Lovely hit song

A collection of nostalgic Japanese hit songs from the 1980s that still linger in our ears

POPS writer/editorKEI
Since discovering music during my school days, I’ve mainly listened to Japanese and Korean pop. I have experience writing articles for sites like Utaten. 2000s J-pop and 2010s K-pop were especially the soundtrack of my youth. With the mindset that “good is good,” I enjoy music across genres. Thanks to past work environments and their influence, I was exposed to lots of classic rock and kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs), which may have broadened the scope of what I love. At RAG MUSIC, I currently focus on K-pop and J-pop. I strive to edit with a feel for the scene and an eye for hit potential.
Live Spot LugHirata Hiroyasu
I’m Hiroyasu Hirata from Live Spot RAG. When I was 15, I was blown away by how cool music—especially rock—was, and I started playing guitar and formed a band. I’m from Kochi Prefecture, where there weren’t many live houses or concert venues, so there were few opportunities to experience live music. Back then, our sources of information were magazines, CDs, and even VHS tapes (!?). Still, I was captivated by the sparkle of music, and I spent my days enjoying guitar and music, mostly neglecting my studies. I moved to Kyoto for university and “graduated” from the light music club, so to speak (laugh). Until then, I mainly listened to Japanese rock and Western hard rock, but thanks to seniors and peers I learned there was so much more music in the world. Now I listen to anything that strikes me as good, regardless of genre. After graduating, I joined RAG. After about six years in the office and about ten years in the music studio, I now work at the long-established Live Spot RAG, which has been around for 39 years, mainly handling promotions. Being exposed to the “real music” performed by Japan’s top musicians and delivering it to our audience lets me feel the brilliance of music anew every day. I still play guitar and keep a band going casually, and in recent years I’ve even started singing—better late than never. I’ve fully become an old guy by now, but I hope we can continue to chase “what lies beyond the dreams I painted with music back then” together.

Speaking of the 1980s, it was a time when countless timeless hits emerged that remain popular even today!

It was also an era filled with artists who influenced many of today’s musicians, and in many ways can be seen as the dawn of J-POP leading up to the explosive million-selling boom of the 1990s.

In this article, we’ll introduce a generous selection of especially recommended songs from the hit-packed 80s.

Please enjoy these nostalgic chart-toppers that are sure to bring back memories of the time.

Hit Japanese songs of the 1980s: a nostalgic collection of memorable classics (41–50)

FriendsREBECCA

REBECCA “Friends” Official Music Video

FriendsREBECCA

Friends is a song that remains popular as a karaoke staple: it was the ending theme for the 1985 drama “Half-Potato na Oretachi,” and a remixed version was released in 1999 as the theme song for the drama “Lipstick.” Listening to this track may bring back memories of the tender first loves many experienced in adolescence.

Rebecca performed it when they reunited for their first appearance on the 66th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, and it stands as one of the quintessential songs of the 1980s—one that nearly every woman has sung at least once.

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Dancing HeroOginome Yōko

Yoko Oginome / Dancing Hero (Eat You Up) MV [New Dance Ver.] (Short Ver.)

Dancing HeroOginome Yōko

This is a disco cover number released in 1985.

In 2017, the video of the acclaimed Takarazuka Municipal Tomioka High School Dance Club’s “Bubble Dance” became a hot topic, rekindling its popularity.

A single with a different version was released, and they also appeared on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

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I won’t lose!BARBEE BOYS

BARBEE BOYS - I Won’t Lose

I won't lose!BARBEE BOYS

It’s a very powerful band with twin vocals: Kyoko-san’s husky voice intertwined with Konta-san’s high tone.

Especially the songs from that period were all classics.

Besides this track, they also had hits like “Me o Tojite Oide yo” (“Come Here with Your Eyes Closed”).

Konta-san’s solo song “Kaesanai” (“I Won’t Let You Go Home”) was also a masterpiece.

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TOKIOsawada kenji

I can’t get this chorus melody out of my head at all (lol).

That clear voice and refreshing smile… they’re absolutely outstanding.

The sight of singing with a parachute on the back drew a lot of attention at the time.

It seems that costume cost a total of 2.5 million yen to produce back then.

This song, which kept playing during Japan’s energetic era, might be the number one of the ’80s.

Let’s listen to it and get pumped up!

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GLORIAZIGGY

ZIGGY – GLORIA

GLORIAZIGGY

It was released in 1989 as ZIGGY’s fifth single.

The song was used as the theme for the Fuji TV drama “Dō·Kyū·Sei” (Classmates), and the reissued version became a hit, selling over 300,000 copies and reaching No.

3 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

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