A masterpiece of Japanese rock. Recommended albums you should listen to at least once.

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.
Music writer / guitarist / Certified web writing practitionerHoshino Takashi
Drawing on over 30 years of experience with guitars and bands since my high school days, I specialize in music-related articles and have handled many feature pieces to date. While my tastes lean toward genres like hard rock and heavy metal since I first picked up the guitar, I make a point of listening to a wide range of styles, both Japanese and Western, on a daily basis. I began working as a freelance writer in 2018. I hold a Web Writing Practical Certification, and in addition to writing, I’m also studying video editing. In my private life, I’m raising an elementary school child and stay active while supporting their extracurriculars, such as parkour and dance.

In recent years, with the spread of subscription services, we have fewer opportunities to listen to music through complete albums compared to the past.

It’s often said that albums are filled with an artist’s intentions and feelings—from the track order to the musical tone—and what they wanted to express at that particular moment.

So this time, we’re introducing albums that are considered classics of Japanese rock.

We’ve picked selections ranging from artists everyone knows to those with devoted core fans, spanning multiple generations.

We hope this gives you a reason to revisit old favorites or discover new artists.

Masterpieces of Japanese rock: Recommended albums you should listen to at least once (21–30)

kyōgenAdo

[Ado] Shut Up

kyōgenAdo

Ado’s major debut album, which sparked a social phenomenon from her very first release.

Featuring 14 tracks, it was released in January 2022 and topped the Oricon year-end album chart.

Created with an all-star lineup of producers including Giga and TeddyLoid, the album is characterized by songs that incorporate elements of J-pop and rock.

The world it weaves—powered by overwhelming vocal prowess and cynical lyrics—grabs listeners’ hearts and never lets go.

It’s the kind of album you’ll want to blast at high volume when you need to blow off steam or reset your mood.

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TreeSEKAI NO OWARI

Dragon Night

TreeSEKAI NO OWARI

The third studio album by SEKAI NO OWARI, a four-member coed band known for their fantastical worldview and diverse musicality.

Released in January 2015, the album achieved major success, including reaching No.

1 on the Oricon album chart.

It features some of the band’s signature tracks such as “RPG” and “Snow Magic Fantasy,” covering a wide range of genres from J-pop to rock.

It also includes a tie-in song used as the theme for the film “Princess Jellyfish.” This album is packed with the appeal of SEKAI NO OWARI’s music and is highly recommended for those who want to immerse themselves in a magical world or enjoy a rich variety of sounds.

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In conclusion

This time we introduced classic albums of Japanese rock—what did you think? By listening to a whole album, you can get a sense of the artist’s true character that you can’t see from just the hit songs.

If there are any albums you haven’t heard yet, please take this opportunity to give them a listen.