Japan’s Biggest Selling Albums and Singles of 2011 Announced

19 December, 2011 by 2 Comments

The bods that calculate Japan’s Oricon charts have been busy over the past few days collating data for the yearly charts. So efficiant they are, they’ve actually finished it a whole two weeks before the end of the year – bravo chaps! Take the rest of the year off on us.

However, as for the people of Japan, we want words… the top ten selling albums of 2011 are pretty dire, with only one domestic release we can reccomend; Ikimonogakari’s BEST Selection, which also made 2010’s chart too.

All figures are physical copies. Oricon doesn’t count downloads, as ridiculous as that is.
Any links in the chart will direct you to iTunes UK where either the album can be downloaded, or the artist’s back catalogue.

  • 01: Arashi – Beautiful World (907,589)
  • 02: AKB48 – Koko ni Ita Koto (829,645)
  • 03: EXILE – Negai no Tou (743,242)
  • 04: Lady GaGa – Born This Way (658,554)
  • 05: Shoujo Jidai – GIRLS’ GENERATION (642,054)
  • 06: Namie Amuro – Checkmate! (484,336)
  • 07: KARA – Super Girl (450,595)
  • 08: Keisuke Kuwata – MUSICMAN (414,725)
  • 09: SMAP – SMAP AID (413,943)
  • 10: Ikimonogakari – Ikimonobakari ~members’ BEST selection~ (397,459)

The full top 50, including sales figures, is available from Oricon’s site by clicking here. Highlights include pop-rockers BUMP OF CHICKEN‘s COSMONAUT ranking in at 17; Superfly‘s Mind Travel at 14; and one of our personal favourite albums of the year,  Zettai Zetsumei from RADWIMPS ranked 25th.

Other honourable mentions include UVERworld’s LIFE 6 SENSE (49th), Tokyo Jihen‘s Daihakken (48th), Perfume’s JPN (24th), YUI’s HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE (35th) and two albums from Ayumi Hamasaki; Love Songs (23rd) and FIVE (30th).

The top ten singles of the year suffer a worst fate than the album chart and sees AKB48 once again hijack the top five.

  • 01: AKB48 – Flying Get (1,587,229)
  • 02: AKB48 – Everyday, Kachuusha (1,586,840)
  • 03: AKB48 – Kaze wa Fuiteiru (1,418,888)
  • 04: AKB48 – Ue Kara Mariko (1,198,864)
  • 05: AKB48 – Sakura no Ki ni Narou (1,079,460)
  • 06: Arashi – Lotus (625,935)
  • 07: Arashi – Meikyu Love Song (614,131)
  • 08: Kaoru to Tomoki, Tama ni Mook – Maru-Maru-Mori -Mori (498,920)
  • 09: SKE48 – Pareo wa Emerald (466,037)
  • 10: Kis-My-Ft2 – Everybody Go (441,680)

The full top 50 singles can be viewed by clicking here.

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