SMAP, KinKi Kids, V6, TOKIO…
Idols and timeless hit songs that colored the 1990s and still shine today.
In this article, we introduce famous and hit songs by Johnny’s from the 1990s.
From carefully selected signature tracks that define each group’s image to nostalgic TV drama theme songs, we’ve gathered tunes everyone has likely heard at least once.
For those who spent their early youth in the ’90s, this playlist will be deeply nostalgic.
Be sure to listen and let it take you back to those days.
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Classic and hit songs by Johnny’s from the 1990s (1–10)
Blue LightningSMAP
Released in July 1996, SMAP’s 22nd single “Aoi Inazuma” (Blue Lightning).
With the departure of member Katsuyuki Mori, the group became five from this song onward.
It reached No.
1 on the Oricon weekly chart and sold 814,000 copies, their highest sales to date.
Although it’s a cover of a song written by Kenji Hayashida, its lyrics, which skillfully captured the mood and trends of the time, and its slightly wistful, mature melody brilliantly showcased the appeal of SMAP as a five-member group.
Let’s dance in a circle (Wasshoi)V6
“WA ni Natte Odorō” was released by AGHARTA in May 1997.
The AGHARTA version was broadcast on NHK’s TV program Minna no Uta and became a smash hit.
Two months later, in July, the V6 version was released and became an even bigger hit.
The following year, it was also selected as a theme song for the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Glass BoyKinKi Kids
“Glass Boy” (Garasu no Shōnen) is the debut single by KinKi Kids, released in July 1997.
The duo—two performers both named Dōmoto—had already gained popularity before their debut, starring in TV dramas, and the single entered the Oricon weekly chart at No.
1, marking a striking debut.
Total sales reached 1.792 million copies, the highest for a debut single, and they went on to set numerous records, including their streak of No.
1 singles being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Its catchy melody has made it widely sung and a staple in karaoke.
LOVE YOU ONLYTOKIO
TOKIO’s major-label debut single, released in 1994.
At the time, vocalist Tomoya Nagase wore short spandex—perhaps as a nod to the then wildly popular rock band Guns N’ Roses—but the song itself leaned more toward a modernized take on classic Group Sounds-style kayō-pop.
Its highest position on the Oricon charts was No.
3.
I want to love rather than be lovedKinKi Kids
“I’d Rather Love Than Be Loved” is KinKi Kids’ second single, released in November 1997.
It served as the theme song for the Nippon TV drama ‘Bokura no Yūki: Mimāntoshi,’ starring the duo, who are also active as actors.
Riding the momentum of ‘Glass no Shōnen,’ it features a memorable melody tinged with a similar sense of melancholy.
It reached No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and sold a total of 1.644 million copies.