Japanese karaoke songs

[koukotsu]

I find that learning lyrics of Japanese songs helps me with reading and learning vocabulary etc. I want to learn some more songs, but i don't really know many Japanese songs other than from obscure underground bands or the current cheesy radio J-pop stuff.

Can you recommend me some songs to learn. Are there any Japanese songs that are considered 'classic' karaoke songs that everyone here knows? Or like the Japanese equivalent of 'bohemian rhapsody'?? I don't really mind which genre they are in, as long its not the cheesy morning musume type ____e.
Or do you know of any comedy songs that would get a laugh if i sung them at a karaoke place?

Thanks

[Guest]

These ones are probably just old enough that you can pull them out at karaoke and sound good:

Classic-ish song - Tsunami (in romaji) by the southern all stars. Its about 8 or 9 years old, kind of a love song type thing. Goes over well.

Funny - 明日がある - by...various artists I think. It was a bunch of comedians, in maybe 2001. The fact that you know it and are singing it will make some people laugh.

[Moobies]

My 十八番リスト

Funny - 明日がある - by...various artists I think. It was a bunch of comedians, in maybe 2001. The fact that you know it and are singing it will make some people laugh.

明日がある was originally done by sakamoto kyuu and then remade by Ulfuls around 2000. Then the comedians got a hold of it and changed the lyrics. It's a long song that's fun for about the first minute or so then it gets tired, just like Bohemian rhapsody. Not that it's a bad suggestion though.

Ulfuls (ウルフルズ) is a great band for a guy to sing at karaoke. Everyone knows them, and the songs are timeless (in the sense that this year alone has seen at least three old songs used in CMs and one new song used to support some sporting event...fall HS baseball I think). Anyway, I recommend beginning with

ばんざい〜　君をすきでよかった http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkmsmes1dc

可愛い人 (couldn't find it on youtube)

笑えれば　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjuFa2HrQ8s

それが答えだ　(unfortunately no longer available on youtube at the moment)

泣けてくる http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCydlMp0Uas

BTW 明日がある http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTqEawvJ10g

Another great band is The Blue Hearts. They are kinda punkish (1980s), but I recently sang 夕暮れ with a few 50-60 year olds and they really got into it. I like

夕暮れ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zELpW8Ayk1U

Linda Linda (the video above is linda linda with yuugure and below with kisu ____e hoshii))

キスして欲しい http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6-1IRSXnlI

Train Train http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3bAjcWuIVk

人に優しく http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyQoWhWPXz8 (live so a little faster than normal)

In the same vein as Blue Hearts (same lead singer and guitarist) is The High Lows. Well known songs include:

胸がどきどき (opening theme to Conan...BIG karaoke hit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOICiLMT3cE

日曜日よりの使者 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuNH7qm0Fgo

青春　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2nECk7vfNE

不死身の花 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44CbBGmQUhw

I also think there are quite a few good songs by Spitz and Yuzu out there.

Spitz　スピツ
チェリー http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiE1ysNgUU0

ロビンソン http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiKUsWACqzI

空も飛べるはず http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfLYfZNyA-A

楓　（かえで）http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X058HNcwhm8

Yuzu　ゆず (male duet)
友達の歌　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fbZ6a3u1ZY

夏色 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qOr9_YSoAM (very popular)

さよならバス http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksyEAzfMY0U

Sentimental http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDwAAE_w900

いつか　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RDZQvXKxhE

飛べない鳥　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJjQHEBFB-8

Southern Allstars' Tsunami is a great recommendation from Fujay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krNlM7yVL68

いとしいのエリー would be a good one to do as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScwHnVxKzAI
Which might actually be from Kuwata Keisuku'e solo efforts (he's the lead singer of southern)

Edit:
For laughs I do anime songs (but not otaku foreigner anime)

I like Hikaru Genji's 100% Yuuki from Nintamarantarou
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NyMmDzMs9s

And Kitajima Saburo's 詠人 from Ojaru Maru.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS9hyKQrTac

By the way, I left off the infamous 島歌 by The Boom.　Pretty much every foreigner I go to karaoke with has sung it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41wU1tLmXH8

But I prefer The Boom's 風になりたい
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrPoeGYINsA

Have fun!

[Pkl]

Gonna' throw my support behind The Blue Hearts. リンダリンダ　is a firm fave of mine, as it's a punk song you don't even need to be able to sing to make it sound half-way decent.

[koukotsu]

Some good suggestions! I'm surprised how many of these songs sound really familiar when checking them on you tube. The blue hearts and High lows sound like good bands, I know the song 'Linda Linda' well as it is on the soundtrack to the DS game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, but i didnt know the band. I was thinking of songs a long the line of 島歌 when i said 'classic', but i'll try quite a few of those songs from that list.

[Moobies]

I was thinking of songs a long the line of 島歌 when i said 'classic', but i'll try quite a few of those songs from that list.

Surprisingly, for most people that I go to karaoke with, 20-40 year olds mainly, The Blue Hearts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Hearts) are "classic." I'm not sure actually what this word means...I mean are we talking

すきやき by 坂本九？　http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=0U2nBre-JEU

For the most part, almost every song on the list is a tried and true winner at karaoke for me. But I am careful about trying to get a feel for what everybody likes. And too many punky songs will kill a crowd.

I've never tried any Mr. Children, but there are some popular songs that people should know, such as

君が好き http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=87-n1IzC3aI

Or Fukuyama Masaharu's　桜坂　http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=sux5yksZnD4

Though I prefer Squall.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=HIepQ6jaOZQ (live version, sorry)

Edit: For kicks how about Hiromi Go's cover of La vida Loca (Called Goldfinger 99)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=1I_Oi36QhbU

[Jacque_S]

明日がある was originally done by sakamoto kyuu and then remade by Ulfuls around 2000. Then the comedians got a hold of it and changed the lyrics. It's a long song that's fun for about the first minute or so then it gets tired, just like Bohemian rhapsody. Not that it's a bad suggestion though.

It was 2001. June-ish. I remember b/c I was counting down the days til I could leave, and this obnoxious song seemed to encapsulate all that was crappy about Japan. I was ready to kill after hearing it.

Utada Hikaru's "Automatic" is a relatively easy song to sing.

RIP Kyuu Sakamoto - watched a NatGeo documentary on the JAL 123 crash which killed him. Awful stuff.

[Moobies]

It was 2001. June-ish. I remember b/c I was counting down the days til I could leave, and this obnoxious song seemed to encapsulate all that was crappy about Japan. I
was ready to kill after hearing it.

Ya. They played the heck out of that song. It was everywhere!

Utada Hikaru's "Automatic" is a relatively easy song to sing.

I suck at doing girl stuff, but I love Aiko and Utada Hikaru songs, while the g/f goes for Crystal Kay. I recently tried カブトムシ, but it wasn't so good (I have a crappy voice in the first place...). Great song though.　http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=k3xGphtZHII　

So is Utada's Final Distance. http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mxiqotv8bI

[Jacque_S]

あの紙ヒコウキ (I think that's how it's written up - don't know the band name) is another easy one - slow enuf tempo to be able to read the lyrics, which are relatively easy & don't use tough kanji.

[Moobies]

あの紙ヒコウキ (I think that's how it's written up - don't know the band name) is another easy one - slow enuf tempo to be able to read the lyrics, which are relatively easy & don't use tough kanji.

Great Song! Same vocalist as Blue Hearts and The High Lows. It's his latest band, The Cro-Magnons.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=SqmPwT6Y9-U

[JBS3009]

Can you recommend me some songs to learn. Are there any Japanese
songs that are considered 'classic' karaoke songs that everyone here knows?

Collectively melt the hearts of the ladies in the room with a heart-felt rendition of Moriyama Naotaro's (森山直太郎) "SAKURA": http://www.jdorama.com/lyrics.844.htm

Or do you know of any comedy songs that would get a laugh if i sung them at a karaoke place?

For giggles, I recommend "Hoshi ni Onegai" (星にお願い), an upbeat collaboration from Kanagawa-based reggae band Home Grown and H-Man:
http://s.freepe.com/std.cgi?id=13211&pn=01
For some reason, the line "tonikaku ore wa kimi to yaritai" guarantees a chuckle or two

[Moobies]

Try some Enka from Hikawa Kiyoshi?

Hakone Hachiri no Hanjirou 箱根八里の半次郎
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=FtO1rAjQq7g
This is the yadanetara yadane song

Or　Ooi okkake Otojirou 大井追っかけ音次郎
Famous for this line:
やっぱりね そうだろね
しんどいね 未練だね

Unfortunately couldn't find a copy of this classic, although this has a short clip. http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=OFw9w4SOeks

There's also a good one called あの子が行っちゃった.

[Pkl]

Moobies...could it be that you are the Karaoke King of GP?

Which song would you say is your biggest gun?

[Pkl]

Collectively melt the hearts of the ladies in the room with a heart-felt rendition of Moriyama Naotaro's (森山直太郎) "SAKURA": http://www.jdorama.com/lyrics.844.htm

I like the song, but isn't this one for Spring use only? Seems a bit odd to be busting it out in winter.

[JBS3009]

I like the song, but isn't this one for Spring use only? Seems a bit odd to be busting it out in winter.

True, but some would argue that the "sakura" is metaphorical - really standing for an all-year thing, like Guy Fawkes Night or Christmas

btw Puckle, you on MySpace? BAB says hurry up and add me, you b@stard