This is the ultimate City Pop DJ mix, featuring a seamless, nonstop blend of ​CITYPOP CLASSICS from the '70s and '80s.

There were surprisingly few CITYPOP icon-centric nonstop ​remixes on the web, so I made one!

Back to the basics,,

This is a non-stop mix of mainly CITYPOP CLASSIC selections!

Please listen to it as it is perfect for the last hurrah at a party or ​when you want to get yourself in the mood!

"My Special Love Scene" is a song featured on the B-side of ​Anri's fifth single, "Kaze no Jealousy," released in 1980.

The title track, "Kaze no Jealousy," was used in a Suntory ​commercial. However, "My Special Love Scene" was not ​included on any of Anri's original albums and was neither ​reissued on vinyl nor ever released on CD for many years.

When I first heard "My Special Love Scene," I thought it ​might be a Japanese cover of Carole Bayer Sager's "It's The ​Falling In Love." Apparently, though, Ichizo Seo, a renowned ​composer and arranger, released it as an original track......(I ​believe this could explain why it hasn't been released on CD ​for such a long time.)

Despite this, the vinyl has always been popular among DJs. ​If you ever come across this rare 7-inch single, be sure to ​grab it—it’s a must-have!

"Hazumi de Daite" is an album released in 1979, featuring ​Japanese covers of Western songs entirely.

The recording sessions brought together an incredible lineup of ​musicians well-known to city pop fans, including Tsugutoshi ​Goto and members of PARACHUTE, such as Tatsuo Hayashi, ​Masaki Matsubara, Tsuyoshi Kon, and Nobu Saito.

One standout track from the album is "Bye Bye Jewel," a ​Japanese cover of Carole Bayer Sager's "It's The Falling In Love."

This track works seamlessly in a DJ set alongside songs that ​reference "It's The Falling In Love," such as Anri's "My Special ​Love Scene" and Miki Matsubara's "Mayonaka no Door (Stay ​With Me)."

This rare vinyl is an essential addition to any DJ's collection!

For city pop fans visiting this site, this track needs no ​introduction. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an anthem ​of the city pop empire!

Miki Matsubara's 1979 debut single, "Mayonaka no Door - Stay ​With Me," is a timeless classic.

Notably, the song borrows the intro and bridge sections from ​Carole Bayer Sager's "It's The Falling In Love." However, the ​subsequent melody and hook are entirely original, showcasing ​Miki Matsubara's unique artistry.

This song needs little introduction for city pop fans. Many of you ​may have been introduced to city pop through "Plastic Love."

As Mariya Takeuchi said, "I wanted to surprise Tatsuro a little, so ​I tried writing a song that he might create."

As you can tell from this statement, "Plastic Love" is quite a ​unique track in Mariya Takeuchi's discography.

For those who delved deeper into her music expecting more ​songs similar to "Plastic Love," they likely found themselves ​confused, as there are no other tracks quite like it.

However, they were likely captivated by the wide range of ​incredible songs that followed and discovered Mariya Takeuchi's ​diverse musical talent and sense of style!

Indeed, the charm of Mariya Takeuchi’s music lies in its "Variety," ​just like the title of the album that features "Plastic Love"!

Keiko Doi, a jazz pianist and keyboardist known for her work with ​the Yamaha-backed synth fusion trio "COSMOS-keyboards trio," ​released the 1985 album COMPOSITIONS.

With just four tracks, this album is a must-have for fans of fusion-​style city pop, offering exceptional quality throughout. From this ​album, I’m introducing the track "MIDNIGHT SHUFFLE"—an ​exquisite Japanese boogie dancer and modern soul favorite ​featuring vocals by Terry Bradford.

Inevitably captivating!!!!!!

Yurie Kokubu has received immense support from city pop fans. ​From her debut album RELIEF 72 HOURS, I’m introducing the ​captivating funk track "Snob na Yoruhe" in the playlist.

Produced by Tetsuji Hayashi, the track features top-tier studio ​musicians, including Aoyama Jun from Tatsuro Yamashita's ​band, keyboardist Soichi Noriki, known as "NORIKI," who has ​worked with Yamashita’s live band, along with Murakami Ponta ​Shuichi, Tatsuo Hayashi, Yasuo Tomikura, Tsuyoshi Kon, Akira ​Inoue, Saito Nobu, Haruo Togashi, Ken Sato, and Mizuki ​Koyama.

This is the kind of vinyl that every DJ should have in their ​collection!

"Kimi no Heart wa Marine Blue" is the third single by Kiyotaka ​Sugiyama & Omega Tribe, released in 1984.

Many Japanese people, especially those of the Baby Boomer ​generation, like myself, probably don’t consider this song to be ​CITYPOP. The reason for this is likely due to the fact that Kiyotaka ​Sugiyama & Omega Tribe were a band frequently appearing on ​TV shows at the time, and they were more closely associated ​with KAYO-POP, which creates a bias.

However, recent CITYPOP fans don’t have this bias and simply ​judge it by its sound, identifying it as CITYPOP. And I believe ​they are right to do so.

As evidence, let’s look at the name of the song’s composer.

That’s right—the CITYPOP maestro, Tetsuji Hayashi!

"Is It True" is a track from Yoko Oginome's 10th original album ​VERGE OF LOVE, released in 1989.

It was released as the Japanese-language version of the album, ​which had originally been released in December of the previous ​year with all the songs in English (the tracklist and song order are ​the same).

This album was also produced by Narada Michael Walden. To ​record the Japanese version, Oginome traveled back to the U.S.

What amazes me as a Japanese person is the sharp instincts of ​CITYPOP fans, who often focus on album tracks like this one that ​were never released as singles.

I’m introducing the track "IF YOU..." from Toshiki Kadomatsu’s ​4th album AFTER 5 CLASH, released in 1984, in this playlist.

This track is a fitting opening for an album that moves away from ​the previous "summer and sea" themes and instead focuses on ​"night and the city," perfectly matching the album’s concept.

It’s a popular song that CITYPOP fans are sure to recognize.

"Tasogare no Bay City" is the 18th single released by Junko ​Yagami in 1983. This track is so popular that it can be regarded ​as a CITYPOP anthem.

What's notable about this song is that, unlike most releases in ​Japan at the time, a limited promotional 12-inch vinyl single was ​produced.

This vinyl, likely given to DJs for promotional purposes in discos, ​is highly valuable!

If you're a CITYPOP fan, this is definitely a vinyl worth getting!

Citypop, which continues to dominate globally, boasts standout ​tracks like "Just a Joke" by Yurie Kokubu. This song, in particular, ​maintains a strong following overseas.

"Just a Joke" is a track from Yurie Kokubu’s debut album Relief ​72 hours. Produced by Tetsuji Hayashi, Relief 72 hours is widely ​regarded as a classic of the CITYPOP genre, and among its ​tracks, "Just a Joke" enjoys particular popularity, especially ​abroad.

However, when it was first released in Japan, the song wasn't a ​commercial success. It's incredibly gratifying to see such a great ​track receiving a reappraisal, and we owe a debt of gratitude to ​the overseas CITYPOP fans who helped make this happen.

"Yume no Tsuzuki" is the 15th single by Mariya Takeuchi, ​released in 1987 as the first single from her album REQUEST ​(MOON RECORDS). The song was written as the theme song for ​the Toho film Hawaiian Dream, which was also released that ​year.

The recording took place in 1987 at a studio called Smile Garage ​in Shibaura, where the track was recorded in one overnight ​session.

With its cool and danceable sound, it has a similar vibe to her ​12th single, PLASTIC LOVE, released in 1984.

Released in 1980, RIDE ON TIME, Tatsuro Yamashita’s fifth studio ​album, became his first major hit.

Today, I’d like to introduce "SILENT SCREAMER", a track from ​this iconic album.

Following the success of "BOMBER", a track from his previous ​album GO AHEAD! that was a smash hit in Osaka discos, Tatsuro ​gained confidence in this musical direction. As a result, he ​created "SILENT SCREAMER", another polyrhythmic funk track in ​a style similar to "BOMBER".

Like "BOMBER", "SILENT SCREAMER" features a cool guitar solo ​in the interlude, most likely played by Kazuo Shiina.

In Japan, Yuko Asano is primarily known as an actress, but as a ​singer, she released the popular single "Summer Champion" in ​1979.

This vibrant "Samba Disco KAYO-POP" tune is a Japanese cover ​of Sergio Mendes’s "Summer Dream."

This vinyl is a must-have for any DJ! If you don’t own it yet, I ​highly recommend adding it to your collection as soon as ​possible!

Debuting in 1973 as the vocalist and drummer of Boomerang, ​Kengo Kurozumi has been hailed as the "Prince of Japanese ​AOR" for his sophisticated AOR sound and gentle vocals.

For this playlist, I’ve chosen "Juggler," a track that’s especially ​popular among CITYPOP fans.

"Juggler" boldly incorporates elements from the disco classic ​"CHIC/Good Times," making it a vinyl guaranteed to get ​audiences excited during any DJ set!

"Hatsu Koi" is a single-only track by Toshiki Kadomatsu, a ​leading figure in 1980s CITY POP music, released in 1985 as a ​single-only track, not included on any of his studio albums.

The song features Minako Yoshida, providing both backing ​vocals and arrangement, and boasts an all-star lineup of ​musicians, including Yogi Horton, Marcus Miller, and Richard ​Tee.

"Hatsu Koi" is a notable Japanese disco track in the sway beat ​style, reminiscent of classics such as Cheryl Lynn’s "Got to Be ​Real," The Emotions’ "Best of My Love," and Alton McClain & ​Destiny’s "It Must Be Love."

Kaoru Akimoto’s "DRESS DOWN", a track that gained immense ​popularity during the Vaporwave and Future Funk movements, is ​from her 1986 album Cologne.

As of now, this remains her only album.

The album was co-produced by Akimoto and Satoshi Takebe, ​with all lyrics written by Akimoto herself. Most of the ​compositions were handled by Kenjiro Sakiya, who was just ​starting his career as a composer at the time. Additionally, Takao ​Kisugi, a prominent hitmaker of the era, contributed two songs, ​and Minako Yoshida wrote one. Notably, Toshinobu Kubota, who ​had debuted that same year, participated as a backing vocalist.

"DRESS DOWN", which became a standout track during the CITY ​POP revival, was composed by Akihiko Matsumoto. While he ​later gained fame for his work on the "Odoru Daisousasen" ​series, at the time, he was starting out as a composer, working as ​a touring keyboardist for artists like Yumi Matsutoya and EPO.

The short-lived band RA-MU was formed around former idol Momoko ​Kikuchi and keyboardist Yoshikazu Matsuura, known for his work with ​the fusion band Prism. Their 1988 debut single, "Ai wa Kokoro no ​Shigoto desu" (not included on any album), was followed by their ​second single, "Shonen wa Tenshi wo Korosu," and later that year, ​their third single, "Tokyo Yabanjin," was released.

Reflecting the style of the late 1980s, this track features heavy use of ​programmed sounds, delivering a unique blend of urban-inspired, ​Japanese-style Minneapolis funk. It’s a favorite among fans of 80s ​CITY POP!

"Fly-Day Chinatown" is the debut single by YASUHA, released in ​1981.

The title "Fly-Day" is a play on words, combining "fly" (as in ​flight) rather than the usual "Friday" for the day of the week, and ​is spelled out in the lyrics as "FLY-DAY."

At the time of its release, YASUHA was primarily known as "the ​daughter of Sanpei Hayashiya," which brought her attention. ​However, the song only reached No. 69 on the Oricon chart, and ​her singing career stalled, causing the track to be forgotten.

Yet, around 2020, with the resurgence of the CITY POP ​movement, the song was rediscovered, notably being picked up ​by the South Korean DJ Night Tempo and receiving a re-​evaluation.

"Goodbye Boogie Dance" is the first track on ANRI's 1983 album ​BI·KI·NI.

The album is full of vibrant disco sounds from that era, with a ​unique swaying rhythm that dominates the overall vibe. It’s a ​truly enjoyable masterpiece. At the time, Toshiki Kadomatsu, ​who was relatively unknown, was involved in the production (on ​the A-side only), which ultimately helped pave the way for his ​success as a hitmaker in the years to come.

This track has undoubtedly become a CITYPOP CLASSIC.

For fans of '80s CITYPOP, 'Down Town' is a well-known track, as ​it became the theme song for the TV show Ore-tachi Hyoukin ​Zoku (and of course, it is also one of Sugar Babe’s most iconic ​songs).

The album was produced by Shigeki Miyata, with Tetsuji Hayashi ​and Nobuyuki Shimizu as the main arrangers. The backing vocals ​feature Tatsuro Yamashita and Taeko Onuki, both of whom were ​members of Sugar Babe and were signed to the same record ​label at the time, along with Mariya Takeuchi and others.

"RIDE ON TIME" is the 6th single by Tatsuro Yamashita, released ​in 1980.

The song was created as a tie-in for a Maxell cassette tape TV ​commercial, which featured Yamashita himself. To film the ​commercial, the recording was scheduled alongside a location ​shoot in Saipan.

This track marked the first recording with Jun Aoyama, Hiroki Ito, ​Kazuo Shiina, and Hiroyuki Namba, who would later become ​Yamashita’s long-time collaborators for both recording and live ​performances. The rhythm pattern was developed over several ​days in a practice studio, with Yamashita, Aoyama, Ito, and ​Namba working together, incorporating everyone's input to ​finalize it.

Today, this song has become a CITYPOP anthem.

How was the 'CITYPOP CLASSICS Non-Stop Dance ​Megamix' for you?

If a song catches your interest, bookmark this page and ​enjoy it later at your leisure.