s no exaggeration to say that Shizuka Kudo is their very symbol.
She has also left behind numerous hit songs as a musician, and even now you can hear her voice in various places like TV and radio.
‘Dōkoku’ was the theme song for the TV drama ‘Ano Hi ni Kaeritai,’ in which she herself appeared, and rather than being a flashy, high-energy dance number, it sounds more like a Heisei-era girls’ pop tune that brings ZARD to mind.
[Nostalgic Yet Timeless] Classic and Hit Songs by 1990s Idol Singers (21–30)
I want to love rather than be lovedKinKi Kids
Released in November 1997, this is KinKi Kids’ second single.
It was written as the theme song for the NTV drama “Bokura no Yuuki: Miman City,” starring Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto in dual lead roles.
Coming right after their debut single “Garasu no Shonen” sold around two million copies, it was truly a make-or-break release.
The lyrics were penned by Hiromi Mori, with music composed by Koji Makaino.
Set to a sleek, urban dance beat, it powerfully portrays a young person’s resolve to take the initiative in love rather than remain passive.
Even while chafing at a reality that doesn’t go their way, the determination to keep moving forward by continuing to care for someone is deeply affecting.
It debuted at No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and became a hit with cumulative sales topping 1.64 million.
It’s a song I’d especially recommend to anyone who feels clumsy in love but wants to take that first step.