1979 in Japanese music


Japanese music accounted for sixty percent of record sales in the Japanese music market in 1979, the rest being sales of foreign music. During that year, Japan continued to have the second largest music market in the world.

Awards, contests and festivals

The 12th Japan Record Sales Awards were held in 1979. The 21st Osaka International Festival was held from 8 to 24 April 1979. The 17th Yamaha Popular Song Contest was held on 6 May 1979. The 8th Tokyo Music Festival was held on 17 June 1979. The 18th Yamaha Popular Song Contest was held on 7 October 1979.
The 10th World Popular Song Festival was held from 9 to 11 November 1979. The song by Crystal King, and the song Sitting on the Edge of the Ocean by Bonnie Tyler, won the grand prix awards.
The 10th Japan Music Awards were held on 23 November 1979.
The final of the 8th FNS Music Festival was on 18 December 1979. The grand prize winner was Hideki Saijo.
The 21st Japan Record Awards were held on 31 December 1979. The song by Judy Ongg won the Japan Record Award.
The 30th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen was held on 31 December 1979.
The 28th Otaka prize was won by Yoriaki Matsudaira.

Concerts

The "Japan Jam" was held on 4 to 5 August. The Southern All Stars appeared.

Number one singles

Oricon
The following reached number 1 on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart:
Issue dateSongArtist
1 January"Chameleon Army"Pink Lady
8 January"Chameleon Army"Pink Lady
15 January"Chameleon Army"Pink Lady
22 January"Chameleon Army"Pink Lady
29 January""Alice
5 February""Alice
12 February""Alice
19 February""Alice
26 February""
5 March""
12 March""Hideki Saijo
19 March""Hideki Saijo
26 March""Hideki Saijo
2 April""Hideki Saijo
9 April""Hideki Saijo
16 April""Judy Ongg
23 April""Judy Ongg
30 April""Judy Ongg
7 May""Judy Ongg
14 May""Judy Ongg
21 May""Judy Ongg
28 May""Judy Ongg
4 June""Judy Ongg
11 June""Judy Ongg
18 June""
25 June""
2 July""
9 July""
16 July""
23 July""Sachiko Kobayashi
30 July""Masashi Sada
6 August""Masashi Sada
13 August""Masashi Sada
20 August""Masashi Sada
27 August""Masashi Sada
3 September""Masashi Sada
10 September""Masashi Sada
17 September""Masashi Sada
24 September""Masashi Sada
1 October""Masashi Sada
8 October""
15 October""
22 October""
29 October""Masashi Sada
5 November""Masashi Sada
12 November""Masashi Sada
19 November""Masashi Sada
26 November""Masashi Sada
3 December""Masashi Sada
10 December"Ihōjin"Saki Kubota
17 December"Ihōjin"Saki Kubota
24 December"Ihōjin"Saki Kubota
31 December"Ihōjin"Saki Kubota

The Best Ten
The following reached number 1 on The Best Ten chart:

Number one albums and LPs

Oricon
The following albums reached number 1 on the Oricon chart:
Music Labo
The following reached number 1 on the Music Labo chart:
Cash Box
The following reached number 1 on the Cash Box chart:

Annual or year-end charts

The song "Omidezake", by Sachiko Kobayashi, was number 1 on The Best Ten annual chart for 1979, announced on 27 December 1979.

Radio

The program "Mirage Love USA" was broadcast by Tokyo FM.

Film and television

The music of Nomugi Pass, by Masaru Sato, won the 34th Mainichi Film Award for Best Music. The music of The Castle of Cagliostro is by Yuji Ohno, and the singer of Hono no Takara Mono is Bobby.

Genres

New music songs were number 1 on the Oricon singles chart for most of 1979.

Music industry

The record industry grossed $62 million in January. Average sales for the 1979 Christmas and New Year season were ten percent higher than those of the 1978 Christmas and New Year season, with particularly high sales for ABBA, Saki Kubota, Masashi Sada and Alice.
PolyGram and Young Japan agreed to enter into a partnership.

Overseas

The song "Kiss in the Dark", by Pink Lady, reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States of America. Pink Lady were the first Japanese musicians to enter the record charts in the United States since Kyu Sakamoto in 1963.
Yellow Magic Orchestra did a world tour in October and November 1979.

Debuts

Other singles released

Foreign music

Other albums released

History

In 2008, Shūkan Shōwa Taimuzu featured Judy Ongg on the back cover as person of the moment for 1979.