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Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End in the early 1970s are credited as the first to sing rock music in the Japanese language.
- The Gazette. We’ll begin with one of Japan’s most popular rock bands The Gazette. The group is known for their visual kei style and metal sounds. Much like Western glam rock, visual kei is a movement among Japanese musicians that leverages flamboyant makeup, androgynous clothing, and sophisticated hairstyles.
- L’Arc-En-Ciel. Formed in Osaka in 1991, L’arc-en-ciel, which means “rainbow” in French, is a popular, founding Japanese rock band also known locally as Laruku.
- Precious. Another heavy metal group, Precious, was a band from Tokyo that was formed in 1986 by bassist Jun J Onose and rhythm guitarist Kiyonobu. Their music is loud, aggressive, and punctuated with incredible guitar riffs and solos.
- MUCC. Consisting originally of Miya, Yukke, Satochi, and Tatsuro, MUCC was formed in 1997 in Ibaraki Prefecture. Like the first band on this list, they were known as a visual kei group.
- X-Japan. Genres: Rock, heavy metal, speed metal. Debut year: 1982. Members: Yoshiki, Toshi, Pata, Heath, Sugizo. Talking about Japanese rock music history, the name “X-Japan” will appear immediately in many rock fans’ minds.
- L’Arc～en～Ciel. Genres: Alternative rock, pop rock, post-punk. Debut year: 1991. Members: hyde, tetsuya, ken, yukihiro. Often called by fans as L’Arc or Laruku, L’Arc～en～Ciel is probably the second most well-known rock bands following X-Japan.
- B’z. Genres: Hard rock, pop rock, blues rock. Debut year: 1988. Members: Tak Matsumoto, Koshi Inaba. In the late 1980s, Tak Matsumoto, an extremely busy guitarist, wanted to start a band.
- Luna Sea. Genres: Progressive rock, alternative rock, hard rock. Debut year: 1986. Members: J, Inoran, Sugizo, Shinya, Ryuichi. In 1986, two high school friends, Jun Onose (J) and Kiyonobu Inoue (Inoran) formed a band named in Kanagawa.
Initially a glam rock-inspired band, Japan developed their sound and androgynous look to incorporate electronic music and foreign influences. Japan achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing nine UK top 40 hits, including the 1982 top 5 hit single "Ghosts", and scoring a UK top 5 with the live album Oil on Canvas (1983). Six ...
- 1974–1982, 1989–1991
Sep 29, 2021 · The legendary Japanese rock band Happy End formed in 1969, just three years after The Beatles were invited to perform at the city’s Nippon Budokan venue, making them the first western rock band to play on Japanese soil.
Jan 10, 2024 · Show-Ya, an all-female Japanese rock band formed in 1982, has earned its place in history as one of the first successful all-female rock acts in Japan. Comprised of vocalist Keiko Terada, guitarist Miki Tsunoda, keyboardist Satomi Senba, bassist Miki Igarashi, and drummer Miki Nakamura, the group's powerful sound and exceptional musicianship ...
Jul 8, 2021 · Japanese Rock Music Guide: A Brief History of J-Rock. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jul 8, 2021 • 5 min read. Though initially influenced by Western music, Japanese rock has shaped its own unique identity, with devoted fans across the globe.
