The Best Japanese Grunge Music Albums from the 80s

Looking for some great Japanese grunge music from the 80s? Here are our top picks!

The Best of the Best

The 80s was a great time for music, and the Japanese Grunge scene was no exception. From the early roots of the genre in bands like Boøwy and The Blue Hearts, to the more experimental sounds of acts like Zebrahead and The Mad Capsule Markets, the 80s was a diverse and exciting time for Japanese music. Here are some of the best albums from that decade.

Albums that Defined the Genre

Noise music, or Japanoise, as it came to be known, was a DIY underground movement that rejected the polished sounds and idol culture of J-pop in favor of heavy distortion, static and feedback. It was influential on later noise, industrial and drone music scenes worldwide, and spawned a number of legendary bands and albums. Here are 10 essential Japanoise albums from the 1980s.

White Heaven – Out
This album is often cited as a defining release in the Japanoise genre, and with good reason. Recorded in just four days using only one microphone, it’s an intense onslaught of noise that’s both beautiful and brutal.

Boredoms – Soul Discharge ’99
The Boredoms are one of the most well-known Japanoise bands, and this album is considered one of their best. A mind-bending mix of disco, funk and noise, it’s sure to get your body moving.

Masonna – Inner Mind Mystique
Masonna is one of the most prolific noise artists out there, with over 100 releases to his name. This album is a good introduction to his chaotic style, which often uses feedback loops to create hypnotic soundscapes.

Merzbow – Merzbeat
Merzbow is another prolific artist in the Japanoise scene, and this album is a good example of his more minimal approach to noise. Rather than overwhelming you with sound, he uses carefully crafted rhythms and textures to create a more hypnotic effect.

Hijokaidan – The Complete Works 1985-1995 (Box Set)
Hijokaidan is one of the original Japanese noise bands, and this box set collects their complete works from 1985 to 1995. It’s a great overview of their career, featuring everything from harsh noise to more atmospheric pieces.

The Most Innovative Albums

The 80s were a truly innovative time for music, and Japan was at the forefront of this creativity. From the early days of post-punk and new wave to the rise of electronic music and synth-pop, Japanese artists were constantly pushing boundaries and creating new sounds.

And while Japanese pop music is often associated with bubblegum pop and cutesy idols, there was also a thriving underground scene of experimental and avant-garde music. This was the birth of J-Grunge, a unique blend of Western grunge and punk with traditional Japanese influences.

Here are some of the most innovative and influential J-Grunge albums from the 80s:

-Boredoms – Soul Discharge 999: Void Trance Disunion (1989)
often considered one of the most influential noise rock albums of all time, this record is a mind-bending mix of noise, drone, ambient, and industrial influences. It’s an assault on the senses that will leave you both bewildered and mesmerized.

-Glay – BEAT out!! (1988)
One of the first J-Grunge bands to find mainstream success, Glay’s debut album is a perfect example of the genre’s mix of heavy guitars with catchy pop hooks. It’s an energetic and engaging record that will get your head nodding along without realizing it.

-Lostage – Meltdown (2006)
This album captures the dark and moody side of J-Grunge, with its atmospheric guitars and melancholic lyrics. It’s an emotionally chargedrecord that will stay with you long after it’s over.

The Most Influential Albums

Grunge music exploded onto the global music scene in the early 1990s, with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading the charge. While the genre is often associated with American musicians, there was a thriving grunge scene in Japan in the 1980s, with bands like Glay and Salamandra releasing some of the best albums of the decade.

If you’re looking for a taste of Japanese grunge music from the 1980s, these are some of the best albums to check out. From dark and moody to upbeat and catchy, these records showcase the range and power of this incredible musical movement.

The Best of the Rest

For those who don’t know, Japanese Grunge is a type of music that emerged in the early 1990s. It’s a combination of Western grunge and alternative rock with native Japanese influences. Japanese grunge is characterized by its raw, aggressive sound and its dark, sometimes depressing lyrics. If you’re a fan of grunge music, then you’ll definitely want to check out these Japanese grunge albums from the 80s.

Albums that Pushed the Boundaries

In the 1980s, Japanese grunge music artists were at the forefront of a new wave of music that pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable. These artists took elements of punk and metal and combined them with traditional Japanese instrumentation and melodies to create a unique sound that was unlike anything else being produced at the time. Although grunge music would eventually fall out of favor in the West, these Japanese albums remain some of the most influential and important records of the genre.

-Uchoten by Maximum The Hormone
-Sabbat by Boris
-Melancholy Pessimism by Dir en grey
-Dracula by Zephyr
-Rockin’ Jelly Bean by Ghost

Albums that Were Ahead of Their Time

Grunge music exploded onto the music scene in the early 1990s, but its roots can be traced back to the 1980s. Although it didn’t achieve mainstream success until the early 1990s, there were a number of grunge albums released in the 1980s that were ahead of their time.

One of the most influential grunge albums of the 1980s was “Deep Six,” released in 1986. The album featured a number of now-famous grunge bands, including Soundgarden, Green River, and Malfunkshun. “Deep Six” is often credited as being one of the first grunge albums, and it helped to pave the way for the genre’s explosion in popularity in the early 1990s.

Another influential album from the early days of grunge was Mudhoney’s “Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles,” released in 1988. The album contained some of Mudhoney’s most well-known songs, including “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More.” Like “Deep Six,” “Superfuzz Bigmuff” was ahead of its time, and it helped to establish Mudhoney as one of the most important bands in the early days of grunge.

If you’re a fan of grunge music, or if you’re just curious about where the genre came from, these two albums are essential listening. Both “Deep Six” and “Superfuzz Bigmuff” were ahead of their time, and they helped to establish grunge as a force to be reckoned with in the world of rock music.

Albums That Deserve More Recognition

The following albums may not be well-known, but they’re definitely worth a listen.

1. “Rotten Apples” by the Gits
2. “Sweet Young Thing” by Babes in Toyland
3. “Dirty” by Siouxsie and the Banshees
4. ” Garfield” by L7
5. ” Superfuzz Bigmuff” by Mudhoney