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Lovely hit song

A collection of hit songs and classics that opened the door to 1990s Visual Kei

The visual kei rock scene is buzzing with many up-and-coming bands, but there’s no doubt its peak boom was in the 1990s.

It’s true that X (X JAPAN) laid the groundwork, LUNA SEA presented one vision of completion, and many subsequent bands followed.

At the same time, distinctive acts also thrived—such as BUCK-TICK, rooted in gothic rock, and the uniquely evolved “Nagoya-kei.”

Let’s take a look at some classic songs from 1990s visual kei rock!

We’ve also included early masterpieces from bands that are still popular today.

Hit Songs and Masterpieces That Opened the Door to 1990s Visual Kei (41–50)

Sweet Trap of Damagemedia youth

The sweet trap of media youth Damage
Sweet Trap of Damagemedia youth

This is a song by a band that Heath from X Japan was once a member of, and it became the theme song for the anime Lupin the Third: Dead or Alive.

Although they were expected to be successful, they then remained silent for two years.

They restarted in 1998, but effectively disbanded in 1999 due to a member’s departure.

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A collection of hit songs and classics that opened the door to 1990s Visual Kei (51–60)

in heavenBUCK-TICK

This early BUCK-TICK classic features an impressive sound that fuses power pop and post-punk.

It paints a sharp, decadent world where a heaven-like bliss mingles with the fragility and poignancy that come with it.

That yearning for a place just out of reach is something anyone can relate to.

The track appears on the June 1988 album Seventh Heaven.

Although it wasn’t released as a single, its lyrical melody has continued to capture fans’ hearts.

The nostalgic atmosphere that drifts through the driving beats is enough to make your chest tighten.

On a night when you’re lost in thought, if you listen in a slightly sentimental mood, you’ll find yourself deeply immersed in its beautiful world.

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so….D’ERLANGER

This is a D’ERLANGER track notable for its gothic, decadent atmosphere.

It’s one of the songs included on their first major-label album, Basilisk, released in March 1990, and kyo’s languid vocals convey the protagonist’s emotions as they waver within a fleeting, precarious relationship.

The sense of nihilism and impatience lurking beneath the beauty is sure to deeply move listeners.

In 2010, it was re-recorded for their self-cover collection a Fabulous Thing in Rose.

How about giving it a careful listen on a night when you want to step away from everyday life and sink into a slightly sentimental mood?

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Precious…LUNA SEA

It’s a song brimming with rough-hewn charm, honed on stage since their indie days and beloved by fans.

The sound—where the decadent beauty of gothic rock fuses with the impulsive energy of punk—can be called the very essence of LUNA SEA’s early drive.

As the title “Taisetsu na…” (“Precious…”) suggests, RYUICHI’s emotive vocals earnestly convey the longing and pain for an irreplaceable presence that has been lost.

The track is included on their debut album “LUNA SEA,” released in April 1991.

Though an indie release, it became a signature song on a landmark record that sold over 30,000 copies in its first pressing.

If you want to step into the dark, multilayered world of ’90s visual kei, why not open that door with this track?

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seraphMALICE MIZER

This is a track distinguished by its noble, full-bodied programmed sound crafted by guitarist Közi.

The lyrics portray a forbidden longing for an angelic being and a fierce inner struggle so intense that the singer wishes for their very existence to be erased because of this love.

Such pure, heartrending expressions of love are bound to profoundly move listeners.

The song appears on the mini-album “mémoire,” released in July 1994, a classic that was limited to 3,000 copies at the time.

It offers a glimpse into the origins of MALICE MIZER’s tragic yet beautiful aesthetic.

On a quiet night, it might be lovely to sink into this grand tale as if you were reading a piece of Gothic fiction.

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QueenROUAGE

Shifting from a dreamy intro to piercing, razor-sharp guitar riffs, this is ROUAGE’s major-label debut that epitomizes the Nagoya scene.

The world the song paints—evoking the glamour of a solitary “queen” and the loneliness and inner conflict lurking behind it—is striking, isn’t it? KAZUSHI’s vocals, resonating from deep within, further accentuate its decadent beauty.

Many listeners will likely relate to the duality of light and shadow that everyone carries somewhere in their hearts.

Released in April 1996, the track also reached living rooms nationwide as the ending theme of TV Asahi’s music program “mew.” It’s the perfect song for nights when you want to step away from the everyday and immerse yourself in a slightly dark, decadent tale.

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Fallen Angel BLUEΛucifer

Even knowing it’s a forbidden love, I can’t stop yearning for them.

That searing passion is what Λucifer captured in their debut release from September 1999.

Used as the opening theme for the TV anime “Kaikan Phrase,” the song reached No.

16 on the Oricon chart, with lyrics by Yukinojo Mori and composition by TAKUYA.

Over fierce guitars and driving drums, vocalist MAKOTO sings of an angel’s torment and ecstasy as they fall because of love.

When you want to fully immerse yourself in the decadent yet beautiful aesthetic of visual kei, this track is guaranteed to set your heart trembling.

For many, this work became the gateway to their music—leading them to pick up the album “LIMIT CONTROL,” don’t you think?

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