Kiyoshiro Imawano’s classic and popular songs

Rock that sells millions of copies isn’t really rock.Imawano Kiyoshirō

Kiyoshiro Imawano - In the Night Sky After the Rain

Rock has the tricky aspect that when it sells well and starts pandering to listeners or becomes mainstream, it strays from the original concept of rock, doesn’t it? Perhaps the most beautiful stance is to succeed without pandering.

Isn’t Kiyoshiro Imawano one of the few musicians who managed to uphold that attitude?

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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salarymanImawano Kiyoshirō

Salaryman

Theme song of the drama “Boku no Shūshoku” (My First Job).

Kiyoshiro Imawano himself also appeared in it, and it was also Yutaka Takenouchi’s debut work.

The broadcast coincided with Japan’s employment ice age, and the calmly sung days of a salaryman, along with the final falsetto, strike the heart in a strangely poignant way.

STAND BY MEImawano Kiyoshirō

Stand By Me (Live From Nakano Sun Plaza / 1987)

The classic song “STAND BY ME,” covered by many artists around the world.

Among the versions covered by Japanese artists, the rendition by Kiyoshiro Imawano—which has garnered great popularity—was featured in a 2019 commercial for WONDA.

The fusion of the profound performances by the star-studded cast of Takeshi Kitano and Kankuro Kudo with Kiyoshiro Imawano’s “STAND BY ME” leaves a lasting impression.

Let’s meet at the racetrack.Imawano Kiyoshirō

Let's meet at the racetrack - Kiyoshiro Imawano

This is a song by Kiyoshiro Imawano, a legendary Japanese male singer-songwriter, which was tied up as the JRA commercial theme in 1994.

That year, the legendary racehorse Narita Brian won the Triple Crown, making it a memorable year even for people who aren’t horse racing fans.

Frank loveImawano Kiyoshirō

Blunt Love – Kiyoshiro Imawano & 2•3’s

This is a song by 2・3’s (pronounced “Niizans”), the first band Kiyoshiro formed after RC Succession broke up.

Kiyoshiro said that the band had a bad reputation among his existing fans, and quite a few of them drifted away.

The lineup of 2・3’s included Kenji Oshima, who later became the drummer of THE HIGH-LOWS and has been active as a producer for Fumiya Fujii.

In the night sky after the rainImawano Kiyoshirō

RC Succession – In the Night Sky After the Rain #1

Kiyoshiro Imawano’s signature song, “Ameagari no Yozora ni” (“In the Night Sky After the Rain”), is a memorable track featuring his emotive lyrics—which have influenced countless artists—and an infectious, upbeat melody.

His voice is distinctive, yet the song is known to be surprisingly easy to sing at karaoke.