Ok, these might really date me as they are a few years old, nevertheless I have wonderful memories acquainted with each so here goes...
Dance/up-beat/"feel good" songs:
"Dynamite"by SMAP: Just plain catchy with a great sound and a great party song imho.
"Julia" by Tokio: Nagase when he was at his best imho. Another good song with a catchy hook.
"Jet Coaster Romance" by Kinki Kids: Great, catchy, and a wonderfully up-beat song for summer. In fact, I remember ANA (Airline) using it as their theme song in their commercials.
"Timing" by Black Biscuits: Vivian Hsu' voice is superb on this catchy single and one that just appeals to me.
"Automatic" by Utada Hikaru: Classic Utada and one of her earliest singles. She certainly knows how to sing.
"Tsutsumi Komu Youni" by Misia: A personal fav and precursor to Utada Hikaru, Misia can definitely bring da funk!
Slower/sad/melancholy songs:
"Do Not" by Fumiya Fujii: Classic sounding, almost melancholic. First heard while standing in line at a Lawson convenience store which promptly forced me to rush out and buy the single.
"Andromedia" Soundtrack by SPEED: An awesome CD that imho ranks as one of SPEED's best works. This album contains everything from radio edit versions of their singles to acoustic and even orchestral instrumental versions. The entire album though has something of a bittersweet felling to it that ties in nicely with the movie (in case anyone ever saw it).
"Dreaming I was dreaming" by Amuro Namie: Smooth and sexy, Namichan's voice is hard to deny on this one.
"Last Song" by X-Japan: Probably the most memorable single for me as I was in Japan at the time when Hide took his own life and I can remember watching the funeral procession on TV and seeing so many distraught X fans. Not only does this song capture the feeling of that moment, it also epitomizes for me at least-what X-Japan's music meant for so many of us.
