***48’s total dominance of 2012’s single charts has raised more than a few eyebrows amongst music lovers in Japan, with some voicing concern about the fact non-idol groups now barely feature at all…
The single sales figures for 2012, as compiled by Oricon:
1. 1,820,000 – AKB48 – Manatsu no Sounds good!
2. 1,437,000 – AKB48 – GIVE ME FIVE!
3. 1,303,000 – AKB48 – Gingham Check
3. 1,215,000 – AKB48 – UZA
5. 1,215,000 – AKB48 – Eien Pressure
6. 649,000 – Arashi – Wild at Heart
7. 620,000 – Arashi – Face Down
8. 593,000 – SKE48 – Kataomoi Finally
9. 588,000 – SKE48 – Kiss Datte Hidarisaki
10. 559,000 – SKE48 – Aishiteraburu
11. 559,000 – Arashi – Your Eyes
12. 449,000 – NMB48 – Nagiichi
13. 391,000 – NMB48 – Virginity
14. 376,000 – NMB48 – Junjou U-19
15. 375,000 – Eight Ranger – ER
16. 355,000 – Kis-My-Ft2 – WANNA BEEEE!!!/Shake It Up
17. 353,000 – NMB48 – Kitagawa Kenji
18. 322,000 – Kis-My-Ft2 – We never give up!
19. 320,000 – Kan Johnny∞ – Ai Deshita
20. 305,000 – NEWS – Chanpana
Japan’s collapsing music sales and the industry’s apparent near total reliance on “mass produced” idol groups have been the subject of much debate online, with explanations ranging from the creepy purchasing habits of otaku to the increasing irrelevance of CD sales to actual music…
why japanese love them? their music is boring
these single sales… for AKB, I thought one of them had some kind of meet and greet raffle entry, so people bought like tons… I don’t know if that is really FAIR to record…
Considering the list is all about sales, and not actually how much the population likes them, the whole list is bunk. I mean, come on, how many times on this site have we seen articles about individual otaku buying thousands of dollars of CDs just for AKB’s handshaking event tickets, then throwing the crates of CDs away?
If you want to know what music is ACTUALLY popular in Japan, you can’t, oddly enough, go by CD sales.
Actually the list isn’t about sales. It’s about shipments.
Sorry, but I really got to do this;
Hey Japan, originality called, they said you abandoned it some 20+ years ago and replaced it with good looking people who can sing and dance.
And that’s how it is. Fuck, the Japanese music industry is in even worse shape than the American, pre fabricated stars without any musical talents what so fucking ever. Forget writing their own songs, these bitches lack everything except looks. The worst part is the fact the idiots actually like it…
I forgot to add this, Justin Bieber is a musical genius, closer to the likes of Beethoven and Mozart than he is to these girls.
Again, the Japanese population is fucking retarded compared to their western compatriots in so many ways. Hell, in the western world, only teenage girls likes and buys this prefabricated shit, in Japan, the men buys this stuff. I mean, wtf?
Shitty songs and shitty list. I mean come on. THere is no real talent in the song or singing. AKB48’s only selling point is their stage presence, which I’ll admit. They work damn hard for a 3000 cd. They are more like a jack of all trades but master of none. Except their workload is 100 times greater. The sheer amount of work and the many types of jobs they deal with is amazing, aside from how well they deal with the schedule, that’s about as far as it goes.
Though I do notice though that when some members of AKB48 graduate and go solo and break away from the whole idol setup but concentrate more on the singing aspect, the song quality SOMETIMES improves. Sadly, most AKB48 graduate and disappear.
Saddest thing is, the CDs aren’t even bought because lots of people like the music, but because a handful of lifeless pedos who will never get laid in their life buy thousands of CDs with the wish of filling the girls’ hands with semen or getting a pair of used panties to sniff and jerk off on.
they buy the discs only for the covers. i am sure after all those preview news on all the antics they do to shake hands or see the girls.
Another reason most people dint mention yet: PHOTOS!
Yes, I saw it myself in my trips to Japan. Photos have its own market now. “Fans” buy CDs just to get not only the Handshake tickes, but also to get as much photos as they can. One single photo can be priced 2,3 or 4 times the price of the single (1600 yen) or even more. All new CDs alone without photo or HS ticket cost 200 yen, yes you read right (I buyed one).
AKB,SKE,HKT,NMB singles CDs are nothing more that Trading Cards packs. Analyze this AKB’s sales phenomenon under this logic and all have sense.
Like I said before I saw it myself; I saw the stores, the lines of photo collecting fans in Akihabara and events, the trades, all.
Imagin a Magic the Gathering tournament trade floor.
Yep. The photos people trade aren’t the ones from the singles most of the time. Nice try tho.
The only photos that come with the CDs are bonuses for buying from a certain store, so they are quite common. The photos that get traded are monthly releases that are sold directly from the shop in a blind pack (5 random ones for x amount of yen). So it’s pretty much identical to how Basketball cards etc are sold.
Culturally right now: This doesn’t mean that much, since so many fans will buy boxes of CDs to push them up the charts.
Commercially, and culturally in the future: This sucks, because labels and producers will probably put more effort into making more groups like this when most people probably don’t really want that. Kind of like trying to find anime that isn’t all moe and ecchi these days – the hardcore consume it enough to more than make up for the mainstream dropoff, so they dictate the direction it takes.
As I always say, a musician its only goos when he is ugly.
Can you guys start doing Johnny’s hate posts too?
THIS! THANK YOU!
Well this is a sad list indeed. It’s missing Mihiro, Juno, Kat-Tun, Cimba and Tsuyoshi.
Theyre even making songs for us. Like the “Sugar Rush” theme in Wreck-it-Ralph.
I heard theyre even renaming the movie Sugar Rush for Japanese release in March
I loved Wreck it Ralph so I actually like the Sugar Rush song.
But I saw a video of the AKB48 girls singing and dancing to it and it was just awful.
Now I’d rather have the song just be something from the movies soundtrack and never have known AKB48 had anything to do with it.
Sugar Rush was made for that movie. Made for Disney. Disney planned the stupid video and choreography. Go watch something else.
I see the list, and not being of the Japanese persuasion I have never heard any of these. I head over to the Youtube and sample the ’48s artistry and quite frankly am underwhelmed. Cookie cutter crap stamped out by the yard with vocally indistinguishable performances and singularly unimpressive dancing.
If a Japaneser ever accuses me of bad taste all I need to do to refute them is the magic number 48.
I’ll just have to go back and masturbate to my copy of
Hinoi Team doing the para para version of King Kong. Now there is art!
So mainstream pop music is crap in Japan just like it is in the US.
It doesn’t really surprise me at all.
the thing that bugs is that not a long time ago, like fifteen years back, this prerogative was not true. we had natalie imbruglia, 10 thousand maniacs, alanis morisette, cardigans, etc. how the overall level of mainstream music decreased so much and so fast??? either way, I think this is pretty sad.
Really?… Alanis Morrisette? Natalie Imbruglia?? You’re going to place them on a higher pedestal than AKB48? The only chick you mentioned who was remotely cute was the Cardigans girl
You disgust me Sir
He’s being a moron
Yes, because cuteness is the only important thing to consider with female singers.
Not sure if you’re being sarcastic or just a moron.
Whats with the damn 48 in so many groups
They’re all part of the same franchise. AKB48 is from Tokyo (Akihabara), SKE48 is from Nagoya (Sakae), NMB48 is from Osaka (Namba). AKB is the original which is why it’s the most popular, the others are spin-offs.
Pop music in any culture always caters to the lowest commom demoninator. The West doesn’t have a monopoly on talentless hacks like Justin Beiber, Rebecca Black, and One Direction.
Don’t forget the pop artists of previous generations: Kiss, Elvis, Buddy Holley, The Beatles, Chuck Berry.
so true. fear the idiocracy
You’re claiming someone else is an idiot when you’re the one reading a site that is the internet equivalent of the National Enquirer? Reality check, bro.
*idiocy, i think you mean
*Idiocracy* is a film the poster is referring to.
A satire where the dumb rule the earth.
Akibafags is crazy. How did they do it? Didn’t they need money for their living expenses?
Their boobs makes music
Their boobs allow something that sounds like two cats mating to be sold as music.
I am a devoted watcher of AKBingo, and the only reason I listen to their music is because they always close the show with one of their songs.
Since they are dancing to it, it is cute and visually attractive. If I was to just listen to their music, I would find it very boring.
What AKB stands for: in spanish “A(a)””K(ka)””B(be)” means “I came”
(I know, I know, lame pun, but hey, some spanish speaking guy had to say it)
es raro, viste? yo siempre lo pronuncio como ei-kei-bi porque sino queda re raro jaja
…..and AKB48=garbage
It is true that these are mere sales figures and not an actual representation of talent/skill. You have all seen how much otakus can spend for these idol groups.
If you want some actual music, anything other than idol groups would do.
Where’s GJ?
…and they sing too? Huh. How ’bout that.
Dafuq? definitely based on album sales seeing as crazy fans bought thousands of it for a handshake which he could use to fap. Where is ayumi hamasaki? utada hikaru and such?
sadly Ayumi Hamasaki, once the queen of J-Pop, now sells ridiculous 45000 copies, that`s why she is not in the list.
in fact, if you look at it, the top 22 positions of the chart are idol groups (be it male or female). that shows how cds are not important for listening anymore, they are just important to get a handshaking ticket (that comes with it).
Utada has been on an extended sabbatical from what I have heard, She did come out to make the new evangelion movie song.
what a sad, sad day for japanese music 🙁
Nobody there remembers Loudness or X Japan, fuck the Japanese, they don’t know what’s good for them.
No Kokia, Kotoko, Akiko Shikata…
And Japan expect as to believe, that they really listening their music and not just jerking off for the pictures of these “idols”.
Kotoko, Kokia… ROFL your knowledge of japanese music is restricted to anime songs, right?
if you really knew what the fuck is “japanese music”, you would be aware of the great number of quality acts that appeared in the scene in these past few years. yep, they barely sell cds, but their concerts are crowded, I assure you. try listening to Man With A Mission, Galileo Galilei, Special Others or Sebastian X, anime kid.
didn’t some of the ones you listed do a few anisongs before? I know at least Galileo Galilei did a Gundam AGE opening.
BTW, just out of curiosity, did any anisong happen to make at least the top 100 of this chart?
Is anime seriously all you know?
Get a fucking life.
Kotoko? Once you are known for Anime you are pretty much pigeon-holed for that and you will never be popular in the mainstream. Nana Mizuki is one of the few exceptions.
So, if I’m reading this right, once you’re known for Anime, you’re pigeon-holed for it… except when you’re not?
With “music” like this, it’s no wonder the industry wants harsh anti-piracy laws so badly.
needs more ebisu muscats
This is sad… This is sad because in it I see an omen of what music is becoming…
lol Japan has found the ultimate anti piracy tactic! handshake tickets lol
piracy doesnt matter when otaku buy 1000’s of cds at a time
Becoming? It’s been like this for ages. Shit like this is made to appeal to the LCD, so it constantly tops the charts. It’s not even just music, the same is true of movies, video games, television, books and even anime.
I have three words for this shitrag of a excuse of a poll chart:
OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!!!
Not only Korean, misspelled the title aswell
Except that’s korean
And he’s anti-american but changes his tude when we make him rich.
@04:34 So does your mom but I’m not complaining.
She’s agree with me but she can’t talk with her mouth full right now.
@04:30 PSY sucks.
Psy studied at Berklee College of Music here in America. He lived here for four years. He returned to South Korea after that to pursue a music career.
I’m fairly certain he’s not anti-American. At the very least, he’s ambivalent.
ITT: Fucking morons that never went to either Korea and believe whatever bullshit they see in the internet.
South Koreans are so fucking pro-American, say you’re American there and they’ll treat you so well. North Koreans couldn’t give two shits they’re too busy getting oppressed, talk about their leaders now that’s something I could believe.
What Korean ISN’T Anti-American until they are made rich and/or famous. Most of the world is anti-american until they need something.
Shit list. Period.
Akimoto: “U MAD, Mr. Johnny Kitagawa? You’re my bitch now!”
nope, Arashi generates twice or maybe even thrice the amount in cash despite having lesser sales. (their sales are legit though, their albums are too expensive to buy in bulk) http://t.co/A0ycdPXm7u
PS, arashi’s DVD sales are 700k-ish, whereas AKB without their handshake events for DVD sales goes only like 200k-ish i think.
/just a arashi fan passing by
No hatsune miku? son i am disappoint…
Well these are for music “sales”. You could mainly get vocaloid music for free >.>
Two cats mating is my favorite sound!
It’s kind of sad you don’t get to hear the Vocaloid music that doesn’t feature cat’s mating such as:
http://youtu.be/9bnFEb3qrT0
or:
http://youtu.be/gxmkM02NfV8
or:
http://youtu.be/MqiZar4IWtI
Miku and AKB48 are the same… they are both artificially made music. No soul at all. I think this is the crap the Mayans were predicting. The end of the world in music.
pu$$y power -.-
What if they did a promotion that the guy with more CD tickets gets to have sex with the girl? Would it break worldwide records?
This is actually a BRILLIANT plan and I’m shocked they haven’t used it yet.
You only need to brand and ostracize ONE member as a horrible harlot after she ‘wins’ the popularity contest.. you have FORTY-SEVEN more perfect virgins to keep selling, and you can easily audition a new one.
It’s as simple as replacing your windshield wiper blades, or washing a pair of pants- you have SPARES available. You act as though there were a SHORTAGE of girls gullible, greedy and with low enough self-esteem to join this pyramid scheme, or that any member of xyz48 were unique or *not* wholly-replaceable. If they were that important or useful, that defeats the purpose of the modern ‘idol group’ entirely.
But disposing of all those discs is such a burden!
Can’t I just get the sex?
No, they’d be branded as sluts instead of virgins, and their sales would collapse overnight.
They would be considered sluts once someone else fucked them, but if its their first time (publicly) doing it all of their creepy followers will open their wallets to “protect” these pure flowers from the clutches of other buyers.
And of course, the guy who gets to bang them would never complain about them no longer being “virgins”
Isn’t it because of those insane fans who buy multiple copies for that handshake thing?
It a sad time when the one top of music chart is girls that barely able to sing properly, but supported just because they are pretty and cute. Now the chart lose it credibility as a guide in buying high quality music.
Fortunately, you have your hosting sites and many other opportunities the web gives you to help you make up your mind.
The only reason *Random English Alphabets* 48 music is good are because their otaku fans always buy plenty of their albums for some “semen handshakes” or “Pantsu giveaway”.
REAL JAPANESE MUSIC = ANIME MUSIC.
whatever the soild quantity , it doesn’t make it “good”
*sold. or soiled. your pick. and anime music doesn’t mean necessarily “quality”.
[quote]REAL JAPANESE MUSIC = ANIME MUSIC.[/quote]
Real Japanese music = music made by Japanese people. What you’re saying is a “No true Scotsman” fallacy.
Just because you only listen to music in anime doesn’t mean they’re the only good Japanese music.
While the girl-touching events and pantsu giveaways certainly explain these sales numbers, those aren’t realated to what I would call good music.
Of course they’re not, they’re related to sales. Music itself is easily copied not only on the industry side of the supply chain as it used to be in the past, so they can’t exploit it anymore. So to make people buy, they have to offer them something else, and it seems to be working for now.
thats not music… thats just called cheap bussiness tactics.
and the only reason AKB48 gets the top spot is cuz of those handshake
tickets. if they try selling the cd without it, noone would buy…
the “fans” only want the perverted fantasy, not akb48 musical talent…
if they even have talent to begin with…
damn, when i saw “singles” i thought this was gonna be about widowed MILFs
give it time
I recognize ARashi because the Jun guy was in all those Dramas. It looks to me as if each girl in the AK48 group has a song written for them so they are ‘possibly’ making 48 songs per week while other groups only make 1 or 2 songs a month. That would be kind of hard to beat.
It’s more about publicity than quality. AK48 are everywhere so of course they’d get number 1. Arashi is also everywhere but not as much as AK48. Doesn’t matter if you can sing or not.
I recognize arashi because Matsumoto Hitoshi seldom mention them on gaki no tsukai shows
Nah, no one listens to their music anyway.
They could release the same song over and over, or simply sell blank CDs, as long as the actual merchandise, the handshake ticket, is included people will buy.
The songs have to be made. They are part of the advertisement for the handshaking ticket.
Quantity over quality.
Actually the music that is so very popular can’t really be called poor quality, they have to be doing something right if they manage to make metric fuck tons of money off of it. Don’t get me wrong I can’t stand pop music and think only sheep would like the stuff, the makers of this stuff just happen to have found the magic formula that gets as many people to like it as possible.
Kind of like how World of Warcraft owned the MMO genre for so long. Despite it being so damn generic to anyone who didn’t like it, they managed to find the right combination that sucked in as many people as possible.
It makes sense if you look at it with the right logic.
This is why the sales of number won’t always relate to the quality.
Although there are good AKB songs, but this is just stupid.
fark you. Japanese Music = Hatsune Miku alwayz will and alwayz be!
“I hate japs music, their lyrics sound like gobbledygook and gibberish ranting”
-Bob Marley
“Omg bob marley”
– Albert Einstein
People are retarded. The multiple buying of CD’s are done for handshake tickets and voting tickets. Voting tickets are in ONE release ONCE a year. Handshake tickets are every THREE releases.
All of the songs featured here are songs I loved personally. AKB actually has really good music if you’re into that genre of music. People are just prodigious to the group because Sankaku Complex is a tabloid with a bias.
you`re really badly informed, AKB fanboy. ALL their singles have handshaking tickets (the so called “theater version”). their album released this year even had a “2 shot event” aside the handshaking to make people buy it despite the cost.
Theatre versions don’t count towards Oricon charts.
Yes, amd they are popular as can be seen on the chart. And you know the more popular something is, the more hate it will attract as well.
And “If you attract hate enough, that’s because you are popular” ? troll specious logic 🙂
Says a lot about the current japanese music…
Their creepy otakus make them ‘dominate’ the charts by buying ridiculous amounts of CDs and the like.
Although it mostly sounds too similar to be good enough.