Backstreet City Pop 1980s Deep Cuts – 50 Tracks
Still, they were playing somewhere back then.
And now, through new listeners, they begin to breathe again.
This might be where it starts.
An unknown vein, waiting to be found —
city pop, surfacing over time.
Let something you’ve never heard
carry you back to those days.
Backstreet City Pop — the jukebox will open in a new window and start instantly.
Top Song of This List
Meiko Nakahara – Fantasy
Yet “FANTASY” has now surpassed 18 million plays.
At the time, it was just an album track.
Not a single, not a song that reached a wide audience.
And now, it has been rediscovered by listeners and continues to spread.
This track stands as a perfect example of that.
There are still countless songs like this, buried from that era.
The more you dig, the more you find—that’s the nature of 1980s city pop.
Here are some of the tracks I uncovered.
Take a step into that ocean of sound.
Meiko Nakahara
“FANTASY” – A 1982 high-energy “80s” disco-funk city pop anthem.
AVECS
“Why Don’t You Dance?” – A groovy 1980 “80s” floor filler with an urban edge.
Yoko Obata
“SHINING BOY” – A sparkling 1986 “80s” pop gem with a bright, youthful vibe.
Cotton Time
“Ameagari ni Dance” – A refreshing 1987 “80s” pop track for a post-rain drive.
AKEMI
“FOLLOW WIND” – A breezy 1987 “80s” tune that captures the urban wind.
Rie Kitahara
“Just Feeling” – A sophisticated 1983 “80s” melody with a cool city atmosphere.
Kaori Kuno
“Don’t Be Afraid” – A powerful 1988 “80s” track showcasing urban elegance.
Kyoko Hikami
“Koi no Kakera” – A 1995 “90s” melodic pop tune with a nostalgic city vibe.
Marie Igarashi
“Taiyo no Kaigan” – A sun-drenched 1984 “80s” coastal city pop anthem.
Junko Mihara
“Sayonara Baby Face” – A cool 1982 “80s” track with her signature edgy style.
Eiko Reida
“Gaslight” – A moody 1988 “80s” night-time city pop standard.
Chiemi
“IN YOUR EYES” – A 1988 “80s” urban pop ballad with a sophisticated touch.
Rika Himenogi & The Coming Soon!
“Morning Kiss” – A bright 1989 “80s” track for a fresh urban morning.
Jun Abe
“Blue in Heart” – A cool 1985 “80s” urban soul track with deep resonance.
Kenji Kudo
“RAINBOW” – A colorful 1988 “80s” pop tune that brightens the city lights.
Maiko Nakano
“Imitation Blue” – A stylish 1988 “80s” city pop gem with a cool gaze.
Miho Gomi
“Koi no Timing” – A rhythmic 1989 “80s” pop track with a catchy city beat.
Chiyono Yoshino
“Sugar Rain” – A sweet and soulful 1986 “80s” urban rain melody.
Keiju Murakami
“Kaze of Yuuenchi” – A nostalgic 1989 “80s” track with a whimsical urban charm.
Kumiko Morin
“Ruten” – A sophisticated 1989 “80s” track reflecting the flow of city life.
Miyuki Iwasaki
“Misty Hour” – A 1984 “80s” atmospheric urban pop for the twilight hours.
Chizuru Kondo
“Natsu no Saxophone” – A 1985 “80s” breezy summer city pop with a jazzy edge.
Naomi Maki
“Aquarius” – A 1985 “80s” cosmic urban pop track with a stylish vibe.
Akemi Keida
“21-kai no Solitude” – A 1986 “80s” high-rise urban pop ballad.
Miki Sato
“Fuyu no Zoukango” – A warm 1987 “80s” city pop tune for the winter season.
Junko Otsuka
“Shoes Shop de Kiita Uta” – A 1989 “80s” catchy city pop storytelling song.
Jun Miho
“After Rain Afternoon” – A sophisticated 1984 “80s” relaxed urban melody.
Kaho Shimada
“Weekend Lady” – A 1984 “80s” upbeat pop anthem for the urban weekend.
Mami Koyama
“Twilight Train” – A 1985 “80s” nocturnal city pop drive through time.
Kyoko Yamamoto
“CATCH!” – A high-energy 1989 “80s” city pop anthem of love and life.
MIEKO
“Toki ga Oshiete Kureta” – A 1985 “80s” melodic city pop ballad of reflection.
Keiko Saijo
“Twilight Silence” – A 1985 “80s” soulful city pop track for quiet nights.
Yuko Imai
“HOTEL TWILIGHT” – A 1988 “80s” smooth urban pop with a chic atmosphere.
Shoko Morioka
“Kuuki Mitai na Sayonara” – A 1990 “90s” airy urban pop melody.
Step
“Memorial Song” – A nostalgic 1987 “80s” group pop with a warm heart.
Super Pumpkin
“Tooi Natsu no Hi” – A 1980 “80s” laid-back group classic of a distant summer.
Saki Kubota
“Campus Machi ’81” – A 1981 “80s” cinematic and urban melodic pop.
Kaoru Sudo
“Front Glass Goshi ni” – A 1982 “80s” quintessential city pop driving song.
Atsuko Nina
“Moonlight Mama” – A breezy 1983 “80s” city pop tune for moonlight nights.
Yumi Takigawa
“Suppai Keiken” – A stylish 1980 “80s” urban pop anthem with a chic flair.
Kuniko Fukushima
“Bye Bye City” – A 1982 “80s” soulful urban departure pop.
Keiko Mizukoshi
“Blue Sky Lonely” – A 1982 “80s” melodic urban pop for wide horizons.
Mao Daichi
“Aoi Chikyuu no Onna” – A 1985 “80s” dramatic and sophisticated urban pop.
Makiko Imai
“Moonlight Love Call” – A 1987 “80s” night-time city pop romance.
Kanako Wada
“Tanjoubi wa Minus 1” – A 1986 “80s” stylish city pop from a golden era.
Seiko Sato
“Humming Road” – A 1992 “90s” bright and rhythmic urban pop drive.
Reimy
“Kogoeru Kokoro” – A 1984 “80s” crystalline and soulful urban pop.
Anna Makino
“Love Song Sagashite” – A 1987 “80s” bright idol-pop with city pop sensibility.
Mariko Takahashi
“Shanghai BOY” – A 1986 “80s” sophisticated urban pop with an exotic touch.
Kiyohiko Ozaki
“Summer Love” – A powerful 1987 “80s” urban summer anthem with legendary vocals.
CITY POP — 1980s Epics
I’m not sure I fully understand it yet.
Where was it playing?
Not on the main stage,
but in someone’s room,
or in a car on the way home.
Melodies that quietly existed
for someone, somewhere in Japan.
Never worn out,
still lingering across time.
A sense of nostalgia,
and something new.
These are the sounds that remain,
just as they are.
Maybe this is what “City Pop” is.
Start your City Pop journey — the jukebox will open in a new window and start instantly.
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