A classic masterpiece of visual kei. A staple and popular song representing V-kei rock.

Visual kei rock, ignited by X JAPAN and exploding into a massive boom in the ’90s.

Though it went through a lull, today it has become a firmly established, internationally recognized genre, known abroad simply as “Visual Kei.” Encompassing everything from metal and gothic rock to classical and punk within the “visual kei” package, it enabled a wide range of expression—truly a uniquely Japanese musical genre.

This time, we’ll introduce a selection of iconic songs from visual kei bands that symbolize its history!

Playlist

A classic masterpiece of visual kei. A staple and popular song representing V-kei rock.
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	VampireJanne Da Arc		The legendary visual kei rock band, Janne Da Arc
2	ROSIERLUNA SEA		A signature song by LUNA SEA, the legendary visual kei band
3	loserArurukan		Arlequin: profound lyrics and a unique worldview
4	Yanderu GirlfriendR shitei		The power of music to heal troubled emotions
5	ALKALOIDLaputa		Dark and energetic music that portrays emotions
6	Since that day without youAcid Black Cherry		Solo project of the former vocalist of Janne Da Arc
7	Stepcali≠gari		The original and profound music of cali≠gari
8	JUPITERBUCK-TICK		A moving masterpiece themed around the death of one's mother
9	Nocturne Under the MoonMALICE MIZER		The fantastical sound world of MALICE MIZER
10	HANABI-la Grand RotationSEX MACHINEGUNS		A signature song by SEX MACHINEGUNS, intense music
11	HONEYL’Arc〜en〜Ciel		A classic by L’Arc〜en〜Ciel that captures both the sweetness and the peril of love.
12	Black Boots ~oh my friend~SOPHIA		An iconic song of friendship, loss, and the resolve to rise above grief.
13	HOWEVERGLAY		A classic of love and rebirth, a song that stays close to the heart
14	The world under the umbrellaMix Speaker’s,Inc.		A nostalgic amusement park dream tale
15	crimsonX JAPAN		X Japan’s signature song, beautiful metal music
16	The First StepADAPTER。		A fusion sound of electronica and rock
17	Phoenix 2022FANATIC◇CRISIS		Commemorative song “Hi no Tori” by FANATIC◇CRISIS
18	Pink Spiderhide with Spread Beaver		X JAPAN’s signature song is still hugely popular today.
19	VinushkaDIR EN GREY		DIR EN GREY’s masterpiece: profound lyrics and power
20	Swaying…Laputa		The Laputa classic song “Yurenagara” is captivating.
21	Rhapsody of the Autumn WindRaphael		Raphael, gone too soon: music of talent and melancholy
22	The Eye of JudgmentGARGOYLE		A metal track by Gargoyle that depicts the awakening of the spirit
23	Minorty Blue SkyUCHUSENTAI:NOIZ		A powerful rock song that cheers you on in life
24	SINDRAvistlip		Resuming activities, filled with gratitude and a sense of momentum
25	Crimson Lotusthe GazettE		the GazettE’s signature song “Guren”
26	flower burialL’Arc〜en〜Ciel		The allure of Hyde’s slicked-back eyebrows and “Kasou”
27	Effeminate; overly sentimental; being clingy/whiny (context-dependent)Gōruden Bonbā		Visual kei evolves into new musical expression
28	shoutKiryu		A moving song imbued with the emotions of the earthquake disaster
29	Tokyo Wounded Yearsnaitomea		The appeal of NIGHTMARE, the innovative band in the Visual Kei music scene
30	The place where I ought to beMUCC		MUCC, the quintessential band of the sealed-room style, and their uniqueness
31	CoyoteBUCK-TICK		A captivating work by BUCK-TICK, pioneers of the visual kei scene
32	RomancePENICILLIN		The distinctive musical style of PENICILLIN
33	kamikazeNoGoD		The skilled metal rock band NoGoD
34	TemptationGLAY		GLAY’s “Yuuwaku” ranked number one on the 1998 Oricon Year-End chart.
35	Dream ~To the Infinite Beyond~ViViD		The band’s debut song, a shocking track
36	You, who saved me as I was about to drown in a rotten sea.kagerou		A band with beautiful melodies sung by Daisuke
37	The bottom of the pitfall is a world like this.Matenrou Opera		A distinctive classic by a band with roots in heavy metal
38	Blue PlanetArisu Kyū Gō.		A passionate love story painted with a blue star
39	LieShido		SID’s signature song “Uso” features an unforgettable vocal performance.
40	AquaBlu-BiLLioN		The fish’s poignant love and the mermaid princess’s emotions are beautiful.
41	Silent JealousyX JAPAN		X JAPAN’s signature song “Silent Jealousy”
42	ASCENDEAD MASTERVersailles		A classic by a medieval-style metal band, featuring beautiful twin guitars
43	Ver Ailes: In the Blank MomentsMALICE MIZER		Explaining the GACKT era of MALICE MIZER
44	Hanging RondoMerry		Mary's Melancholy: 'Hanging Rondo'
45	The Mountain Where You Bloomcali≠gari		Darkly overturning common sense: the innovativeness of cali≠gari
46	Meteor RocketAntikku-Kohiten-		A bright visual kei opening song
47	DESPERATENOCTURNAL BLOODLUST		Authentic performance by a visual kei metal band
48	boykuroyume		Kuroyume’s uniqueness and the masterpiece quality of “Shōnen”
49	Awakening HeroismAntikku-Kohiten-		A collection of charming songs by a cute band
50	MessiahMEJIBRAY		The heavy and catchy appeal of MEJIBRAY
51	NOAHRoyz		An uplifting song that turns despair into hope
52	Where the Stars Are. -Hoshino Arika-LM.C		A fantastical, heart-stirring world of visual kei
53	Gimme GimmeSuG		Energetic and fun visual kei music
54	SinkPlastic Tree		Platuri takes on the music scene with its unique sound
55	EVOKELynch.		Lynch’s signature song “EVOKE,” a must-listen track.
56	Rusty NailX JAPAN		The enchanting fusion of synth and rock
57	XANADUSCREW		A bright melody of unrequited love, and SCREW’s debut song
58	Made in mine.BugLug		Early band song, bright and powerful
59	Sleeping BeautyAcid Black Cherry		A poignant ballad written with a dear best friend in mind
60	Whereabouts of SummerDIV		A heartwarming song that wistfully sings of the end of summer.
61	The Devil In MeDIR EN GREY		DIR EN GREY’s 34th, a song of conflict and emotion
62	Future CourseLa’cryma Christi		La’cryma’s hit song “Mirai Kouro” (Future Route)
63	Melty LoveSHAZNA		SHAZNA’s signature song “Melty Love”
64	bangyaru syndromeJinkaku Rajio		An ironic song about a band-girl groupie
65	ENDLESS RAINX JAPAN		X JAPAN’s moving heartfelt ballad
66	Forever LoveX JAPAN		The moving impact of X JAPAN’s ballad “Kurenai”
67	I’LL KILL YOUX JAPAN		X JAPAN’s legendary debut song that expresses inner anguish
68	Gunshots on the MoonDaizyStripper		Depicting the compelling dark side of a band’s song
69	marbleUNiTE.		An endless band song where personalities blend together
70	V.SBugLug		Trials and Comeback of an Indie Band
71	SUNRIZE SMILE ~Smiles Are Sparkling Bright~DOG in the Parareruwarudo Ōkesutora		Close-knit idols joyfully sing
72	Mad LollipopSEX-ANDROID		The eccentricity of white-painted bands and the high acclaim for their music
73	Hello my CloneTHE MICRO HEAD 4N’S		A moving song by former band members
74	What a wonderful worldMIYAVI		Artists from the visual kei scene who are active worldwide
75	BLOODDEATHGAZE		A down-tuning band from Nagoya
76	DEMONSBORN		A love song as vivid as bone-like strength
77	BirdKra		Bright song and fun music video
78	Nephthys feat. CazquiREVIVAL OF THE ERA		A rising symphonic metalcore band
79	Coronauchuu sentai NOIZ		A five-member rock band that protects Earth from space
80	QueenROUAGE		From a dreamlike intro, it suddenly shifts to a sharp guitar riff...
81	THE LAST SONGX JAPAN		X JAPAN’s emotional farewell song
82	ivory treeLa’cryma Christi		La’cryma Christi’s major-label debut single
83	carnationJanne Da Arc		An acoustic ballad expressing Yasu’s gratitude to his mother
84	On the morning when the maddened cicadas cried outLAB.THE BASEMENT		A poignant/sad song by Aoi Sakurai’s band cali≠gari
85	I cut the pathbaroque		BAROQUE brought the “osare-kei” style to the visual kei scene.