Delve into the wonderful world of 80s Japanese Music! (A Megathread of My Favourites)

As per the request of 1_of_the_yard-wolves, I am reposting and will continuously update this text post (Original thread Here) (This is a WIP Post!!!)

I found that listening to the 80s Japanese music that almost all of vaporwave samples from is quite excellent. They just feature quieter beats instead of loud drum samples and are generally a bit slower. Google video.

If you have yet to delve into this era of music, these songs, albums and artists would be great starting off points for you!

If you're interested, check out some of my faves (In no particular order, but my top, top favourites in any category will be marked with an *). I will add in suggestions from others gradually.

EDIT 1 (11/27/2017): I have decided to try and get Soundcloud/YouTube links for every album/song on this list.

EDIT 2 (11/27/2017): Why am I like this? It's, like, 2 AM and I need to get up in four hours. Fuck me. I regret everything.

Just let me know if any of the links don't work, please.

~Tatsuro Yamashita~* (The first artist I was properly addicted to from this era. His songs 'Love Talkin' (Honey It's You)' and 'Sparkle' have been featured in a couple of Macross 82-99 songs)

Favorite Albums:
-Go Ahead! (1978)
-Ride On Time (1980)*
-For You (1982)*
-Big Wave (1984)

Favorite Songs:
-Futari* (This is one of my ALL-TIME favourite songs. This is the first and only Japanese song (so far) I have learned the lyrics for, phonetically. (as I do not know Japanese)) (Soundcloud)
-Ride on Time* (Soundcloud)
-Bomber
-Love Celebration (Soundcloud)
-Someday* (Soundcloud)
-Silent Screamer* (Soundcloud)
-Heron*
-Down Town
-Love Space*
-Windy Lady*
-Parade
-Funky Flushin' (1982 Ver.) (Soundcloud)
-The Theme from Big Wave
-Your Eyes
-Let's Kiss the Sun (Soundcloud)
-Sayonara Natsu no Hi
-Doyoubi no Koibito*
-Merry-Go-Round*
-Koukiatsu Girl*
-Kanashimi no Jody (She Was Crying)*
-Morning Glory* (The Great Fairy's Fountain Theme from the Zelda series has been inspired by this song) (Soundcloud)
-Follow Me Along (Soundcloud)
-The Door into Summer*

~S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe~* (Basically all of their albums with Kiyotaka-san are gold. Went downhill imo when they changed the vocalist)

Favorite Albums:
-Aqua City (1983)*
-Never Ending Summer (1984)
-Another Summer (1985)
-Single's History (1985)
-Final Finale (1985)

Favorite Songs:
-Transit in Summer* (Soundcloud)
-Trade Wind* (Soundcloud)
-Route 134*
-Scramble Cross*
-Sexy Halation
-Alone Again
-Stay the Night Forever*
-Never Ending Summer (Parts I, III, IV)
-Never Ending Summer (Part II)*
-Misty Night Cruising*
-Joanna*
-ガラスのPalm Tree
-霧のDown Town
-Platonic Dancer
-Silence Ga Ippai
-Futari No Natsu Monogatari

~Mai Yamane~ (She apparently did the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack. I didn't really look into it, though. Also, finding music from her is hard af. Was only really able to find one album from her and I couldn't even find anywhere to buy it.

Favorite Album: Tasogare (Twilight) (1980) (YT Playlist) (Soundcloud Set)

Favorite Songs:
-Tasogare* (Soundcloud)
-Interlude/Shabby Boy*
-Get Away
-City Drive*
-Wave
-Fooling Myself

~T-Square~* (One of the two bands who has mastered the Fusion Jazz genre. I have yet to listen to anymost of their albums in their entirety, but I have liked every song from them that I've had the pleasure to listen to)

EDIT:Listened to some T-Square albums..
-Lucky Summer Lady (1978)
-F1 - Grand Prix World (1992)
-Blue in Red (1997)
-Paradise (2015)
-Treasure Hunter (2016)

Favorite Songs:
-Knight's Song* (It is also known as Gran Turismo's theme song 'Moon Over the Castle')
-Eurostar (Run Into the Light)*
-Capelight*
-Omens of Love
-Breeze And You
-Takarajima* (Soundcloud)
-A Feel Deep Inside ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
-Samurai Metropolis (Used in Macross 82-99's song 'BIG CITY NIGHTS') (Soundcloud)
-Lucky Summer Lady
-Wanderer in Circuit (aka Circuit Wanderer)
-Pit In Pit Out
-Chops!!
-Vivid*

~Casiopea~ (Here's the other band who mastered Fusion Jazz I mentioned before. I don't like as many of their songs compared to T-Square since I find that their synth is a bit too jarring (imo) in some cases, but they still make excellent music. They're in the same boat as T-Square for me, as in I haven't listened to anymost of their albums completely, but I still like a lot of their work)

EDIT:Listened to some Casiopea albums..
Favorite Albums:
-Casiopea (1979)* (YouTube)
-Mint Jams (1982) (YouTube)

Favorite Songs:
-Looking Up* (There's a version they did with T-Square that I like more than their album version. It's the second song in the 2004 Concert they did with T-Square (This link starts you off where that song starts) (Also, you guys should totes listen to the rest of this concert. It's FIRE)
-TROPICOOL
-Make Up City*
-Touch the Rainbow
-Gypsy Wind
-Take Me (Used in Macross 82-99's song 'THE NIGHT IN TOKYO')
-Midnight Rendezvous (Both 1979 and 1982 versions)*
-Swear
-Dream Hill*
-Black Joke
-Space Road
-Tears of The Star

~Anri~* (You'd know her already from Macross 82-99's Bootleg Edit of her song 'Remember Summer Days'. She is another favourite of mine.
EDIT: She is quickly becoming one of my all-time favourites, alongside Omega Tribe and Tatsuro Yamashita. Please send help.)

Favorite Albums:
-Heaven Beach (1982)
-Timely!! (1983)* (I LITERALLY do not dislike a SINGLE SONG. This album is a masterpiece.) (YouTube)
-Coool (1984)* (Wait. Anri was on a roll in the 80s) (YouTube)

Favorite Songs:
-Remember Summer Days* (One of my all-time favourite songs) (Soundcloud)
-Windy Summer* (Soundcloud)
-Last Summer Whisper* (Soundcloud)
-Cat's Eye (New Take)* (This was used in a Macross 82-99 X (I think) ANDROID-APARTMENT song, but I forgot what it was called. The one I favourited isn't on Soundcloud anymore)
-Stay By Me*
-A Hope from Sad Street*
-You Are Not Alone
-I Can't Stop the Loneliness* (This is my anthem rn lmaoooo..)
-Shyness Boy
-Lost Love in the Rain
-Driving My Love*
-Good-Night For You*
-Bring Me to the Dancenight*
-Gone With the Sadness*
-Kimamani Reflection (New Version)*
-I Can't Ever Change Your Love For Me
-Silly City Girl
-Morning Highway
-Surprise of Summer*
-Flashin' Night
-Mercury Lamp
-He's My Music
-Maui*

~Toshiki Kadomatsu~ (His music is insanely good. His songs truly are original. He tends to do a lot of innovative techniques and throw some into various songs.)

Favourite Albums:
-After 5 Clash (1984)* (YouTube)
-Gold Digger: With True Love (1985) (YouTube)

Favourite Songs:
-Hatsu Koi* (I listened to this song quite often when I first discovered it)
-If You..
-Midnight Girl
-Secret Lover*
-PRAJÑÀ
-Melody For You
-Airport Lady*
-Tokyo Tower
-Step Into The Light
-Never Touch Again*
-After 5 Clash

~Junko Yagami~* (I've been having a lot of fun listening to her work recently. You should check her out if you want to just jam out while you work out or clean up or something.)

Favourite Albums:
-Full Moon (1983)*
-Communication (1984)*

Favourite Songs:
-Bay City (Disco Version)*
-Celebration
-Naturally*
-陽だまりのあなた* (Google Translate (GT) says that it's 'You as a Sunny Place', but I'm not so sure if that's accurate or not)
-綿雪&銀紙星 (コットン・スノーにペイパー・スター)* (GT: 'Cotton Snow & Silver Paper Star (Payper Star on Cotton · Snow)')
-ハートブレイクホテルで朝食を* (GT: 'Breakfast at Heartbreak Hotel')
-Full Moon*
-Imagination*
-Communication
-1984
-Miss D.J.
-Kashimiya No Hohoemi
-Zyohanasubargu
-Mizuiro no Ame*

~Takako Mamiya~

Program cazier iasi copou. Favourite Albums:
-Love Trip (1982) (YouTube)

Favourite Songs
-Love Trip
-Mayonaka no Joke
-(More..)

More to come! If you have any suggestions, please put them in the comments and I'll check them out!

(Personal List of artists to add:)
-Junko Ohashi
-DREAMS COME TRUE
-Taeko Ohnuki
-Takako Mamiya (Adding..)
-Mariya Takeuchi (Tatsuro Yamashita's Wife)

Ride on Time is the fifth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriterTatsuro Yamashita, released in September 1980.

Ride on Time is most known for its title track. It was used in the television commercial for Maxellaudio cassette starring Yamashita, and released as a single in May 1980. The song became his first charting single, peaking at number three on the Japanese Oricon chart with sales of 417,000 copies. In 2003, the song was featured on the television drama Good Luck!! starring Takuya Kimura, and entered the top 20 on the chart again.

The album was released after the title track became a hit, and gained commercial success subsequently. It topped the Japanese albums chart for a week in October 1980, selling more than 220,000 units while it was entering the chart.

After the album came out, the song 'My Sugar Babe' (ode to the band he formerly fronted) was issued as a single. It was featured as a theme song for the television drama Keishi-K starring and directed by Shintaro Katsu and aired on NTV in Autumn 1980. Yamashita composed the entire background music used on the unsuccessful TV series. At the time of reissue in 2002, an extract of them (instrumental version of 'My Sugar Babe') was additionally included as one of the bonus tracks.

• 1Track listing

Track listing[edit]

All songs composed by Tatsuro Yamashita, lyrics written by Minako Yoshida (except lyrics of 'Ride on Time', 'My Sugar Babe' and 'Kissing Goodnight' written by Yamashita)

Side one[edit]

1. 'Someday (いつか)' – 5:49
2. 'Daydream' – 4:31
3. 'Silent Screamer - 5:29
4. 'Ride on Time' [Album version] – 5:55

Side two[edit]

1. 'The Door into Summer (夏への扉Natsu e no Tobira)' – 4:41
2. 'My Sugar Babe' - 4:11
3. 'Rainy Day' – 5:20
4. 'Clouds (雲のゆくえにKumo no Yukue ni)' – 5:40
5. 'Kissing Goodnight (おやすみOyasumi)' – 1:41

Bonus tracks for 2002 remastered edition[edit]

1. 'Ride on Time' [Single version] - 4:25
2. 'Interlude I' [Instrumental, previously unreleased] - 0:56
3. 'Interlude II' [Instrumental, previously unreleased] - 1:31
4. 'My Sugar Babe' [Instrumental, previously unreleased] - 3:21

Chart positions[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Tatsuro Yamashita Special'. NTS Radio. February 11, 2018.
2. ^'Tatsuro Yamashita' (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2008-03-19.