Apparently, from my usual source for Oricon rankings, it's not possible to find rankings for New Year's Day, but then again, January 1st is a very hallowed day in Japan so most likely even the music industry is on hiatus (although I have come across singles being released on that day). Regardless, the closest that I've gotten is January 8th.
1. Pink Lady Chameleon Army
2. Godiego Gandhara
3. Muneyuki Sato Aoba-jo Koiuta
4. Momoe Yamaguchi Ii Hi Tabidachi
5. Alice Champion
6. Chiharu Matsuyama Kisetsu no Naka de
7. Junko Yagami Mizuiro no Ame
8. Kousetsu Minami Yume Hitoya
9. Twist Saga
10. Southern All Stars Kibun Shidai de Semenai de
Kind of amazing that the Southern All Stars, who had a new #1 album just last year, were once contemporaries of the likes of Pink Lady and Momoe. (I otherwise know little about them.)
ReplyDeletePlus, SAS started out before Seiko, Akina, Anzen Chitai, Checkers, etc. They've continued to keep the music going.
DeleteI have always liked Godiego's Gandhara, or maybe it is just one of those songs that magically just sticks in my head forever after hearing it only once. BUT, I was surprised to see it as number 2 on Oricon rankings for 1979; actually, I am surprised it is even on the top ten.
ReplyDeleteHello, Brian. It is one of the more unconventional hits to break through the Top 10. Perhaps with exotic kayo being in vogue at the time, "Gandhara" could have been helped in that way.
DeleteIt was the theme tune to the tv show "Saiyūki" (known abroad as "Monkey"), at that time a big hit in Japan.
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