[Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs that defined the 1990s. Recommended J-POP classics.
When you think of the Japanese music scene of the ’90s, what kind of sounds come to mind? It was an era when million-selling hits kept emerging and CD sales marked a golden age for the music industry.
Hit songs poured from TV and radio into the streets, and everyone was humming the same tunes.
From guitar rock to dance music, from the Shibuya-kei movement to the Being-kei style, a wide variety of genres coexisted, each shining with its own unique brilliance in the ’90s.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of hit songs that colored that rich musical scene.
For those who lived through the era, they’ll feel nostalgic; for first-time listeners, they’ll sound fresh.
Please take your time and enjoy.
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[Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs representing the 1990s. Recommended J-POP classics (71–80)
Movin’ on without youUtada Hikaru
This is Hikaru Utada’s second single, released in February 1999 while the shock of her debut had yet to fade.
Set to an up-tempo dance sound, the mature lyrical worldview—unbelievable for a 15-year-old—once again left the public in awe.
The lyrics depict a firm resolve to end a relationship and set out alone.
The faint sorrow that seeps through beneath that bold attitude is the part that tightens your chest.
The song was a lead single from the classic album First Love and became her first Oricon No.
1 hit.
It was also well known as a Nissan commercial song.
RESPECT the POWER OF LOVEAmuro Namie
After returning from maternity leave, Namie Amuro’s 13th single, released in March 1999, is a powerful anthem that stirs the listener’s soul.
Sung over a grand, gospel-infused sound, it delivers a universal message of believing in the power of love and facing adversity head-on.
The song’s overwhelming vitality fused with her commanding vocals gives listeners the courage to live.
It was also featured in a KOSE “VISEE” commercial and included on the acclaimed album GENIUS 2000.
The fact that Amuro herself said, after overcoming the tragedy that occurred on the release day, “I’m truly glad it was this song,” speaks to the depth of its message.
SquallMatsumoto Eiko
Eiko Matsumoto is a singer known for her exquisitely clear, translucent voice.
This song—written and composed by Masaharu Fukuyama—portrays a woman’s delicate feelings as a sudden rainstorm unlocks the love she had tucked away.
Released in September 1999 as her second single, it was featured as an insert song in Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Perfect Love!” Its heartrending worldview resonated with the story and became a major talking point.
The gentle interplay of piano and strings evokes the crisp air after the rain.
It’s a gem of a ballad you’ll want to listen to quietly when you’re in a sentimental mood.
[Heisei Retro] Hit Japanese songs that defined the 1990s: Recommended J‑Pop classics (81–90)
LOVE〜Destiny〜Hamasaki Ayumi
Ayumi Hamasaki, who enjoyed immense popularity in the 1990s as a style icon for junior and senior high school girls and dominated the J-pop scene as the Heisei era’s songstress.
Her seventh single, released in April 1999, was a milestone that earned her first No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It was also featured as an insert song in the Fuji TV drama “Semi-Double.” Written by Ayumi Hamasaki and composed by Tsunku♂, this ballad portrays the helpless, heartrending feelings of two people drawn together by fate.
Her emotionally rich vocals, carried by a beautiful piano melody, deeply move the hearts of listeners.
TO BEHamasaki Ayumi
Released in May 1999 as Ayumi Hamasaki’s eighth single, this work reached a peak position of No.
4 on the Oricon chart.
Beneath its dazzling, pop-infused sound lies a philosophical message that steps back to observe the self and questions the meaning of life.
It was featured in JT’s “Momo no Tennen-sui” commercial, and many may remember the ad in which Hamasaki herself appeared.
Later included on the acclaimed album LOVEppears, this track is one that stays by your side on nights when you quietly face yourself at a crossroads in life.
HEAVENFukuyama Masaharu
A passionate rock number that exudes a dangerous allure.
Released in November 1999, it’s a track included on Masaharu Fukuyama’s single.
Chosen as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “OUT: The Crimes of Wives,” it resonated perfectly with the show’s thrilling atmosphere.
The song portrays the “dependence” of drowning in an irresistible attraction and the “struggle” of being unable to escape it.
Fukuyama’s lustrous vocals dramatize the bittersweet emotions—like shuttling between heaven and hell.
It’s no wonder it topped the Oricon weekly chart and sold approximately 800,000 copies in total—an iconic song brimming with adult sophistication.
Sorrow like snowHamada Shogo
The No.
2 spot on the 1992 singles chart was taken by Shogo Hamada.
At the time, I remember thinking it was a somewhat unexpected artist to be so popular, but listening again now, it feels like a timeless song—almost Beatles-like in its universality.