From Japan! Technopop masterpieces and recommended popular tracks
Even if you have a vague image of the music genre “techno-pop,” only those quite knowledgeable about music likely know its actual origins and definition.
In fact, it’s a coined term that was created in Japan to introduce the legendary German electronic group Kraftwerk, and from the late 1970s to the early 1980s it also became a musical trend—centered around YMO—as a genre in its own right.
In this article, we’ve gathered classic tracks born during the heyday of techno-pop, which can be considered a Japan-originated movement.
The lineup also includes great contemporaneous tracks from overseas synth-pop and electro-pop, so please take a look!
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From Japan! Technopop Masterpieces: Recommended Popular Tracks (21–30)
Cosmic TreatPerfume
This is one of the tracks included on the album “Nebula Romance: Part I.” The song was selected as the ending theme for the TV anime BEYBLADE X.
It’s an electropop piece that expresses the grand theme of space with dazzling synths and a buoyant beat.
The lyrics depict a weightless world, brimming with a sense of floating that lures listeners into the extraordinary.
It’s the perfect number for when you want to indulge in daydreams.
MoonPerfume
A dance tune that blends into the city nightscape, cool yet suffused with a bittersweet emotion.
Written as the theme song for the drama “Barakamon,” it was released as a single in September 2023.
Over a sprightly beat, the faintly wistful timbre of the synths rings out—classic Perfume at their best.
Gazing at the moon alone, lost in thought—it’s the perfect companion for a sentimental night.
MegaloopPerfume
Amid the changing seasons, even while carrying a vague anxiety about the future, you find your own place alongside dear friends.
It’s a captivating pop tune that feels like a snapshot from youth.
The structure unfolds from a quiet solo part into an exhilarating unison in the chorus, making your heart leap as you listen.
Released in July 2025, this song was chosen as the theme for the drama Chihayafuru: Meguri.
It’s a message song that will lend you strength.
O SupermanLaurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson is an American-born avant-garde artist, a film director, and a pioneering figure in electronic music.
Also known as the late Lou Reed’s partner, she wears many hats, and the song that dramatically raised her profile in the mainstream is “O Superman,” which we’re focusing on here.
Released as a single in 1981, the track won fervent support from figures like the legendary British DJ John Peel and, despite its avant-garde nature, reached No.
2 on the UK Singles Chart.
It has since become a classic, inscribed as an important number in the history of technopop and electronic music.
The song makes effective use of a vocoder; its voice sits somewhere between poetry reading and melody, and the restrained synth tones create an ambient atmosphere.
Don’t expect a catchy pop tune, but if you listen repeatedly, you may come to notice the song’s peculiar charm.
Day TripperYellow Magic Orchestra
This work boldly reconstructs the Beatles’ 1965 classic as reimagined by YMO.
Included on the 1979 masterpiece Solid State Survivor, it features a groundbreaking fusion of Makoto Ayukawa’s guest guitar and an austere, mechanical synthesizer sound.
While preserving the raw energy of the original riff, Yukihiro Takahashi’s cool vocals lend an urban sheen, elevating it into a distinctly YMO technopop.
It also appears on the live album Public Pressure, underscoring its status as a key repertoire piece that captures the fervor of the time.
It’s a track I can recommend to a wide range of listeners, from rock fans to electronic music enthusiasts.