Southern All Stars

Southern All Stars
OriginKanagawa, Japan
Genres
Years active1977–1985
1988–2000
2003–2008
2013–present
LabelsVictor Entertainment/Taishita
MembersKeisuke Kuwata
Kazuyuki Sekiguchi
Yuko Hara
Hiroshi Matsuda [ja]
Hideyuki "Kegani" Nozawa
Past membersTakashi Omori

Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ, Sazan Ōrusutaazu), also known by the abbreviations Sazan (サザン) and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974.

The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda [ja] (drums) and Hideyuki "Kegani" Nozawa (percussion). In addition to the present lineup, former guitarist Takashi Omori had worked in the band until 2001.[1][2]

After the contract with Victor Entertainment, the band released their top-ten charting debut single "Katte ni Sindbad" in 1978. Since then, Southern has been one of the best-selling music groups in the past 30 years of Japan, selling more than 47 million albums and singles in Japan alone. They have had over 40 top-ten hit singles and 16 number-one albums on the Japan's Oricon Charts as of 2008.[3]

Their 1998 compilation Umi no Yeah!! has sold more than 3.3 million copies[4] and became the best-selling double album in Japanese history.[5] Their most commercially successful song "Tsunami", released in 2000, has sold over 2.9 million units in Japan alone, and provided the band with honor of winning the 42nd Japan Record Awards.[6] The band was also acclaimed and ranked number one in HMV Japan's 2003 list of "100 most influential Japanese musicians".[7] In 2007, Rolling Stone Japan ranked their album Ninkimono de Ikō number 32 on a list of the greatest Japanese rock albums of all time.[8] They are also the only group to ever have 44 songs on the Oricon Top 100 weekly single chart simultaneously.[9]

The band has occasionally gone into hiatus while individual members worked on solo and other projects, and did so again between 2008 and 2013.[10]

  1. ^ "サザンオールスターズ、大森が脱退を表明！｜エキサイトミュージック (音楽)". excite.co.jp. June 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Chikyu Ongaku Library: Southern All Stars [Renewed Edition], Edited by Amuse Inc., Tokyo FM Publishing, ISBN 4-88745-135-0
  3. ^ サザン、4年10ヵ月ぶりのアルバム首位で、快挙達成！！｜エキサイトミュージック (音楽). excite.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  4. ^ "Yamachan Land (Archives of Japanese record charts) – Albums Chart Daijiten – List of the best-selling albums 1968–2007" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  5. ^ サザン「海のＹｅａｈ！！」３２５万２７３２枚 ２枚組アルバム売り上げ最高記録更新 (in Japanese). Chunichi Sports. September 17, 2004. Archived from the original on September 17, 2004. Retrieved September 17, 2004.
  6. ^ "第42回日本レコード大賞 (The 42nd Japan Record Award)" (in Japanese). Japan Composer's Association. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011.
  7. ^ Top 100 Japanese pops Artists – No.1. (in Japanese) HMV Japan KK. Retrieved March 26, 2008.
  8. ^ "Finally! "The 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time" Listed". Exclaim!. November 14, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  9. ^ "ラルク、歴代TOP3入り濃厚！？" (in Japanese). Oricon. August 30, 2006. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  10. ^ "Southern All Stars announce comeback after 5 years". Japan Today. June 26, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2013.