J-Canuck's Reps for Showa Kayo（昭和歌謡）

via Wikimedia Commons

As I noted in my previous article, due to Wednesday the 29th being Showa Day in Japan (and thus the official start to Golden Week), NHK's "Uta Con"（うたコン）devoted a good chunk of its broadcast tonight to some of the Showa Era kayo kyoku which I was plenty grateful about. After all, this is what we're all here for when it comes to this blog. 

I recollect that I may have done something in the past to commemorate Showa Day via an Author's Picks but I decided to still go ahead with another try at a list. Initially, I'd thought about bringing over some of a list of most popular Showa Era karaoke songs but when I realized that most of those songs originated in the years 1985 to 1987, I jettisoned that idea for being a little too centralized, time-wise. Then, after some more thought, I blurted out "Oh, what the heck!". I'll just let my memories pick out one song that immediately comes to mind when I think of a certain decade or period within Showa (1926-1989) and let the chips fall where they may. 

The list below only consists of five songs...yes, very inadequate (I've left out City Pop and Group Sounds, for instance) but take this as an opportunity for folks to chime in with their representative kayo choices. Anyways, anything that would seem adequate would probably force me to make a new blog. Plus, Labels would throw a major tantrum at me. Still, allow me to mention the Blue Comets' "Blue Chateau"（ブルー・シャトウ）from 1967 and Miki Matsubara's（松原みき）"Mayonaka no Door" （真夜中のドアー）from 1979.

(Prewar) Ichiro Fujiyama -- Tokyo Rhapsody （東京ラプソディ）

(Postwar/1950s) Frank Nagai -- Yurakucho de Aimashou (有楽町で逢いましょう）

(1960s) Hibari Misora -- Kanashii Sake （悲しい酒）

(1970s) Pink Lady -- UFO

(1980s) Yellow Magic Orchestra -- Rydeen (雷電）