| The Best Ten | |
|---|---|
 Title screen 1978-1989 | |
| Genre | Music |
| Directed by | Shuji Yamada[1] |
| Presented by | Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Hiroyuki Konishi Hiroshi Kume Kenji Matsushita Masayuki Watanabe Akihiro Karasawa |
| Opening theme | "The Best Ten theme" by Katsuhisa Hattori |
| Ending theme | Same as open |
| Composers | Katsuhisa Hattori Tadahiko Nagasu |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 603 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Shuji Yamada[1] |
| Running time | 55 minutes (until 1982) 54 minutes (until 1989) |
| Production company | TBS Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | TBS Television |
| Release | January 11, 1978 – September 28, 1989 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Best Ten (ザ・ベストテン, Za Besuto Ten), was a Japanese music chart television program broadcast on TBS Television from 1978 to 1989. The weekly shows were broadcast live on Thursdays. During its broadcast history, the air time and day changed only once. Each episode had one male and one female presenter. From 1978 to 1989, there were a total of four male presenters. The female presenter was always Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The program is also colloquially known as Best Ten (ベストテン, Besuto Ten).
During its broadcast time since 1978, numerous other music television programs, including Fuji TV's music program Yoru no Hit Studio (夜のヒットスタジオ, Yoru no Hitto Sutajio), which was first broadcast ten years earlier in 1968, were already popular and well known all over Japan. The popularity and audience rating increased very quickly and reached 41.9%.[2]
When Oricon Style published the results of the national survey of "Music programs that I would like to see revived" in May 2010, The Best Ten achieved first place.[3] When news website Shunkan Josei Prime published the same survey in November 2023, The Best Ten was again in first place, regaining the same place as in the 2010 survey charts.[4] The surveyors answered the reason behind revival for "excitement of the weekly new charts, its original ranking system, entertaining presenters and memorable outdoor performances".[4]
The program has been re-broadcast on the cable television channel TBS Channel 2 in 2020 and 2022.[5][6] The order of broadcasting was chosen based on the high view ranting and popularity.[6][5] According to the article published on news website Sponichi in 2020, one of the reasons for the re-broadcast decision was for the younger generation having interest in kayōkyoku music, referring to the Japanese phenomenon "Kayōkyoku Boom" (歌謡ブーム).[7] Partial reason was the Kayōkyoku special episode of Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai hosted by Matsuko Deluxe, which broadcast on the same year.[7]
"The Best Ten Theme" was performed during the 62nd Japan Record Awards to commerate and show respect for the original composer of the song, Katsuhisa Hattori, who died earlier that year.[8]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
shujiyamadawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "『ザ・ベストテン』生歌・生演奏が基本 中継でも生バンドにこだわる". News Post Seven. January 11, 2020.
- ^ "復活して欲しい音楽番組、1位は「ザ・ベストテン」". life.oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). May 5, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "《復活してほしい音楽番組》3位『HEY!HEY!HEY!』、2位『夜のヒットスタジオ』を抑えて1位に輝いたのはランキング形式を根づかせた伝説の番組！". jprime.jp (in Japanese). November 20, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "「ザ・ベストテン」再放送初回は近藤真彦が登場、今だから話せるエピソードを語る特別対談も". natalie (in Japanese). June 5, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "ザ・ベストテン』人気回が、CS「TBSチャンネル2」一挙 4本連続 再放送される". musicguide.jp (in Japanese). December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "「ザ・ベストテン」まるごと再放送 若者にも昭和歌謡ブーム 「マツコ」で手応え". sponichi (in Japanese). June 5, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "「輝く！日本レコード大賞」でUru、NiziU、松田聖子、BTSが代表曲パフォーマンス". natalie (in Japanese). December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2023.