2000s Japanese Hits | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! Exquisite Masterpieces
What kind of music were you listening to back then? The 2000s can be called a turning point for J-POP.
Theme songs from TV shows and dramas, the background music of school life, the songs we sang at karaoke—many people only need to hear them and a page of youth, etched together with the music, comes vividly back.
In this article, we present hit songs that defined the 2000s.
Shall we look back once more at the music of that special era, where nostalgia and novelty intertwined?
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2000s Japanese Hit Songs | Unforgettable Once You Hear Them! A Collection of Gemlike Masterpieces (81–90)
AM11:00HY
This signature song by HY is included as the first track on their 2003 indie studio album, Street Story.
Its refreshing melody and the harmonies woven by male and female vocals make it a memorable piece.
Boosted by the indie boom, the album went on to become a million-seller.
UnbalancedKICK THE CAN CREW
This is the eighth single by KICK THE CAN CREW, released in 2002.
It reached No.
8 on the Oricon weekly chart.
It’s a poignant tune that makes you want to listen at the end of summer.
They’ve recently reunited and seem to be popping up at various events, so it’d be great to hear this classic again.
NEO UNIVERSEL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
Released in December 1999, this upbeat pop song centers on anticipation for the year 2000 and hope for the future.
Rich in electro-pop elements, it features a distinctive, floating sound and strikingly airy falsetto vocals.
It was also used in a commercial for Shiseido’s PN lipstick brand, and received its first TV performance on January 1, 2000, during Music Station’s Millennium Special.
Set in the 25th century, the lyrics express a forward-looking mindset that remains positive even in the face of various hardships and trials.
It’s a perfect pick for anyone who wants to feel the dawn of a new era.
NukumoriMCU
This is a solo single by a former member of KICK THE CAN CREW.
His flow is characterized by not worrying much about rhymes, and as he himself says: “If you’re going to try to rhyme with the word ‘like,’ I’d rather say ‘I love you’ without rhyming.”
GLAMOROUS SKYNANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA
Marked by its grand rock sound and powerful vocals, this song was released in August 2005 as the debut single of NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA.
The composition was handled by Hyde of L’Arc-en-Ciel, with lyrics by Ai Yazawa.
Used as the image song for the film NANA, it appears in the story as a track by the protagonist’s band, Black Stones.
In its first week, it sold 120,000 copies and topped the Oricon Weekly Chart.
It went on to become a major hit, ranking 10th on Oricon’s 2005 year-end chart—the highest position for a female artist that year.
With lyrics that sing of heartbreak, nostalgia for the past, and hope for the future, this is a song that powerfully supports anyone trying to take a new step forward.
Become sharp like steelNUMBER GIRL
It’s a single released in 2000.
It’s cool from the intro all the way to the outro.
You could almost say there isn’t a band in Japan today that hasn’t been influenced by NUMBER GIRL—they’ve had that much impact on today’s bands.
I think this song is packed with everything that makes that band amazing.
2000s Japanese Hits | Unforgettable After One Listen! A Treasury of Masterpieces (91–100)
Moon DropsRUI
It’s the theme song of the film “Yomigaeri.” Released as a single by Kou Shibasaki under her character’s name, RUI, it’s a quiet and ethereal piece distinguished by lyrics sprinkled with somewhat archaic expressions like “kotonoha,” “utakata no mugen,” and “utsurinikeri na.”