Top 10 Best Japanese Rock Singers
From visual kei to heavy metal, here are the top 10 best Japanese rock singers.
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Takanori 'Ruki' Matsumoto - The Gazette
It's true that Kyo from DeG has a wider range of vocals, reaches higher tunes, and so on, but that only says he's got a better voice. Being a singer is much more than having a good voice. It is about using it properly to sound perfect in every live performance. Of course, there are concerts where Kyo sounds great, but he has to deal with significant throat problems (operations) for pushing his voice too far. Too many times, his voice does not sound as good live as the studio versions. The problem is just that he refuses to get taught or trained in singing (which isn't really bad, it's his style), and therefore he doesn't get to make the most of his unique voice. That's the only point for me to say Ruki is better than Kyo. As for their live performances, both are just incredible and give all they have.
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Kyo - Dir En Grey
Kyo is a Japanese musician, singer, lyricist, and poet. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the metal band Dir En Grey, which he has been with since its formation in 1997. Before joining Dir En Grey, he was a member of the visual kei band La:Sadie's.
I must say that I love both Kyo and Ruki very much, and I think they are both superb vocalists. I hope people and fans on both sides would stop bashing these two amazing vocalists. They have different singing styles and different musical pursuits, so stop saying things like "his songs are so much better," because your opinion is not everyone else's.
Both Kyo and Ruki's voices have reached into my soul and touched me in different ways. Kyo amazes me with his raw emotions pouring through his screams and growls. Ruki's voice, on the other hand, always immediately seems to be able to pull me into the world of the song. However, I personally lean a little more towards the darker side of things, and Kyo's songs and emotions in his voice just cut through my soul like a sharp knife sometimes. I also have to admit that Kyo does more amazing things with his voice than Ruki, though I'm not saying that Ruki's technique isn't good. He is easily one of the best vocalists I've heard, up there with Kyo.
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Hyde - L'Arc-en-Ciel
Hyde, born Hideto Takarai on January 29, 1969, is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band L'Arcen~Ciel, which has achieved major commercial success in Japan and internationally. Hyde also maintains a solo career and has released several... read more
This guy needs to be in the top 3, but to me, he is the best Japanese rock singer. His vocal range is so wide, and his voice continues to evolve through the years. It's not only the range but the variety of voice Hyde has to offer.
He has this particular tone with Laruku, which made me follow him. I'm a fan of Jrock bands and their vocalists. I understand that there are pure qualifications that can add more points to a Japanese rock singer, but his unique voice has reached international fans like me.
I love the other voice and emotion that Vamps and his solo work have to offer. To my surprise, Who's Gonna Save Us sounded like Linkin Park to me.
Even at 50+, you can see he has also improved his English, reaching more international fans. His voice knows how to please girls.
Not related to rock, but this guy sings well in different genres and with the right emotion. He has songs for all occasions.
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Kamijo - Versailles
He's definitely a great vocalist! Besides having an amazing voice, he also has a tremendous stage presence and puts on a great show, which is something a lot of vocalists lack. I can listen to his voice for hours, whether it's singing or speaking, and not get tired.
He has a really lovely voice and uses it in music quite well! Even more than having a nice voice and a pretty face, he's also a wonderful person. He seems to be a really sweet and caring person, but also very smart. And he's so professional, too, which is a big plus!
In my humble opinion, Kamijo is the best. His voice is just a pleasure, and he is a wonderful singer. Not for technical qualities (as much as he is great in that regard, showing range and talent), but especially for his lovely rendition skills.
I especially recommend listening to PRINCE, DESTINY -The Lovers-, Serenade, After Cloudia, Remember Forever, Love Will Be Born Again, Faith & Decision, MASQUERADE, and PRINCESS -Revival of Church-. If you've felt how much emotion and feeling he puts into his singing, you'll understand me.
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Toshimitsu 'Toshi' Deyama - X Japan, Toshi and T-Earth
His voice is really improving again. I think he's taking classes again. I hope he can be even better in the future. Toshi has an amazing voice, like rough, and X Japan melodies are also difficult to sing.
Another thing: he asked his fans to ignore the existence of Toshi With T-EARTH and all his projects for the label Healing Music due to personal and professional problems.
Amazing singer, his voice is so unique, and he has the perfect rock voice. I think he should be number 1 on this list. He can hit every note amazingly and make you feel the emotion in the song he sings. Him, Yoshiki, and the other bandmates are outstanding together. In my book, I think they are number 1!
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Tatsuro Iwagami - Mucc
He is simply inimitable. He takes you through a song's journey and makes you feel everything.
He does not just sing words at you. You are brought along as he drags ghosts on stage or pulls you into flower fields. He can bring out so many emotions and make the listener empathize in ways that very few vocalists can.
He is also an amazing performer on stage. He is absolutely incredible and has a wide range, from clean singing to falsetto to growls and screaming. He is my favorite vocalist.
Tatsuro's voice is simply one of the best voices I know so far. He can interpret almost every song with such deep feelings. His voice is powerful yet full of emotion. It can have energy, and even slow songs are amazing.
I learned to love his voice, and almost every time I hear it, I get goosebumps, and a shudder will run down my spine. That is all because of his voice, which can bring all this power through his voice!
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Camui Gackt - Malice Mizer
Gakuto Oshiro (大城 ガクト Ōshiro Gakuto, born July 4, 1973), better known by his mononymous stage name Gackt, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been active since 1993, first as the frontman of the short-lived independent band Cains:Feel and later for the now-defunct... read more
Listening to his album for FFVII Dirge of Cerberus got me into Japanese music in the first place. His music and the way he performs is extremely admirable. His voice is great, deep, sexy... I guess you can say he's my idol. He's an actor too, which is great!
Just listen to Vanilla, Mizerable, Storm, Luna, Redemption, Episode.0, Ever, and maybe even Dears, I'll definitely keep up with being a fan of his!
He has real talent and such a beautiful voice! If you have ever listened to him sing "Au Revoir" in Malice Mizer, that is a great example. The way he hits those high notes flawlessly and quickly is amazing!
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Haruna Ono - Scandal
With a husky and slightly deep voice, Haruna Ono is one of the few female singers in Japan that has a voice suited for rock. Her voice blends beautifully with every song she sings, be it SCANDAL's own songs or other cover songs. Her voice is one of the major factors contributing to the success of the band.
Just by listening, anybody would know that it's SCANDAL's Haruna singing because of the originality of her singing voice. No doubt, Haruna Ono is an amazing lead singer that everyone would pay to hear.
Her voice captivated me the moment I first heard it. It was very hard for me to explain the experience, but it was like my heart melted.
Her voice is deep and powerful, but also versatile. She is the amazing leader of SCANDAL, very professional and brave, but also very caring and thoughtful, and looks after the other members. She also has this amazing stage presence and charm, along with her great guitar skills, which really rock!
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Hideto 'Hide' Matsumoto - X Japan and Hide with Spread Beaver
Hideto Matsumoto, better known by his stage name Hide, was a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is primarily known for his work as the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan. He also had a successful solo career before his death in 1998.
He is and will always be Japan's and one of the world's greatest guitarists. His voice was very distinctive in general, regardless of what language he spoke in, Japanese or English, and (rarely) Spanish. I love it.
He has a very good vocal range, to the point where he would sing backup for himself in some songs. I would have to listen to the song again just to make sure it was him. He was a musical genius. Period.
Even though he was Japan's greatest guitarist, he was also a great singer with songs such as Goodbye or Rocket Dive.
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Satoshi - Girugamesh
Satoshi's voice, more than anything else about Girugamesh, is what captured my interest right away. He has power and passion. He can shout and rap. He can sing in a near-whisper and sound brokenhearted, something I've never heard convincingly from any other artist.
All in all, I think he's the best male singer I've ever heard, in Japan or elsewhere. Satoshi should be #1 on this list!
He has an amazing voice. Satoshi's voice is so powerful to me as well. To me, powerful doesn't only mean how loud or how energetic he sings. His voice is so powerful that he sings with all his heart until he reaches yours. From heavy to soft melody, he never fails to amaze me. Now, go, Satoshi!
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Norio - Lost Eden
He is simply a beast. Too bad they only made one album before disbanding.
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Fuki - Light Bringer
I am surprised Fuki is not on this list. Her vocals are amazing, and sometimes it even seems like she has three lungs.
Listen to her vocals from her band Light Bringer, Doll$Boxx, or Unlucky Morpheus. She has a powerful voice, and I hope to see her move up in the list.
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Takanori Nishikawa - T.M.Revolution
If you never knew about T.M. Revolution and Abingdon Boys School then YouTube it. You will love his performance. His voice is very unique and energetic. Consider the mix style of Techno and Rock.
I think he is definitely the one who specializes in this field. His T.M. Revolution focused on techno in the early era before shifting to a more rock-style later. Abingdon Boys School is more like metal rock style where his bursting voice suits it perfectly.
I love his voice consistency throughout each song. I especially like the way he manages to drag his voice at the end of the chorus - if you know what I mean - in a strong and steady manner. Great skill in that.
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Kazamasa 'Shou' Kohara - Alice Nine
Shou has the best voice of any vocalist. His vocal ability ranges from a very deep bass tone to falsetto. He puts so much passion into each and every song he sings, really drawing the listener into the emotions of the song better. The love he has for the fans of Alice Nine is true, not a charade.
He feels deeply and is able to translate those emotions into beautiful, poetic lyrics that state normal emotions in ways you may not have ever thought of them.
I used to only listen to instrumental music. But his voice totally blew me away. It's deep and rich, yet he is able to sing softly when he pleases. It's also smooth but has a nice vibrato.
I've never come across such a unique voice that is both so energizing and soothing! It's therapeutic to listen to him.
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Hizumi - D'espairsRay
Seriously, why is he even at #41? He has this lush and emotive voice that's almost breaking the JRock stereotype. Also, he has amazing range. He can growl, croon, and belt like a champ.
And revert to growling in a heartbeat. It takes real vocal power to pull that off, especially during lives. Him having to surrender to throat sickness is a huge loss for the industry.
Hizumi's voice isn't just a voice. It's a voice healing the soul.
Come back!
I dunno, I just love his voice. It's so touching and heartwarming.
He is my inspiration, and I also love him as a person. I think he is just perfect.
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Takuya∞ - UVERworld
Takuya is a wonderful, sentimental person. He is so talented, always trying to surpass himself in any way possible. He's my idol. I really look up to him, and his voice is magnificent! UVERworld always gives their all in every concert, so I really believe he deserves to be at least in the top 10.
From vocals that can be deep and rocking, to soft and calming, Takuya truly has a voice like no other. Besides having an incredible voice, he writes all the lyrics and music for UVERworld's music (sometimes co-written with members).
Note: UVERworld performs openings and endings for anime like Bleach, Blood+, D.Gray-man, and Gundam 00.
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Koshi Inaba - B'z
This man possesses power, speed, versatility, and accuracy that no one else is capable of matching. Pop, blues, swing, and rock, he has covered a huge range of music genres and is still going strong.
With 45 singles and 22 albums hitting number 1 on the Oricon charts, this is solid proof that Inaba Koshi is one of the best Japanese rock singers that the music industry has ever seen, sealed too in the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame.
178 FOREVER. His voice has been evolving and changing for the better over the years, and everything of B'z has been so far number 1 on the Oricon charts. How many bands can be the first on the charts for ALL of their singles and albums?
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Yomi - Nightmare
Yomi puts so much emotion and power into his vocals. He is like no other. During Nightmare's live shows, his vocals actually improve (unlike many other vocalists who sound terrible live). He never disappoints.
Furthermore, he can manipulate his voice like no other (yes, I'm talking about Chiba). Yomi's vocals were sent from heaven! And the boy knows how to use them without fear. He also takes great care of them (unlike some careless vocalists who smoke).
Yomi is one of the rare male altos in the world of music. His voice has such strength and power behind it. He knows how to project and get the crowd to feel all the emotions within Nightmare's songs. His soul comes out in his voice, and I just love his voice.
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Hazuki - lynch.
Hazuki, to me, is the best singer in the world. The reasons why I consider it so are that his voice is really amazing, his personality is both funny and very good with the fans, and another reason, which I do not think is so important but will mention anyway, is that he is so attractive that it hypnotizes me when I look at him too much, until I dream all the time.
To clarify, the reason for all this is because I am one of his fans. I always check if there is something new, and I also make drawings using his photos. Thanks for accepting my opinion about this great singer.
Ayasàka12
I admire him a lot. He always tries to improve. He even decided to record some of their first songs again because he had a feeling they could do them better after a few years. He's amazing the way he sounds now, but still he wants to be better. He aims for perfection.
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Miku - An Cafe
I love his voice. How it can change from sweet to sour. How his way of singing can change.
And when it comes to his whole person, he knows how to make other people smile, and he is actually very good at it. Thank you, Miku, for your Nyappy message to the world.
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Wataru Miyawaki - 12012
His voice actually ranges from low to quite high. He can really sing with emotion, especially in their slow ballads like Lovers, Alone, and Aqua.
His voice is amazing. I shudder every time I hear him sing. He is very versatile, and a funny and charming man.
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Yojiro Noda - Radwimps
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Gara - Merry
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Sono - Matenrou Opera
I feel delight and excitement when I listen to the fantastic music of Matenrou Opera and Sono-san's wonderful singing. Although separating the terms "music" and "singing" isn't applicable in Sono-san's case, because what he creates with his voice through his singing is pure music. There are really few singers in metal or rock bands that are able to create music with just their voice.
I had always heard vibrato as poor singing skills until I heard Sono-san singing with vibrato. Now I hear it as music. And I love how he adjusts his singing to every song, always different but still recognizable as Sono. And I find it admirable how he molded the talent he was born with into what it is today, a real beauty.
I wish I could explain in words why I love his singing. There are moments when I'm close to tears from the exhilaration that I feel when I hear his singing, which I haven't experienced ever before. I like listening to him sing more than I ever liked listening to Freddie Mercury.
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Byou - Screw
An extremely sensual voice that does justice to their feline appearance. His lyrics, his rhythm, his movements, his bearing, his elegance... Byou is magnificent.
I just love his sweet, delicate voice.
Besides, the camera loves him. He's beautiful.
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Yasu - Janne Da Arc
Yasu (now under his solo project "Acid Black Cherry") is an incredible singer and songwriter. His voice is beautiful and easy to listen to. He's especially good with high notes. Yasu has a passion for rock but also enjoys singing pop and has recently tried a jazzier sound. He definitely doesn't bore.
He's the best for me. His voice, his music, his remix of excellent famous songs are amazing, and well, he's great! He's always thinking about how his fans can feel and how to make it possible for them to see his project.
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Mao - SID
Mao should have been ranked higher than this. The main thing I love about his voice is the vibrato. He has a great vibrato. I mean, he puts it on even the shortest notes! I remember watching a concert where he held a note for almost 45 seconds, and he still had a beautiful vibrato at the end! More than that, Mao puts so much feeling into his singing.
Whenever I watch the SID interviews, he's really quiet and calm, but he's so different on stage! There was also that time where he tripped on stage in the middle of a song and hit it full body sprawled, but his voice didn't even waver. I thought that was pretty amazing.
Love Mao best! His voice is fantastic! He's the first singer I've been addicted to! I can't help myself from listening to their songs, and after I attended their live show, I was definitely even more amazed by his singing skills.
I always think he sings more touchingly than the original versions. I love both his voice and personality. He's the best singer in my mind!