A special feature on classic and hit songs by bands that were active in the 1980s
Speaking of the 1980s—especially the latter half—it was a time when many rock bands that would later rise to prominence made their debuts, laying the groundwork for the band boom that swept the early ’90s.
This time, we’ll introduce some classic songs by bands that were active in the ’80s.
If you watch footage of them from back then without having experienced it in real time, you might be surprised by their fashion and hairstyles.
But including their flamboyant “rock fashion,” please enjoy the sounds of the 1980s that led to the golden age of Japanese rock.
- Nostalgic yet fresh!? Classic masterpieces of Japanese rock from the 1970s and 1980s
- Debut song of a Japanese band from the 80s
- Classic and hit songs by nostalgic Japanese bands from the 1990s
- 1980s: Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Classic and Hit Songs
- Classic and hit Japanese pop songs from the nostalgic 80s
- [Nostalgic Classics] Hit Japanese Love Songs from the 1980s
- Debut song of an 80s visual-kei band
- Masterpieces and hit songs of 80s Japanese pop (kayōkyoku)
- A collection of nostalgic Japanese hit songs from the 1980s that still linger in our ears
- Top Male Singer-Songwriter Hits of the 1980s: Ranking [2026]
- Cool band: A rock band that represents Japan
- Cool songs from the Showa era. Masterpieces from Showa that shine with sensuality, passion, and rugged charm.
- Classic nostalgic summer hits from the ’80s. A roundup of summer songs.
Featured Classics & Hit Songs by Bands Active in the 1980s (131–140)
A Tearful RequestChekkāzu
It was released in 1984 as The Checkers’ second single.
It became The Checkers’ first major hit, and the song’s success led to their schedules being packed, leaving them no private time, causing a shortage of recording time, and subjecting them to idol-like treatment—triggering ongoing struggles with the gap from their amateur days.
Serves-You-Right Hotheaded GirlGO-BANG’S
GO-BANG’S was a three-member girls’ band that debuted in 1983, when girl bands were booming, and all the members were from Hokkaido.
When the late Kiyoshiro Imawano of RC Succession visited Hokkaido, he happened to hear their recording and liked it, which gave them the confidence to move to Tokyo.
The song in the video was used as the opening theme for the Kansai variety show “Zamaa KANKAN!” and boosted their recognition in the Kansai region.
Currently, they are active as the solo project of vocalist Kaori Moriwaka.
Under the Big Onion ~ Distant Feelingsbakufū suranpu
It was released in 1989 as Bakufu Slump’s 15th single.
This song is a remake of “Under the Big Onion,” which was included on Bakufu Slump’s second album, “Shiawase.” The “big onion” refers to the ornamental onion-shaped finial (shibi/giboshi) on the roof of the Nippon Budokan.
In conclusion
We’ve just introduced a slew of hit songs by bands from the ’80s.
For those who lived through that era, they’re surely nostalgic; for those who didn’t experience it in real time, they may even feel fresh in their own way.
Back then, music wasn’t as firmly established as a business as it is today, and the music scene and charts were a mix of many different artists.
Perhaps it was precisely because of that era that so many timeless classics were born.
Be sure to find a favorite track of your own.