Editing J-pop (section)

====1990–1997: Growing market====
In the 1990s, the term '''J-pop''' came to refer to all Japanese popular songs except ''[[enka]]''.<ref name=ctv /> During this period, the Japanese music industry sought [[marketing effectiveness]]. Notable examples of commercial music from the era were the [[tie-in]] music from the agency [[Being (company)|Being]] and the follow-on, [[Tetsuya Komuro]]'s [[disco]] music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nvc.nikkeibp.co.jp/column/news/20070806_000364.html|script-title=ja:山口百恵、松田聖子、安室奈美恵の中味|trans-title=Contents of Momoe Yamaguchi, Seiko Matsuda and Namie Amuro|language=ja|publisher=[[Nikkei Business Publications]]|date=2007-08-06|access-date=2008-12-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228032226/http://nvc.nikkeibp.co.jp/column/news/20070806_000364.html|archive-date=2008-12-28}}</ref> The period between around 1990 and 1993 was dominated by artists from [[being Inc.|the Being agency]], including [[B'z]], [[Tube (band)|Tube]], [[B.B.Queens]], [[T-Bolan]], [[Zard]], [[Wands (band)|Wands]], [[Maki Ohguro]], [[Deen (band)|Deen]], and [[Field of View]]. They were called the {{Nihongo|Being System|ビーイング系|Bīingu kei}}.<ref name="being">{{Cite web|url=http://www.uta-net.com/user/jake_uta/being/being.html|title=Being-kei artist|publisher=uta-net|access-date=2009-01-15|language=ja}}</ref> Many of those artists topped the charts and established new records,<ref name="being" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www5.nikkansports.com/general/obituary/2007/20070527-39022.html|script-title=ja:ＺAＲD坂井泉水さん病院階段から転落死|newspaper=Nikkan Sports|date=2007-05-27|access-date=2009-01-04|language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123102915/http://www5.nikkansports.com/general/obituary/2007/20070527-39022.html|archive-date=2009-01-23}}</ref> notably B'z, which eventually established a new record for consecutive number-one singles, surpassing Seiko Matsuda's record.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/rankmusic/39247/|script-title=ja:ミスチル、聖子抜き歴代単独2位！25作連続シングル1位！！|publisher=Oricon|date=2006-11-21|language=ja|access-date=2008-12-30}}</ref> B'z is the Japanese biggest selling artist of all time, according to Oricon charts and RIAJ certifications. On the other hand, Wands, regarded as a pioneer of the "J-pop Boom" of the 1990s, had trouble because member Show Wesugi wanted to play [[alternative rock]]/[[grunge]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000037056|title=高品質J-POPムーブメントを駆け抜けたWANDS|publisher=Barks|date=2008-01-12|language=ja|access-date=2008-11-19}}</ref>
 
Many artists surpassed the two-million-copy mark in the 1990s. [[Kazumasa Oda]]'s 1991 single "Oh! Yeah!/Love Story wa Totsuzen ni", [[Chage and Aska]]'s 1991 single "[[Say Yes (Chage and Aska song)|Say Yes]]" and 1993 single "Yah Yah Yah", [[Kome Kome Club]]'s 1992 single "[[Kimi ga Iru Dake de]]", [[Mr. Children]]'s 1994 single "[[Tomorrow Never Knows (Mr. Children song)|Tomorrow Never Knows]]" and 1996 single "[[Namonaki Uta]]", and [[Globe (band)|Globe]]'s 1996 single "Departures" are examples of songs that sold more than 2&nbsp;million copies.<ref name="smap" /><ref name="First_Love">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/confidence/24700/|script-title=ja:トレンディドラマとともに訪れた90年代のミリオンセールス時代|trans-title=The million sale age of the 90s as well as trendy dramas|publisher=Oricon|date=2006-06-14|language=ja|access-date=2007-10-08}}</ref> [[Dreams Come True (band)|Dreams Come True]]'s 1992 album ''[[The Swinging Star]]'' became the first album to sell over 3&nbsp;million copies in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sega.jp/topics/060915_2/home.shtml|title=PLAYSTATION3・Xbox360ソフト「ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ」の楽曲にDREAMS COME TRUE『SWEET SWEET SWEET－06 AKON MIX－』を収録！|publisher=Sega|date=2006-09-15|language=ja|access-date=2009-01-12}}</ref> Mr. Children's 1994 album ''[[Atomic Heart (album)|Atomic Heart]]'' established a new record, selling 3.43&nbsp;million copies on Oricon charts.<ref name="First_Love" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://musico.jp/doc/070404timemachine/1994.html|title=Music Timemacine of 1994|publisher=MUSICO of [[NTT Communications Corp]]|language=ja|access-date=2009-11-20}}</ref> The duo Chage and Aska, who started recording in late 1979, became very popular during this period. They released a string of consecutive hits throughout the early 1990s; in 1996, they took part in ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'', making them the first Asian group to do so.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/12/14/talkasia.chageaska.script/index.html|title=Chage & Aska Talkasia Transcript|publisher=CNN|date=2005-12-14|access-date=2009-01-03}}</ref>

[[Image:Namie AmuroatMAA Crop.png|thumb|right|[[Namie Amuro]] (center) performs at MTV Asia Aid in [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]] in 2005.]]
After [[TM Network]] disbanded in 1994, [[Tetsuya Komuro]] became a serious song producer. The period between 1994 and 1997 was dominated by dance and techno acts from the {{Nihongo|"Komuro family"|小室ファミリー|Komuro Famirī}}, such as [[TRF (band)|TRF]], [[Ryoko Shinohara]], [[Yuki Uchida]], [[Namie Amuro]], [[Hitomi (singer)|Hitomi]], [[Globe (band)|Globe]], [[Tomomi Kahala]], and [[Ami Suzuki]]. In that time, Komuro was responsible for 20 hit songs, each selling more than a million copies.<ref name="badboys"/> While Globe's 1996 album ''[[Globe (album)|Globe]]'' sold 4.13&nbsp;million copies, establishing a record at the time, Namie Amuro's 1997 song "[[Can You Celebrate?]]" sold 2.29&nbsp;million copies, is the best selling single of all time by the female solo artist in the history of Jpop.<ref name="First_Love" /> His total sales as a song producer reached 170&nbsp;million copies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081105a1.html|title=Komuro arrested over contract fraud|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=2008-11-05|access-date=2009-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/04/asia/AS-Japan-People-Komuro.php|title=Top J-Pop producer arrested over alleged fraud|newspaper=[[International Herald Tribune]]|date=2008-11-04|access-date=2009-01-03}}</ref> By 1998, Komuro's songs had become less popular. By the middle part of the first decade of the 21st century,<!-- Yes, I know that phrase is incredibly awkward, but the MoS folks will get upset if we use "early 2000s"--> Komuro's debt lead him to attempt the sale of his song catalog—which he did not actually own—to an investor. When the investor found out and sued, Komuro tried to sell the catalog to ''another'' investor in order to pay the {{Currency|600000000|JPY|first=yes}} judgement he owed the first investor.<ref name="badboys">{{cite news|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20081116pb.html|title=The billionaire bad boys' club|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=2008-11-16|access-date=2008-11-19}}</ref>

[[Namie Amuro]], who was arguably the most popular solo singer in the period, came from the "[[Okinawa Actors School]]", which also incubated the bands [[MAX (band)|MAX]] and [[Speed (Japanese band)|Speed]]. At first, while still a part of the Komuro Family, Amuro remained in the dance music genre, but she slowly changed her music style to [[contemporary R&B]] and ended her partnership with Tetsuya Komuro.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://music.goo.ne.jp/artist/ARTLISD1003426/index.html|title=Namie Amuro|publisher=goo|access-date=2008-11-17|language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208050107/http://music.goo.ne.jp/artist/ARTLISD1003426/index.html|archive-date=2008-12-08}}</ref> Komuro's band Globe became a [[Trance music|trance]] band after their 2001 album ''Outernet''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.famitsu.com/entertainment/news/2002/02/07/n02.html|title=globe久々の全国ツアー詳細を発表！|publisher=[[Famitsu]]|language=ja|date=2002-02-07|access-date=2009-10-16}}</ref>