A medley of crowd-pleasing classics. Iconic Japanese songs and recommended popular tracks.

EverythingMISIA

MISIA – Everything （Official HD Music Video）

It’s the theme song of the drama “Yamato Nadeshiko,” which holds the record as the last million-selling hit of the 20th century.

It’s a love ballad from a woman to the man she cherishes, but there seems to be a near-yet-distant feeling between them—she wants to see him, yet can’t.

The lyrics carry a lingering sense of melancholy that’s striking, and it’s been described as a song about an affair as well as a long-distance relationship.

Tomorrow never knowsMr.Children

Mr.Children "Tomorrow never knows" Tour 2015 Incomplete Live

It’s also the biggest hit by the legendary band Mr.

Children, which was used as the theme song for the drama “Wakamono no Subete” starring former SMAP member Takuya Kimura, Masato Hagiwara, Anju Suzuki, and others.

The chorus line “Beyond the endless darkness…” is especially memorable.

DiamondsPRINCESS PRINCESS

[MV] Diamonds / Misaki Aono

A signature song by Princess Princess (abbreviated as Puri-Puri), pioneers of girls’ bands who were active from the 1980s to the 1990s.

It was a long-running hit, staying on the Oricon charts for 67 weeks.

The track that ignited the Puri-Puri boom.

Moon DropsRUI

Tsukino Shizuku

It’s the theme song for the film Yomigaeri and was released under the character’s name.

I think it’s a beautiful song in which the feelings for someone you can no longer meet and the words you wish you could tell them intertwine.

Although there wasn’t much promotional effort at the time of release, it reportedly became a huge hit thanks to the synergy with the movie.

STEADYSPEED

04 STEADY

This is a famous song by SPEED that was used as the theme song for the youth romantic comedy drama “Itazura na Kiss,” starring Aiko Sato and Takashi Kashiwabara.

The chorus line, “Meeting you, the only one in the world, wasn’t fate,” is especially memorable.

Erotica SevenSazan Ōrusutāzu

Erotica Seven - Southern All Stars [Home Recording]

It’s a song by Southern All Stars that was used as the theme song for the drama “Devil’s Kiss,” which starred Yoshie Okuyama, Eri Fukatsu, and Takako Tokiwa.

With its rock style and catchy vibe, it was one of the nostalgic hits everyone was humming back then, and it’s still frequently sung today.

Sly womanSha ran Q

Sharan Q “Sly Woman” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

This is a representative song by the big band Sharam Q, made up of members like Tsunku, Hatake, Taisei, and Makoto, who scored smash hits in the ’90s.

They also kicked off that year’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

It’s a nostalgic old favorite known for the line, “Goodbye, arigatou, sayonara.”