In a first-ever attempt to gauge public opinion on J-pop, Metropolis ran an online poll at Japantoday.com in the fall. Limited by its ability to offer only five choices (Southern All Stars, X Japan, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Judy and Mary and Hikaru Utada), the survey, which asked for the “greatest J-pop band of all time,” nevertheless elicited over 600 responses—and an opinionated online discussion. Below is a sampling of some of the comments posted by participants.

The only half-decent person on the list would be Ryuichi Sakamoto, in my opinion. Anyone remember or have heard of his old band YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra)? Then again, some teenyboppers would probably just nominate some ridiculous, relatively recent J-pop idol like Utada or someone like who’s not on the list.—depeche_girl

I think Dreams Come True isn’t half bad; most of the rest of it is rubbish, though, and reminds me of the cats in heat howling outside my window. Tuneless, toneless, painful, drivel.—toolonggone

As a wise man once said, 90 percent of everything is crap, and as in most countries, there’s plenty of good pop in Japan. But very little of it mainstream. Ryuichi Sakamoto is still a great artist, and Southern [All Stars] have managed to produce a few good tunes over the years, but what about all those underground acts (some of whom get some temporary fame from time to time), like Guitarwolf or the perhaps most joyously stupid tongue-in-cheek punk-pop band of all time, Shonen Knife?—Flying_Monkey

The only two acts in Japan I can really stand are Coco and Luna Sea. As a whole—and like every other country—most mainstream pop is dismal. Think about radio in your home country. In the US, it’s Justin Timberlake or some other terrible band.—usaexpat

I like Utada Hikaru, but if you voted for her you’re probably a US-based Japanophile. Southern All Stars are by any measure so much more successful.—Anomaly_Jr

I say SMAP because of the huge effect they have had on the Japanese music scene.—apecNetworks

Ogura Kei is still the only talented banker-singer-composer in Japan.—smthadew

Pink Lady was my first exposure to J-pop. Antibiotics have not improved my condition. I never missed an episode of Pink Lady and Jeff as an impressionable child in California.—Jay_in_Texas

It’s Ayumi Hamasaki. No contest. [But] from this list, it would have to be either Utada Hikaru or another. As much as I like to dismiss much of her recent work, I also cannot deny that Utada has put out some very competent music for still being in her early twenties. Her Deep River album was excellent, and that English album she made [Exodus] was also quite good on several tracks. To be honest, though, Ayumi Hamasaki is the only certified international diva (not “idol”) and one of the only internationally respected artists that Japan has ever produced.—Panawave

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