Music Discovery
CITY POP
City pop is Japanese jazz fusion and AOR from the late 1970s and 1980s. Tatsuro Yamashita, Mariya Takeuchi, Anri, and Miki Matsubara defined the genre — warm production, sophisticated chord progressions, and a fusion of American jazz, funk, and soft rock. The city pop revival is one of the biggest sample trends of the last decade, and there is still enormous territory left unexplored.
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Random City Pop records from the Discogs database — played instantly on YouTube.
Discover City PopFrequently Asked
What is city pop and why are producers sampling it?▾
City pop is a Japanese genre from the late 1970s and 1980s, combining jazz, funk, AOR, and soft rock with high-quality studio production. It is being rediscovered globally via YouTube and lo-fi remixes — Mariya Takeuchi's "Plastic Love" became a viral hit decades after release. Producers sample it for its warm analogue recordings, sophisticated chord voicings, and the specific texture of Japanese studio production from this era.
What city pop records are best for sampling?▾
Tatsuro Yamashita's catalog (Moonglow, For You, Ride on Time) and Mariya Takeuchi's "Variety" are the most referenced. Anri's "Timely!!" and EPO's recordings are also widely sampled. Discogs has extensive listings of Japanese city pop pressings — original Japanese pressings from the late 1970s and early 1980s are the most sought-after.
How do I find city pop records from outside Japan?▾
Japanese city pop pressings rarely appeared outside Japan on original release. Discogs is the primary source — search by country "Japan", genre "Jazz" or "Funk / Soul", style "Fusion", years 1976–1989. Many records have been ripped and uploaded to YouTube, so CrateDrop's playback lets you hear them instantly before purchasing. Original pressings are expensive; bootleg reissues are common.