city pop
what it is
In the early 1980s, with the spread of car stereos, the term City Pop (シティーポップ Shitī Poppu? ) came to describe a type of popular music that had a big city theme. Tokyo in particular inspired many songs of this form, but more especially the 1960s reverb-drenched wall of sound production styles made famous by studio auteurs Phil Spector and Brian Wilson.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make city pop a playlist
turn these 29 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is city pop?
In the early 1980s, with the spread of car stereos, the term City Pop (シティーポップ Shitī Poppu? ) came to describe a type of popular music that had a big city theme. Tokyo in particular inspired many songs of this form, but more especially the 1960s reverb-drenched wall of sound production styles made famous by studio auteurs Phil Spector and Brian Wilson.
What are good city pop albums to start with?
Try Pocket Park by Miki Matsubara, FOR YOU by 山下達郎, 浮遊空間 by Tomoko Aran, and APRIL by ROUND TABLE featuring Nino.
Who are some women making city pop?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/city-pop/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making city pop, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-19