[1970s] Classic and hit songs of Japanese rock that blazed through the dawn era
When it comes to the era that laid the foundation for Japanese rock music, isn’t it the 1970s? The musicians and bands that emerged during this time had a tremendous impact on later Japanese rock.
Here, we introduce supreme masterpieces that colored the 1970s.
From famous bands everyone knows to musicians known only to the initiated, we’ve picked a wide range—so please find the tracks that suit you.
Now, please sit back and enjoy!
- [1970s] Collection of Japanese hit songs. Nostalgic masterpieces of Japan
- Dawn of Japanese Rock: A Collection of Debut Songs by 1970s Japanese Rock Bands
- Nostalgic yet fresh!? Classic masterpieces of Japanese rock from the 1970s and 1980s
- A collection of nostalgic hit songs and classics from the 70s
- Legendary Japanese rock masterpieces and hit songs of the 1960s
- Nostalgic Japanese hit songs from the 1970s: the golden age of idols and kayōkyoku (Japanese pop songs)
- The 1970s were the golden age of Western rock! Recommended classics and hit songs
- Debut songs by Japanese male artists from the 1970s
- Heart-touching, tear-jerking masterpieces from the Showa era
- [Classic Hits of the 70s] A Compilation of Western Songs Used in Commercials
- A roundup of debut songs by Japanese female artists from the 1970s
- Cool band: A rock band that represents Japan
- So nostalgic it feels new? Showa retro classics that colored Japan’s period of rapid economic growth
[1970s] Masterpieces and Hit Songs of Japanese Rock That Raced Through the Dawn (21–30)
I don’t buy lottery tickets.RC sakuseshon
RC Succession is a rock band formed around Kiyoshiro Imawano.
Even those who aren’t music fans have likely heard their countless classics, led by “Ameagari no Yozora ni.” This is their debut single, released in March 1970, where it all began.
Set to an acoustic sound, it delivers a simple yet powerful message that the greatest happiness is a love that money can’t buy—one that truly resonates.
Though rooted in their early folk style, it hints at the R&B-infused, soulful cries that would later define their rock sound.
The track is also included on the best-of album “KING OF BEST.” When you’re feeling a bit worn out by materialism, this warm song invites you to reflect on what it means to have a rich heart.
Yellow Magic CarnivalTin Pan Aree
It’s a band formed by Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Masataka Matsutoya.
You can clearly see that many bands from this era later became the pillars that laid the foundation for J-rock and pop.
This band has an extensive track record as a music production team, having performed and produced for artists like Yumi Arai and Ayumi Ishida.
Yellow Magic Carnival is included as the ninth track on the 1975 album Caramel Mama.
Its pop-oriented sound, tinged with an Oriental flavor that evokes Chinatown, matches perfectly with the light, rhyming lyrics.
It can even be considered a forerunner of techno music.
Somehow todaySUGAR BABE
This was a band centered around Tatsuro Yamashita, featuring members like Taeko Onuki and Ginji Ito—figures who later became highly influential in the Japanese music scene.
It was truly a band of virtuosos, with sound production that emphasized choral work and chord progressions.
“Kyo wa Nandaka wa” is included as the eighth track on their 1975 album, Songs.
The crisp, refreshing melody—free of the typical Japanese sentimentality characteristic of Yamashita—pairs nicely with the tightly chopped drum rhythms, which feel pleasantly snappy.
perpetual motionThe Mops
They were a band considered pioneers of Japanese psychedelia.
Hiromitsu Suzuki, who was already active as an actor at the time, served as the vocalist.
In an era when the Group Sounds boom still lingered, they experimented with various approaches in their songs—one example being their hit “Gekkō Kamen” (Moonlight Mask).
Perpetual Motion is included as the third track on the 1973 album Mops 1969–1973.
Because of their hits, they were often mistaken for a comic band, but I hope people remember that they also performed solid, straight-ahead rock songs that connect to today’s J-rock.
Monkey MagicGodiego
Godiego was a band that stood out in Japan at the time as a rare progressive group.
From 1976 to the early 1980s, they turned out a string of hits used as theme songs for commercials, TV dramas, and films.
Monkey Magic is their eighth single, released in 1978.
It was used as the theme song for the drama Journey to the West (Saiyūki).
The innovative choice by this popular band to sing entirely in English blended well with the tech-rock sound tinged with an oriental flavor, creating a song that evokes the distant, foreign landscapes of the Journey to the West world.