These are the Oricon number one albums of 2003, per the Oricon Albums Chart.
† | Indicates best-selling album of 2003 |
Issue Date | Album | Sales | Artist(s) |
---|---|---|---|
January 13 | Rainbow | 571,027 | Ayumi Hamasaki |
January 20 | Second to None † | 1,075,872 | Chemistry |
January 27 | 402,109 | ||
February 3 | Life Is... | 351,258 | Ken Hirai |
February 10 | Valenti | 615,218 | BoA |
February 17 | 222,851 | ||
February 24 | Styles of Beyond | 145,102 | Exile |
March 3 | Kalk Samen Kuri No Hana | 165,316 | Ringo Shiina |
March 10 | 136,214 | ||
March 17 | 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane | 64,503 | t.A.T.u. |
March 24 | A Ballads | 561,127 | Ayumi Hamasaki |
March 31 | Sumire | 256,327 | Yuzu |
April 7 | No. 5 | 122,136 | Morning Musume. |
April 14 | Many Pieces | 53,715 | Every Little Thing |
April 21 | 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane | 47,857 | t.A.T.u. |
April 28 | Street Story | 106,278 | HY |
May 5 | 103,245 | ||
May 12 | 93,736 | ||
May 19 | 86,912 | ||
May 26 | Keep On Fighting | 90,524 | Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi |
June 2 | 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane | 61,529 | t.A.T.u. |
June 9 | 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture | 54,216 | Various Artists |
June 16 | 48,761 | ||
June 23 | St. Anger | 51,416 | Metallica |
June 30 | Between the Lines | 361,265 | Chemistry |
July 7 | Smap 016/MIJ | 305,268 | SMAP |
July 14 | Between the Lines | 66,213 | Chemistry |
July 21 | If I Believe | 251,218 | Mai Kuraki |
July 28 | Time to Go | 225,671 | Rip Slyme |
August 4 | Harvest | 252,812 | Dragon Ash |
August 11 | Yuzu Smile | 115,458 | Yuzu |
August 18 | Infinity: Love and Life | 75,412 | V6 |
August 25 | Beautiful Energy | 118,568 | Twelve Girls Band |
September 1 | 201,241 | ||
September 8 | Magnum Collection "Slow" | 211,457 | Masaharu Fukuyama |
September 15 | Nomad Soul | 125,645 | Chitose Hajime |
September 22 | Every Best Single 2 | 281,571 | Every Little Thing |
September 29 | Big Machine | 500,237 | B'z |
October 6 | Road of Major | 290,751 | Road of Major |
October 13 | Ketsunopolis 3 | 97,821 | Ketsumeishi |
October 20 | 290,751 | ||
October 27 | A.I.R | 95,243 | Rina Aiuchi |
November 3 | G Album: 24/7 | 242,826 | KinKi Kids |
November 10 | Longtime Favorites | 143,218 | Mariya Takeuchi |
November 17 | Love | 437,218 | Mika Nakashima |
November 24 | 213,517 | ||
December 1 | Best Album 2001-2003 | 155,768 | Kick the Can Crew |
December 8 | Akatsuki no Love Letter | 232,422 | Aiko |
December 15 | Exile Entertainment | 395,257 | Exile |
December 22 | 195,741 | ||
December 29 | Memorial Address | 524,028 | Ayumi Hamasaki |
J-pop, natively also known simply as pops, is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in traditional music of Japan, and significantly in 1960s pop and rock music. J-pop replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene.
Mai Kuraki is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. After releasing her US debut single "Baby I Like" in 1999, Kuraki signed with Giza Studio and released her Japanese debut single "Love, Day After Tomorrow" in 1999. In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2.2 million copies in its first week. The album has spawned four top-three singles, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up". Eventually, the album sold over 3.5 million copies nationwide and became the best-selling album in Japan in 2000, and has been the ninth best-selling album in Japan of all-time.
Miho Komatsu is a former Japanese singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Kobe, Japan, Komatsu began her career as a songwriter, writing "Kono Machi de Kimi to Kurashitai" for Field of View. In May 1997, she released her debut single "Nazo", which served as the theme song to the Japanese anime series Case Closed. The song peaked at number nine on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart in Japan and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Her debut album of the same title (1997) peaked at number five on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart in Japan. After releasing her first compilation album Miho Komatsu Best ~once more~ (2006), which peaked at number 21 in Japan, she retired from music industry with no announcement.
Chihiro Onitsuka is a Japanese singer-songwriter.
Aki Harada better known by her stage name, Sowelu, is a Japanese pop/R&B singer signed onto Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone.
Kumiko Kōda, known professionally as Koda Kumi, is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs.
Crystal Kay Williams is a Japanese-American singer, songwriter, actress and radio host.
Duty is the third studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 27, 2000, by Avex Trax. Duty is Hamasaki's first studio album inside the 2000s decade, and her third consecutive studio album to be fully produced by Japanese musician and businessman Max Matsuura. The album's composing and arrangement was handled by several music collaborators, such as Ken Harada, Kazuhito Kikuchi, Dai Nagao, HΛL, among many others. Hamasaki contributed to the album as the primary and background vocalist, and songwriter to every song. Three different formats were released to promote the album: a standalone CD, a limited edition Playbutton, and a digital download. The cover sleeve has Hamasaki wearing a leopard-print cat suit.
Rainbow is the fifth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on 18 December 2002 by Avex Trax. Production of Rainbow had commenced after the release of Hamasaki's fourth studio album I Am... that January; All lyrics were written by Hamasaki, and Japanese producer Max Matsuura returned to produce the album. The album was Hamasaki's first to feature conversational English lyrics, where in her previous works she had only used single words.
Ai Otsuka is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Japan. She is a popular artist on the Avex Trax label and is best known for her 2003 hit "Sakuranbo", which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 103 weeks.
Akina Nakamori is a Japanese singer and actress. She is one of the most popular and best-selling artists in Japan. Akina achieved national recognition after winning the 1981 season of the talent show Star Tanjō!. Her debut single "Slow Motion" was released to moderate success, peaking at number thirty on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. Nakamori's popularity increased with the release of her follow-up single, "Shōjo A", which peaked at number five on the Oricon charts and sold over 390,000 copies. Her second album Variation became her first number-one on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart, staying in that position for three weeks.
Toki no Tsubasa is the ninth album by Zard, released on February 15, 2001, by B-Gram Records.
Singles 2000 is the compilation album by a Japanese singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima, released in April 2002.
Aiko Kitahara (北原愛子) is a former Japanese pop singer and songwriter under the Giza Studio label.
the★tambourines were a Japanese pop band signed to the Giza Studio label, active between 2001 and 2009.