Showa Era Popular Artist Rankings [2026]

Friday ChinatownYasuha29rank/position

Fly-day Chinatown / Yasuha Official Lyric Video

This is an exotic, foreign-flavored song set in Chinatown.

Known as a classic from the Showa era, it’s now very popular on Instagram Reels.

The lyrics charmingly portray a lively midnight Chinatown, bursting neon signs, and brief, serendipitous encounters with foreigners.

It was Yasuha’s debut work, released in September 1981.

Rediscovered amid the city pop revival, it also became available via digital distribution in May 2022.

The track is included on the album “TRANSIT,” and a reissued analog record was released in June of the same year.

It’s a perfect pick when you want to feel a touch of the exotic or enjoy the Showa vibe.

It’s also highly popular on Instagram Reels.

GLORIAZIGGY30rank/position

ZIGGY「GLORIA」

This is the second single by the rock band ZIGGY, which has remained active and energetic to this day since forming in 1984, despite member departures, additions, returns, and periods of hiatus.

Released simultaneously with their debut single “I’M GETTIN’ BLUE,” it is also known as one of ZIGGY’s signature songs, having been used as the theme for the TV drama “Dōkyūsei” (Classmates).

Its composition combines a driving rock sound with a pop, catchy melody that carries a hint of kayōkyoku (Japanese pop) sensibility, arguably presenting rock in a more accessible way during the subsequent band boom.

A defining track for ZIGGY’s band identity, it stands as a representative rock tune of the 1980s.

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Hoshino Takashi

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atonementTeresa Ten31rank/position

atonement

This is the 14th single by Teresa Teng, the Taiwan-born singer widely known as the “Diva of Asia” both during her lifetime and after her passing.

The song won the Grand Prix at both the Japan Cable Awards and the All Japan Cable Broadcasting Awards in 1984—the premier awards of east and west—marking her first-ever double crown and cementing its status as one of her signature songs.

Her voice, at once cute and alluring, meshes with the wistfulness of the lyrics to stir the heart.

From the Showa era to today, countless artists have covered this song, and it is sure to be passed down and sung for years to come.

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Hoshino Takashi

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MasqueradeShonentai32rank/position

Masquerade Ball Shonentai 1985

Beginning with an innovative 5/4-time intro, this song portrays the true emotions lurking behind human relationships through the scene of a masquerade ball.

The repeated English phrases give it a powerful drive that awakens inner passion.

Released in December 1985, it marked the group’s first appearance at the 37th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen the following year.

The staging on the TV program “The Best Ten” also drew attention, proving the high caliber of the performance.

It’s a track distinguished by Shonentai’s sharp dance and acrobatic moves.

JUST ONE MORE KISSBUCK-TICK33rank/position

BUCK-TICK / JUST ONE MORE KISS【Victor Years】

They drew attention with their look featuring dramatically spiked-up hair, then shot straight to stardom.

Their songs, infused with the influence of British rock, all have a powerful, robust backbone.

“Trying To See the Invisible Is a Misunderstanding—It’s All a Misunderstanding” also made waves for its long title.

This track, “JUST ONE MORE KISS,” is one of their signature songs and was used in a commercial for a CD radio-cassette player released by Victor.

Many of you may remember the catchphrase, “The deep bass goes bakuchiku (BUCK-TICK).” It’s nostalgic ’80s romance rock adorned with cool words like angel, devil, and momentary.

It would be a shame not to give it a listen!

MissingKubota Toshinobu34rank/position

Toshinobu Kubota – Missing [Official Video]

This is a gem of a ballad by Toshinobu Kubota, known for his uniquely groovy style, perfect for an autumn night.

It poignantly conveys, with a soulful voice, the helpless love between a man and a woman who care deeply for each other yet can never be together.

The struggle of wanting to forget but being unable to, and the regret of wishing they had met earlier, really hits home.

The song was included on his debut album, “SHAKE IT PARADISE,” released in September 1986, and was used as an ending theme for shows like World Pro Wrestling.

Though it wasn’t released as a single, it remains one of his most beloved signature songs.

It feels like a gentle companion to the quiet loneliness that follows the bustle of summer.

youKozaka Akiko35rank/position

Akiko Kosaka “Anata (You)” 1973

Akiko Kosaka’s debut single, released in December 1973, originated from lyrics a second-year high school student wrote in just about 20 minutes during class, paired with a melody composed at home.

It is a wistful, imagined love story that begins with the conditional phrase, “If I were to build a house.” While carefully depicting European-style scenes—crimson roses, white pansies, a fireplace, and a small door—the song quietly reflects on the memory of a love that never came true.

Hiroshi Miyagawa’s arrangement, featuring strings and an elegant piano accompaniment, adds a prayer-like warmth.

One month after its release, the song reached No.

1 on the Oricon weekly chart and held the top spot for seven consecutive weeks, becoming a major hit with total shipments exceeding two million copies.

With its drama-like development worthy of a TV theme and a gentle, singable melody, this masterpiece resonates with everyone who dreams of a peaceful life with someone dear.