A Collection of Hit Japanese Songs from the Late 1970s to 1980s
When we think of the late Showa era (the late 1970s to 1980s), it was a time when Japan had successfully achieved postwar recovery from World War II and was rapidly heading into the bubble economy—a period brimming with energy.
In music, too, it felt like an era when entirely new sounds and expressive techniques emerged in music production, thanks to the development and spread of synthesizers and sequencers, as well as advances in multitrack recorders.
Perhaps reflecting that backdrop, the charts were a dazzling free-for-all, with hit songs blooming in profusion across a vast range of genres—from enka to New Music.
Amid such fierce competition, many masterpieces have survived and continue to be enjoyed to this day.
I hope you’ll take pleasure in listening to them.
- Hit songs in Japan in the late 1960s
- Good songs recommended for people in their 50s: classic and popular J-pop tracks.
- Classic and hit songs by nostalgic Japanese idols from the 1970s
- Nostalgic Japanese hit songs from the 1960s. A collection of popular Showa-era classic melodies.
- Classic and hit Japanese pop songs from the nostalgic 1960s
- Cool songs from the Showa era. Masterpieces from Showa that shine with sensuality, passion, and rugged charm.
- Now’s the time to listen! Uplifting Showa-era songs that brightened Japan
- Popular Showa-era pop. Timeless hit songs.
- Dance music in Japanese (J-pop) that people in their 50s used to listen to. Nostalgic classic hits.
- Nostalgic yet fresh!? Classic masterpieces of Japanese rock from the 1970s and 1980s
- Heart-touching, tear-jerking masterpieces from the Showa era
- So nostalgic it feels new? Showa retro classics that colored Japan’s period of rapid economic growth
- [Nostalgic Hits] Smash Hits with the Showa Generation! Classic and Popular Songs Sung by Female Vocalists
[The 1975–1984 era] Summary of Japanese hit songs (1–10)
You are more beautiful than a rose.Fuse Akira
This was Akira Fuse’s 42nd single overall, released in January 1979 (Showa 54).
It was used as the commercial song for Kanebo Cosmetics’ spring campaign that year.
Incidentally, the composer was Mickey Yoshino, the keyboardist of Godiego, who were at the height of their popularity at the time.
Members of Godiego also took part in performing the backing track.
It’s a masterpiece in which Fuse’s slightly canzone-like, dynamic vocals shine over a bright, refreshing melody that evokes the spring sunshine.
You don’t see many singers in this style nowadays, so in that sense as well, it’s a song that deserves to be reappraised in our time.
UFOpinku redii
Released in December 1977 as the sixth single by Pink Lady, one of the biggest idols of the Showa era.
It topped the Oricon charts for 10 consecutive weeks and became a million-selling hit.
I was in elementary school when this song came out, and I remember the girls in my class lining up to sing and dance to it.
In addition to the duo’s outstanding vocal skills, the synthesizer sound—evoking the arrival of a UFO—felt remarkably fresh.
It might be fun for readers to try singing and dancing to this song again at karaoke after a long time, don’t you think?
Words of FarewellKaientai
It’s the 16th single by Kaientai, led by Tetsuya Takeda, released in November 1979 (Showa 54)… But rather than explaining it that way, it’s quicker to say it was the theme song for the first season of the Showa-era mega-hit drama “Mr.
Kinpachi: Class 3-B”! When the show aired, I was still in sixth grade, and I vividly remember bursting into tears the moment this song played at my elementary school graduation ceremony.
I’m sure many people who lived through that time in real time had similar experiences.
Perhaps because of that, even more than 40 years after its release, it remains one of the classic songs for graduation ceremonies.
It’s a wonderfully warm masterpiece from the Showa era!
[Showa 50s] Summary of Hit Japanese Songs (11–20)
From the northern innMiyako Harumi
This was Harumi Miyako’s 67th single, released in December 1975 (Showa 50).
It’s a song that has earned timeless acclaim as a masterpiece of enka and Showa-era pop.
In terms of sales, it became a major hit, recording over 1.4 million copies sold.
With a heartrending melody and lyrics that conjure vivid scenes just by listening, Harumi Miyako delivers a deeply moving performance with exceptional vocal skill and expressive power.
It’s a classic that we truly want to pass on to future generations.
TechnopolisIerō Majikku Ōkesutora (YMO)
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO)’s first single, released in October 1979 (Showa 54).
The sound of the word “Tokio,” which was likely created with a vocoder (a synthesizer that processes a voice through a microphone), is incredibly striking.
I still remember hearing this song on FM radio at the time and immediately rushing to the record store to buy it.
Listening again now to write this piece, I’m reminded of how captivating the sounds of those analog synthesizers were.
They have a certain organic expressiveness you don’t find in today’s digital synthesizers.
A classic of Japanese technopop—please enjoy!
A Smile in Returnkyandīzu
This was also the last single released during the active years of Candies, another major idol group of the Showa era, put out in February 1978 (Showa 53).
Being a song produced as their final single, it truly serves as a culmination of Candies’ work: the lyrics are sprinkled with titles of their past hits, and the choreography incorporates many motifs from the dances used in those songs.
It’s a bright, major-key tune, yet it still evokes a certain wistfulness as you listen—an irresistibly clever touch.
The trio’s superb chorus work is outstanding as well!
YosakuKitajima Saburō
A single by Saburō Kitajima, released in March 1978 (Showa 53).
Anyone who lived through that era in real time has surely heard this classic of the Showa period! With a simple melody reminiscent of folk songs and a host of striking onomatopoeic phrases in the lyrics, combined with Kitajima’s outstanding vocal prowess, it became a long-selling, smash hit beloved across generations.
Beyond Kitajima himself, numerous artists have covered it, and even video games—presumably inspired by the song’s success—have been released, underscoring its powerful influence.
It’s a Showa classic that’s fun to sing along to, even if you just join in on the onomatopoeic parts!