Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Top 10 Singles for 1981

1. Akira Terao              Ruby no Yubiwa
2. Tetsuya Ryu            Okuhida Bojou
3. Masahiko Kondo        Sneaker Blues
4. Imo Kin Trio             High School Lullaby
5. Chiharu Matsuyama   Nagai Yoru
6. Harumi Miyako          Osaka Shigure
7. Chanels                   Machikado Twilight
8. Mayumi Itsuwa          Koibito yo
9. Seiko Matsuda          Cherry Blossom
10. Yumi Matsutoya      Mamotte Agetai

Of the above list, I've only profiled the No. 1 single of the year, "Ruby no Yubiwa"...one of my all-time favourites. "High School Lullaby" is one song that will also be in my memory forever since I saw it over and over again on the ranking shows like "The Best 10"...just a weird techno ditty performed...weirdly...by a trio of young comics from a popular variety show. I will have to profile that one as soon as I can.

Harumi Miyako is the lone enka entry in this list....she's also quite the legend in kayo kyoku history and I'll have to cover her as well sometime soon. To be honest, I can't quite remember "Cherry Blossom"from Seiko-chan despite its ranking at No. 9...time to check out YouTube. And No. 10's "Mamotte Agetai" is a classic from Yuming....probably one of my two very favourites from her; the other one is "Sazanami" from her 1976 album "The 14th Moon"(covered already).




4 comments:

  1. "Harumi Miyako is the lone enka entry in this list"

    There is that Tetsuya Ryu song as well. One of his biggest hits I think.

    "To be honest, I can't quite remember "Cherry Blossom"from Seiko-chan despite its ranking at No. 9...time to check out YouTube."

    A classic which I remember quite well but then again Seiko is one of my all-time favourite idols too. And the first one I ever heard of!

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    1. For me, the very first Seiko single I'd heard of was "Natsu no Tobira" in 1981. I heard it when it was part of a commercial while I was in Japan, and then she performed it on the Kohaku at the end of the year.

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  2. Natsu no Tobira does have a firm place in my heart too because my first Seiko record was some kind of "best of collection" and that song seemed to stood out the most.

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    1. Yeah, I just remember seeing Seiko in her frilly dress bouncing up and down while performing "Natsu no Tobira"...and that pretty much summed up the image of the ideal aidoru to me. But I also remember seeing Hitomi Ishikawa and Naoko Kawai as well on the show....yes, those were the days.

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