Originally Posted by OmagnusPrime
Where to start?
As mentioned above, the music itself often pulls in from many areas, and even cultures, to offer a sometimes surprising range of music and choice to anyone willing to listen. Like anything, some artists and bands are better known than others and for westerners you are likely to have only heard of a few of the most well-known. That shouldn't put you off taking a chance on those you've not heard of though as there's some fantastic talent to be discovered if you stray a little from the beaten path. However, before you start exploring the multitude of artists available you need somewhere to start. This though will depend on you current experience of J-Pop:
The Complete Newbie
For those who have heard little or no J-Pop before, starting off can be quite intimidating and it can be all too easy to just stick with the well-known artists, especially since these are most often the easiest to get hold of. While I'd encourage anyone to explore further, they do make for a good starting point. So who are these well-known artists? You are likely to have heard the names of the big three, Ayumi Hamasaki, BoA and Utada Hikaru, however there's one other group to consider: Morning Musume. This hyper-active all-girl group are hugely popular in Japan and also make for a good introduction to the scene. If you don't like these, there's plenty of other artists to listen to, but these artists are generally a good introduction to the genre.
Recommended Artists: Ayumi Hamasaki, BoA, Morning Musume and Utada Hikaru
The Beginner
This is someone who has heard a few artists, most likely the big three, but are still new to the genre and looking to discover what else is out there. The next step is to explore some of the more general artists that are more popular in Japan, if not elsewhere.
Recommended Artists: Aya Matsuura, Do As Infinity, dream, Every Little Thing, hitomi, Koda Kumi and The Brilliant Green
Other Beginners
Perhaps you've sampled a little of the more popular Japanese artists as well as some of the wider known artists and still looking for something to grab your interest. For you it may be worth sampling some of the lesser-known gems that can be found in the J-Pop vault.
Recommended Artists: Garnet Crow, m-flo, Maaya Sakamoto, melody, Namie Amuro and Shiina Ringo
Remember, these are just general recommendations to get an idea of the genre for anyone looking to get a feel for what J-Pop has to offer. These simple recommendations aren't a reflection of how good or popular these artists are, and they aren't a definitive collection, but they will give you a good place to start. Be sure to check out the next section and see if there are any artists that sound like your cup of tea, or to find out if these ones sound like your sort of thing.
What artists are out there?
There are obviously a huge number of artists in total from across the years and it's not possible to cover all of them, at least in any great detail. What we present here is a breakdown of the genres you'll find in J-Pop and the artists you find in them. For the most part, and where possible, a description of the artist will be given giving you some idea of their history, current status, style and sound. The genres they are organised into are: Alt Rock, Anime/TV, Bubblegum Pop, Traditional Japanese, Mainstream Pop and R&B/Hip-Hop.
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