Tatsuro Yamashita – For You

Tatsuro Yamashita's 1982 album is the genre's benchmark for sound: crisp funk guitar, bright horns and his own stacked backing harmonies, all recorded with obsessive care. Sparkle, with its famous opening guitar riff, is the place to start, and Music Book shows the softer, more melodic side. Choose it if you want one album that defines what city pop sounds like.