The highest-selling singles in Japan are ranked in the Oricon Weekly Chart, which is published by Oricon Style magazine.[1] The data are compiled by Oricon based on each singles' weekly physical sales.[2] In 2008, 49 singles reached the peak of the chart.
R&B singer Namie Amuro's "60s 70s 80s" became her first number one single in nearly 10 years. The single made Amuro the only female Japanese artist to have a Top 10 single for 14 consecutive years.[3] Pop boy band NEWS' "Happy Birthday" made them the second group after the KinKi Kids to have 10 consecutive number one singles since their debut.[4] "Purple Line" made Korean pop boy band TVXQ the fifth non-Japanese Asian artist and the first male group to have a number one on the charts.[5] With the release of "Jumon: Mirotic" they became the only foreign artist to have four number ones on the chart.[6]
R&B singer Thelma Aoyama's "Soba ni Iru ne" became the fastest-selling single of 2008, selling over a million copies digitally.[7] The single was then certified by Guinness World Records as "the best selling download single in Japan".[8] Pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki's "Mirrorcle World" debuted atop the chart, this makes Hamasaki the only female artist to have a number one single for 10 consecutive years.[9] Technopop girl group Perfume's "Love the World" is the first technopop single to ever rank number one on the charts.[10] Mr. Children and Greeeen are the only two artists that had an extended run on the charts.
The best-selling single overall of 2008 was pop boy band Arashi's "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e", selling a little over 618,000 copies. Arashi's "One Love" also took the place as the second-best-selling single, which sold more than 524,000 copies, followed by pop rock band Southern All Stars' "I Am Your Singer" with 520,000 copies. The fourth- and fifth-best-selling singles of 2008 were "Kiseki" by Greeeen and "Shuchishin" (羞恥心, Shūchishin) by Shuchishin's, respectively.[11] "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e" and "One Love" taking the Top Two spots made Arashi the fifth artist to do so. This was last achieved by Princess Princess in 1989.[12]
Chart history
| Issue Date | Single | Artist(s) | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 14 | "Dangan Fighter" (弾丸ファイター, Dangan Faitā, Bullet Fighter) | SMAP | [13] |
| January 21 | "Mirage" | AAA | [14] |
| January 28 | "Purple Line" | TVXQ | [15] |
| February 4 | "Order Made" | Radwimps | [16] |
| February 11 | "Soba ni Iru ne" | Thelma Aoyama feat. SoulJa | [17] |
| February 18 | "Lips" | KAT-TUN | [18] |
| February 25 | "Anata ga Koko ni Itara" (あなたがここにいたら, If Only You Were Here) | Porno Graffitti | [19] |
| March 3 | "Step and Go" | Arashi | [20] |
| March 10 | "Taiyō no Namida" (太陽のナミダ, The Sun's Tears) | NEWS | [21] |
| March 17 | "Sono Mama/White Message" (そのまま／Ｗｈｉｔｅ Ｍｅｓｓａｇｅ, Just That Way/White Message) | SMAP | [22] |
| March 24 | "Wahaha" | Kanjani Eight | [23] |
| March 31 | "60s 70s 80s" | Namie Amuro | [3] |
| April 7 | "Ore ja Nakya, Kimi ja Nakya" (オレじゃなきゃ、キミじゃなきゃ) | 20th Century | [24] |
| April 14 | "Drink It Down" | L'Arc-en-Ciel | [25] |
| April 21 | "Mirrorcle World" | Ayumi Hamasaki | [9] |
| April 28 | "Burn (Fumetsu no Face)" | B'z | [26] |
| May 5 | "Beautiful You/Sennen Koi Uta" | TVXQ | [27] |
| May 12 | "No More" | Tsukasa Maizu | [28] |
| May 19 | "Summer Time" | NEWS | [29] |
| May 26 | "Don't U Ever Stop" | KAT-TUN | [30] |
| June 2 | "Dreams Come True" | Hey! Say! JUMP | [31] |
| June 9 | "Kiseki" | Greeeen | [32] |
| June 16 | [33] | ||
| June 23 | "Verb" | Glay | [34] |
| June 30 | "Ai Ai Gasa" | Tegomass | [35] |
| July 7 | "One Love" | Arashi | [36] |
| July 14 | "Summer Song" | Yui | [37] |
| July 21 | "Love the World" | Perfume | [10] |
| July 28 | "Dōshite Kimi o Suki ni Natte Shimattandarō? | TVXQ | [38] |
| August 4 | "Your Seed/Bōken Rider" | Hey! Say! JUMP | [39] |
| August 11 | "Gift" | Mr. Children | [40] |
| August 18 | "I Am Your Singer" | Southern All Stars | [41] |
| August 25 | "Kono Toki, Kitto Yume Ja Nai" (この瞬間、きっと夢じゃない, This Moment, I Know It's Not a Dream) | SMAP | [42] |
| September 1 | "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e" | Arashi | [43] |
| September 8 | "Secret Code" | KinKi Kids | [44] |
| September 15 | "Hanabi" | Mr. Children | [45] |
| September 22 | [46] | ||
| September 29 | "Light In My Heart/Swing!" | V6 | [47] |
| October 6 | "The Birthday: Ti Amo" | Exile | [48] |
| October 13 | "Happy Birthday | NEWS | [4] |
| October 20 | "Taboo" | Kumi Koda | [49] |
| October 27 | "Jumon (Mirotic)" | TVXQ | [6] |
| November 3 | "Mayonaka no Shadow Boy" | Hey! Say! JUMP | [50] |
| November 10 | "Musekinin Hero" | Kanjani Eight | [51] |
| November 17 | "Beautiful Days" | Arashi | [52] |
| November 24 | "Tsuretette Tsuretette" (連れてって 連れてって, Take Me Take Me) | Dreams Come True | [53] |
| December 1 | "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" | Uverworld | [54] |
| December 8 | "Last Christmas" | Exile | [55] |
| December 15 | "White X'mas" | KAT-TUN | [56] |
| December 22 | "Yowamushi Santa" (弱虫サンタ, Cowardly Santa) | Shuchishin | [57] |
| December 29 | "Days/Green | Ayumi Hamasaki | [58] |