Jpop review- 80s random songs

I'm reviewing some random 80s songs. Some of these are great to listen to and sometimes even nostalgic. Around the 80s, the industry got commercial but still, there were some great songs. I purchased a CD-Climax 80s blues but since I can't read the titles, I am not reviewing all the songs. I am reviewing the ones I liked.


Misato Watanabe- My revolution
This one is a million seller composed by the legendary Tetsuya Komuro. Misato Watanabe sings it better than her other songs. The mlody is catchy and the chorus is wonderful. It was featured extensively on the japanese movie Handsome suit which I happened to watch. The song is uptempo and inspiring.
4.7/5

Seiko Matsuda- Sweet memories
Seiko Matsuda is dubbed the 'eternal idol' for her long lasting fame as an idol. Sweet memories is a ballad released by her in the 80s. It sold over 700,000. She frequently sings it in her recent television appearances including a version with Yuki of Judy and Mary and Gackt. The song is a bittersweet, slow song. A nice song.
4.3/5

Koi ni ochite ~fall in love~
This was another million seller by Akiko Kobayashi. The instrumental interlude as well as the verse are dull and boring but the song picks up when it reaches the chorus. A pleasant song.
4.5/5

Julia ni shoshin-
This is a hit rock&roll single by the famous band The Checkers with Fujii Fumiya as the lead vocalist. Fujii Fumiya sold 2 million with his solo single True love. The Checkers' style is very different from Fujii Fumiya's style. It is amusing to see Fujii Fumiya with colourful costumes, looking so young and dancing in The Checkers' live performances. This has crashing guitar and drum beats and is uptempo. It stops and starts like an old record. A nice uptempo song but takes a few listens to get used to.
4/5

Wine red no kokoro
This song is the highest selling single by Anzen Chitai composed by Inoue Yosui. Both are super hit acts. The song is typical Inoue Yosui style laid back pop song with little rock instrumental by Anzen Chitai. The chorus particularly stands out.
4.4/5

Ruby no yubiwa
A jazzy song by Akira Terao, an actor. It has gained popularity selling over a million and being covered by popular artists like Mai Kuraki and Fukuyama Masaharu. Its cover versions are better than the original.
4.2/5

Endless Rain
This does not exactly fit into the category of 80s songs even though it was released in 1989. It is a popular ballad by X Japan, the legendary visual kei band. Yoshiki composed this heartfelt ballad and Yoshiki sang it in his semi falsetto voice. The song is pretty good with a strong chorus. One of the very first ballads by X Japan. I prefer their ballads over their rock songs which often lack melody and fail to showcase Yoshiki's unparalleled composing ability. It resembles their later ballads- Tears, Forever love, longing and Dahlia. X Japan is a good band to try out.
4.5/5


Kazari ja nai no yo namida wa
Often considered Akina Nakamori's signature song, it is an uptempo song composed by Yosui Inoue. The song is good and showcases Akina's vocal abilities but the chorus arrives a bit too late.
4.2/5

Desire~jounetsu~
Another 80s hit by idol Akina Nakamori. It is uptempo and pumps enthusiasm into the listener. Typical blarring vocals and guitar are heard in this song. The verse is inaudible but the chorus is good.
4.3/5

Say yes
A popular wedding song released by Chage and Aska. It was the theme of 101st marriage proposal. I reviewed the drama earlier. The song is wonderful and truly deserves its spot among the highest selling singles of all time. Everything ranging from the piano interlude to the chorus and bridge is great. The vocals are a bit diminished but they carry off the song well.
4.8/5

Overall, some of the very good songs in the jpop industry were released in 1980. Many famous acts like X Japan, Akina Nakamori, Yumi Matsutoya etc. started their career in the 80s. 80s is a defining period in jpop music history. The pop sound we hear today was invented in the 80s.