Back Number

Back Number
OriginGunma Prefecture, Japan
Genres
Years active2004 (2004)–present
Labels
Members
  • Iyori Shimizu
  • Kazuya Kojima
  • Hisashi Kurihara
Past members
  • Makio Saito
Websitebacknumber.info

Back Number (バックナンバー, Bakku Nambā) is a Japanese rock power trio formed in 2004. The group consists of Iyori Shimizu (lead vocals and guitar), Kazuya Kojima (bass guitar and backing vocals), and Hisashi Kurihara (drums). The group signed to independent record label Idolsmith Recordings in 2009 and released their debut EP Nogashita Sakana (逃した魚, Fish Set Free) (2009) and studio album Ato no Matsuri (あとのまつり, Too Late) (2010). They signed to Universal Sigma in 2011.

The group's biggest hit is "Christmas Song" [ja], which peaked at number-one for three weeks on the Japan Hot 100 chart,[4][5][6] and was later certified million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Their first compilation album, Encore (2016), reached number one on the Billboard Japan Hot Album for two consecutive weeks in 2016 and also ranked number five on the Oricon yearly best-selling album chart of 2017.[7] In 2018, back number successfully held a Dome Tour titled “stay with you”, including a 2-night-concert in Tokyo Dome. All tickets for 5 concerts are sold out within 2 hours, mobilized over 45,000 guests per concert.

  1. ^ Taylor, Ronald (17 January 2016). "Rockers back number slide toward becoming the go-to band for TV drama theme tunes". The Japan Times. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Japan's back number Shares '8-Year Engagement' Theme Song Video: Watch". Billboard. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Japan's back number Delivers Solid First Dome Tour Set in Tokyo". Billboard. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2015/11/30". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  5. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2015/12/7". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  6. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 2016/1/1". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  7. ^ "50th yearly chart of 2017, Oricon News" (in Japanese). 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2019-04-03.