You Must Hear 7

japanese rock

Last updated: Tue Nov 04 2025 12:46:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Description

Japanese rock blends Western rock traditions with Japan's distinct melodic sensibilities and pop culture aesthetics, creating music that ranges from aggressive punk energy to emotionally charged anthems. The sound often features tight instrumental interplay, soaring vocals that emphasize emotional delivery, and production that balances raw power with polished clarity. It thrives in Japan's vibrant music scene where rock intersects with anime culture, youth movements, and a deep appreciation for both technical precision and passionate expression.

100 chronological releases

Place	Cover	Date	Artist	Album	Tags	Other places
18		1987	After...	After	hard rock japanese japanese rock melodic rock soft rock
49		1990-05-31	D'erlanger	BASILISK	asia asian asian rock goth rock gothic rock japan japanese japanese rock visual kei	goth rock # 46 asia # 51
92		1991-02-21	BUCK-TICK	狂った太陽	japanese alternative rock japanese rock	goth rock # 87
15		1993-04-27	L'Arc~en~Ciel	DUNE	j-rock
38		1994-02-23	BAAD	BAAD	alternative alternative rock j-pop japanese japanese rock pop pop rock rock
67		1995-11-22	B'z	Loose	japanese rock j-pop japanese rock
43		1996	GLAY	REVIEW～BEST OF GLAY	alternative j-pop j-rock japanese japanese pop japanese rock rock	japanese pop # 27
7		1996	GLAY	Beautiful Dreamer	j-rock japanese japanese rock pop rock visual kei
26		1997-08-06	GLAY	DRIVE ～GLAY complete BEST～	alternative ballad j-pop j-rock japanese japanese rock pop pop rock rock
59		1998-01-21	X Japan	LIVE IN HOKKAIDO 1995.12.4 BOOTLEG	j-rock japanese japanese rock visual kei
22		1998-03-25	L'Arc~en~Ciel	Dune [HML-009]	j-rock japanese rock visual kei
76		1998-04-01	Supercar	スリーアウトチェンジ	shoegaze
39		2000	Laputa	翔～カケラ～裸	japanese rock
75		2000-09-20	POLYSICS	NEU	experimental rock japanese rock new wave post-punk revival rock	post-punk revival # 31
23		2001-05-30	X Japan	LIVE LIVE LIVE	japanese rock
62		2001-06-19	POLYSICS	Hey! Bob! My Friend!	experimental rock japanese rock
63		2001-11-28	GLAY	ONE LOVE	j-rock japanese japanese rock
79		2001-12-12	Hyde	Angel's tale	j-pop j-rock japan japanese japanese pop japanese rock rock	japan # 20 japanese pop # 77
14		2002-03-06	Kagrra,	Yume Izuru Chi
21		2002-06-19	TAKUI	CHUNKY GOD POP	alternative alternative rock j-pop j-rock japan japanese japanese pop japanese rock melodic hardcore pop pop punk pop rock punk pop punk rock rock	punk pop # 62
33		2002-09-19	GLAY	Unity Roots and Familly Away	j-rock japanese japanese rock visual kei
11		2002-12-11	Mr.Children	HERO	j-pop j-rock japanese japanese pop japanese rock pop rock rock
77		2003	Kagrra,	Nue
20		2003-02-05	GLAY	rare collectives vol.1	j-pop j-rock japanese japanese rock rock
29		2003-03-19	ゆず	すみれ	acoustic acoustic pop folk j-pop j-rock japanese japanese rock rock	acoustic pop # 62
5		2003-07-30	Kagrra,	kamiuta
13		2003-07-30	Kagrra,	kakashi
56		2003-12-02	雅-MIYAVI-	Galyuu	j-rock japanese
46		2003-12-17	ORANGE RANGE	1st CONTACT	japanese j-rock
66		2004-01-21	天野月子	天龍	alternative alternative rock j-rock japanese japanese rock rock singer-songwriter
25		2004-01-28	m.o.v.e	Deep Calm	j-rock japanese japanese rock
72		2004-04-14	フジファブリック	桜の季節	japanese rock
30		2004-06-23	グループ魂	荒ぶる日本の魂たち	japanese rock
51		2004-06-23	櫻井敦司	愛の惑星	j-rock japanese rock visual kei
37		2004-11-25	東京事変	教育	japanese
57		2005	L'Arc~en~Ciel	AWAKE	j-rock	j-rock # 70
69		2005-07-06	The Predators	Hunting!!!!	alternative rock grunge j-rock japanese rock punk rock rock
68		2005-07-20	Kagrra,	Yotogibanashi
55		2005-11-23	新居昭乃	Sora No Uta	breakbeat chaotic hardcore contemporary folk diy drone gangsta rap german germany gothic rock grindcore harmonica idm improvisation indie folk japanese rock jazz rock krautrock male vocalists mashup meditation minnesota ndw norway norwegian nouvelle scene francaise oldies power pop reggaeton schlager speedcore techno trap	schlager # 4 contemporary folk # 16 germany # 37 mashup # 37 chaotic hardcore # 52 ndw # 71 speedcore # 72 nouvelle scene francaise # 77 improvisation # 79 diy # 81 harmonica # 88 minnesota # 91
10		2005-11-23	Kagrra,	irohanihoheto
87		2006-07-05	チャットモンチー	耳鳴り	japanese rock pop rock rock
86		2006-11-22	SPECIAL OTHERS	Good Morning	instrumental jam japanese rock jazz rock post-rock	jazz rock # 52 jam # 82
97		2006-12-06	RADWIMPS	RADWIMPS 4 ~おかずのごはん~	alternative rock emo j-rock japanese rock	j-rock # 3
95		2006-12-06	RADWIMPS	RADWIMPS 4 ～おかずのごはん～	emo japanese rock alternative rock j-rock
96		2006-12-06	RADWIMPS	Radwimps: 4 -おかずのごはん	alternative rock emo j-rock japanese rock
90		2007-10-24	チャットモンチー	生命力	japanese rock rock j-rock pop rock
3		2008	Kagrra,	Fuunroku
44		2008	Kagrra,	Haru Urara
81		2008	Kagrra,	kotodama
82		2008-01-09	Kagrra,	Sakura		japan # 33
84		2008-02-06	meth.	by all means - BELIVER	j-metal j-rock japanese japanese metal japanese rock melodic hardcore melodic metalcore metal metalcore visual kei	visual kei # 8 melodic metalcore # 12 j-metal # 84 japanese metal # 99
85		2008-02-27	Screw	RAGING BLOOD	j-rock japanese rock visual kei	visual kei # 9
17		2008-09-10	GLAY	紅と黒のMATADORA/I LOVE YOUをさがしてる	ballad j-pop j-rock japan japanese japanese pop japanese rock pop pop rock rock
71		2008-09-17	B'z	B'z The Best "Treasure"	hard rock j-rock japanese rock power metal rock
58		2008-10-15	The Predators	牙をみせろ	alternative alternative rock grunge j-pop j-rock japan japanese japanese pop japanese rock pop pop rock rock	japanese pop # 60
70		2008-10-22	Angelo	Sister	j-rock japanese rock visual kei
98		2008-11-12	ONE OK ROCK	Niche Syndrome	japanese rock emo japanese rock	japanese # 34
89		2009-03-04	チャットモンチー	告白	japanese rock pop rock rock
27		2009-09-16	-OZ-	VERSUS		japanese metal # 31
16		2010	The Ricecookers	NAMInoYUKUSAKI ～ TV SPECial COLLECTION	japanese rock
60		2010-02-10	amazarashi	0.6	j-rock japanese rock
74		2010-02	Luzmelt	Swallowed scenery	electro electronic j-metal j-rock japanese japanese metal japanese rock metal rock symphonic metal symphonic rock synth rock visual kei	symphonic rock # 53 j-metal # 74 synth rock # 87 japanese metal # 95
91		2010-03-24	DELUHI	REVOLVER BLAST	j-rock japanese japanese rock metal visual kei	visual kei # 61
88		2010-04-07	Para:noir	A forlorn hope	j-metal j-rock japanese rock	j-metal # 87
32		2010-05-26	Boom Boom Satellites	On The Painted Desert - Rampant Colors	alternative electronic japanese rock
80		2010-06-09	amazarashi	爆弾の作り方	emo indie rock j-rock japanese rock
34		2011-01-19	LOST ASH	overHORIZON	j-rock japanese japanese rock rock visual kei
94		2011-10-26	妖精帝國	空想メソロギヰ	j-rock japan japanese rock rock	japan # 75
78		2011-11-16	amazarashi	千年幸福論	j-rock japanese rock
42		2011-11-23	ピロカルピン	夕暮れ	guitar rock j-pop j-rock japanese japanese rock	guitar rock # 89
64		2012-01-11	Suicide Ali	Sarau Fue to Yakusoku	electronic electronic rock industrial metal industrial rock j-rock japanese japanese metal japanese rock visual kei	japanese metal # 92
93		2012-01-25	Galileo Galilei	Portal	j-rock japanese rock
31		2012-02-08	Roach	No Reason in the Pit	japanese japanese rock
35		2012-02-08	winnie	Forget me not	japanese japanese rock rock
8		2012-04-29	Goddess	Discovery	africa brazil breakbeat chamber pop choral christian contemporary folk dance drum and bass dub dubstep electronic electronica ethnic female fronted metal female vocalists folktronica fusion gangsta rap gothic metal grindcore improvisation industrial instrumental japanese rock krautrock mashup metal minnesota norwegian oldies pop pop rock reggae reggaeton schlager ska spain spanish svenskt synthpop techno tribal	svenskt # 5 spain # 15 improvisation # 37 minnesota # 74
65		2012-10-31	Galileo Galilei	Baby, It's Cold Outside
24		2012-12-15	Brats	Ainikoiyo / Nounai Shoukyo Game (International Version)	asian female vocalists j-rock japanese japanese female vocalists japanese rock rock	asian female vocalists # 56 japanese female vocalists # 69
53		2013-03-25	Lost In The Fog	The Grave Of Einzvach	dream pop japanese rock rock
73		2013-04-10	amazarashi	ねえママ あなたの言うとおり	j-rock japanese rock
40		2013-09-04	AvelCain	自責の筵	j-metal j-rock japanese metal japanese rock visual kei	j-metal # 56 japanese metal # 84
83		2013-10-30	KANA-BOON	DOPPEL	j-rock japanese rock
100		2015-01-21	KANA-BOON	TIME	japanese rock rock
1		2017-01-18	INABA / SALAS	CHUBBY GROOVE	japanese rock rock hard rock japanese pop
48		2017-04-12	GLIM SPANKY	I STAND ALONE	asian asian female vocalists asian rock j-rock japanese japanese female vocalists japanese rock psychedelic rock rock	asian female vocalists # 73 japanese female vocalists # 85
6		2017-04-21	tricot	Melon Soda	asian asian rock female vocalists girl band j-rock japanese japanese female vocalists japanese rock rock	japanese female vocalists # 58
61		2018-02-14	BAND-MAID	World Domination
47		2018-05-30	L'Arc~en~Ciel	Dune 10th Anniversary Edition	gothic rock japanese rock post-punk rock
41		2018-11-09	go green	From Apple To Pepper	alternative alternative rock hard rock indie pop indie rock j-pop j-rock japan japanese japanese pop japanese rock pop pop rock power pop rock stoner metal	japanese pop # 22
45		2019	Haru Nemuri	harutosyura	j-pop japanese j-rock	japanese # 42 j-pop # 49 j-rock # 54
50		2021-09-17	Buffalo Daughter	We Are The Times	experimental rock indie rock instrumental rock japanese rock post-rock shibuya-kei	shibuya-kei # 25
99		2022	MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS	No New World	japanese metal alternative japanese rock	metal # 53 japanese # 68 japan # 74
4		2023-03-31	Canary Complex	The Tragic Dance of Dying Leaves	art rock baroque pop chamber pop japanese rock visual kei
9			志方あきこ	Byakumu no Mayu ～Ricordando il passato～	breakbeat chaotic hardcore contemporary folk diy gangsta rap gothic rock grindcore harmonica improvisation indie folk industrial instrumental japanese rock krautrock male vocalists mashup minnesota ndw norway norwegian nouvelle scene francaise nu metal oldies reggaeton schlager speedcore techno trap	ndw # 26 harmonica # 27 diy # 29 improvisation # 38 nouvelle scene francaise # 46 minnesota # 75
54			Polkadot Stingray	大正義	japanese rock japanese rock	japanese female vocalists # 75
2			Polkadot Stingray	Ichidaiji - EP	indie rock j-rock japanese japanese rock rock
12			工藤晴香	Under the Sun	female vocalists j-pop j-rock japan japanese rock
19			Death★Rabbits	Heipo no Gyaku Shou	japanese rock visual kei
28			グループ魂	Run魂Run	japanese rock
36			グループ魂	TMC	japanese rock
52			Guitar Vader	Die Happy!	alternative alternative rock indie rock j-rock japan japanese japanese rock

Related genres

• j-rock
• japanese
• rock
• visual kei
• pop
• j-pop
• pop rock
• japan
• breakbeat
• grindcore