2015 in Japanese music

Last updated August 24, 2025

The year 2015 in Japanese music .

Notable events

The sold-out two-day Takashi Matsumoto Official 45th Anniversary Project event was held at the Tokyo International Forum on August 21 and 22, celebrating lyricist Takashi Matsumoto's career. Performances included Matsumoto reuniting with the other two surviving members of pioneering Japanese rock band Happy End.^[1]
66th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen on December 31.

Number-ones

Best-selling records

Best-selling albums

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling albums in Japan in 2015, according to Oricon.^[2]

Rank	Album	Artist	Copies
1	Japonism	Arashi	981,639
2	Planet Seven	Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe	868,247
3	Dreams Come True The Best! Watashi no Dorikamu	Dreams Come True	828,505
4	Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe!	AKB48	780,591
5	0 to 1 no Aida	AKB48	687,688
6	Reflection [ ja ]	Mr. Children	576,867
7	Budō [ ja ]	Southern All Stars	534,482
8	Tree	Sekai no Owari	484,588
9	Kanjani Eight no genki ga deru CD!! [ ja ]	Kanjani Eight	348,197
10	Kis-My-World	Kis-My-Ft2	336,069

Best-selling singles

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling singles in Japan in 2015, according to Oricon.^[3]

Rank	Single	Artist	Copies
1	"Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai"	AKB48	1,782,707
2	"Halloween Night"	AKB48	1,328,411
3	"Green Flash"	AKB48	1,045,492
4	"Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby"	AKB48	905,490
5	"Coquettish Jūtai Chū"	SKE48	702,299
6	"Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru"	Nogizaka46	686,539
7	"Taiyō Nokku"	Nogizaka46	678,481
8	"Inochi wa Utsukushii"	Nogizaka46	620,555
9	"Aozora no Shita, Kimi no Tonari"	Arashi	571,597
10	"Don't Look Back!"	NMB48	530,830

Awards

Albums released

January

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
28	Planet Seven ^[4]	Sandaime J Soul Brothers	J-pop	Rhythm Zone

February

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
4	Colour by Number^[5]	Monkey Majik	Rock	Binyl Records
11	Imademo^[6]	Kim Hyun-joong		Universal Music Japan
18	Call Me...^[7]	Pentagon		Goemon Records
25	Last Song^[8]	Seo In-guk		Nippon Crown

March

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
4	Epic Day ^[9]	B'z	Hard rock, pop rock	Vermillion Records
18	Action^[10]	U-KISS		Avex Trax
18	After School Best^[11]	After School		Avex Trax
25	19: Road to Amazing World^[12]	Exile		Rhythm Zone

April

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
1	Present^[13]	Donghae & Eunhyuk		Avex Trax
15	2PM of 2PM^[14]	2PM		Epic Records Japan

September

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
16	Positive	Tofubeats	J-pop	Unborde
30	Colors ^[15]	CNBLUE	Rock	Warner Music Japan

November

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
18	New Beginning ^[16]	Band-Maid	Hard rock, heavy metal	Gump Records
18	Close to You	Max Changmin	J-pop	Avex Trax
25	Love Letter	Jun. K	J-pop	Epic Records Japan

December

Date	Album	Artist	Genre	Labels
2	Yellow Dancer^[17]	Gen Hoshino		Speedstar Records
16	For You^[18]	Infinite		Delicious Deli Records
23	°Cmaj9 ^[19]	Cute	J-pop	Zetima

Deaths

July 6 – Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese-American pianist and composer (b. 1939)

References

↑ "松本隆、45周年公演で細野晴臣&鈴木茂に感謝「素晴らしいメンバー」". Oricon (in Japanese). 2015-08-21. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
↑ "2015年年間音楽ランキングを発表！年間アルバムランキング 1位～25位". Oricon Style. Oricon. 23 December 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
↑ "2015年年間音楽ランキングを発表！年間シングルランキング 1位～25位". Oricon Style. Oricon. 23 December 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
↑ 三代目 J Soul Brothersニューアルバム詳細明らかに. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ MONKEY MAJIK、結成15周年彩る新アルバム. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 12, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ キム・ヒョンジュン、2ndアルバム「今でも」2/11発売＆日本全国ツアー決定. Musicman-NET (in Japanese). F.B.Communications, Magnet Company. December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ ペンタゴン「CALL　ME...」. Visulog (in Japanese). Fakestar Company. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ ソ・イングク、ジャパン・ベスト・アルバム『Last Song』. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Tower Records. December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ B'z新アルバム「EPIC DAY」は3月発売＆スタジアムツアー決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 26, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ 【質問募集】U-KISS『Action』発売記念イベント（トーク＆ミニライブ）@ 3月19日タワレコ渋谷. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Tower Records. February 19, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ AFTERSCHOOL、約4年間の活動凝縮ベスト盤＆キネマ倶楽部でリリパ. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 3, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ EXILE、19人体制で初アルバム＋秋のツアー決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 30, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ SUPER JUNIOR D&E、ミニアルバム「Present」携え全国ツアー. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 1, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ 2PM、ニュー・アルバム『2PM OF 2PM』がリリース！. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Tower Records. March 13, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ CNBLUE、「色」を軸にしたニューアルバム＆全国ツアー. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 24, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ メイド姿でハードロックを奏でるガールズ・ロック・バンド BAND-MAID、11/4リリースの2ndミニ・アルバムより「Don't Let Me Down」のMV公開！レコ発企画も決定！. Geki-Rock (in Japanese). Geki-Rock Entertainment. October 6, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ 星野源、2年7カ月ぶり新アルバム「YELLOW DANCER」リリース決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 14, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ INFINITE、12/16発売のニューアルバム「For You」のジャケット写真が公開！. Kstyle (in Japanese). Line Corporation. November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
↑ °C-ute、9枚目のアルバム「°Cmaj9」にtofubeatsリミックス. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 11, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

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[1] "松本隆、45周年公演で細野晴臣&鈴木茂に感謝「素晴らしいメンバー」". Oricon (in Japanese). 2015-08-21. Retrieved 2020-01-23.

[2] "2015年年間音楽ランキングを発表！年間アルバムランキング 1位～25位". Oricon Style. Oricon. 23 December 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

[3] "2015年年間音楽ランキングを発表！年間シングルランキング 1位～25位". Oricon Style. Oricon. 23 December 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.

[4] 三代目 J Soul Brothersニューアルバム詳細明らかに. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[5] MONKEY MAJIK、結成15周年彩る新アルバム. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 12, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[6] キム・ヒョンジュン、2ndアルバム「今でも」2/11発売＆日本全国ツアー決定. Musicman-NET (in Japanese). F.B.Communications, Magnet Company. December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[7] ペンタゴン「CALL　ME...」. Visulog (in Japanese). Fakestar Company. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[8] ソ・イングク、ジャパン・ベスト・アルバム『Last Song』. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Tower Records. December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[9] B'z新アルバム「EPIC DAY」は3月発売＆スタジアムツアー決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 26, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[10] 【質問募集】U-KISS『Action』発売記念イベント（トーク＆ミニライブ）@ 3月19日タワレコ渋谷. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Tower Records. February 19, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[11] AFTERSCHOOL、約4年間の活動凝縮ベスト盤＆キネマ倶楽部でリリパ. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 3, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[12] EXILE、19人体制で初アルバム＋秋のツアー決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 30, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[13] SUPER JUNIOR D&E、ミニアルバム「Present」携え全国ツアー. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 1, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[14] 2PM、ニュー・アルバム『2PM OF 2PM』がリリース！. Tower Records Japan (in Japanese). Tower Records. March 13, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[15] CNBLUE、「色」を軸にしたニューアルバム＆全国ツアー. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 24, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[16] メイド姿でハードロックを奏でるガールズ・ロック・バンド BAND-MAID、11/4リリースの2ndミニ・アルバムより「Don't Let Me Down」のMV公開！レコ発企画も決定！. Geki-Rock (in Japanese). Geki-Rock Entertainment. October 6, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[17] 星野源、2年7カ月ぶり新アルバム「YELLOW DANCER」リリース決定. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 14, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[18] INFINITE、12/16発売のニューアルバム「For You」のジャケット写真が公開！. Kstyle (in Japanese). Line Corporation. November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

[19] °C-ute、9枚目のアルバム「°Cmaj9」にtofubeatsリミックス. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 11, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2016.

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