Japan

Japan is a very closed marked for so called "western" artists, and if an overseas act can get into the top 100 in Japan, they can say they had great success there. ABBA was one of the few who succeeded - a large part due to their 1978 promotional tour and 1980 live tour.

National chart positions for singles, albums, music video and DVD from Oricon sent to me by Masanori Chiba, who also sent in updates again in 2014. Some updates courtesy of Johnnyboy on UK Mix Forums, and via Tino Benson. In addition Jan Havran provided the albums chart split sales figures and split chart positions. Thank you very much indeed!

To see chart positions for the radio charts and a large Japanese discography, go to Murakami Chifumi's Oriental ABBALAND page, which I highly recommend.

Please note: The albums chart needs additional explanation. Arrival and Abba - The Album have two dates - one for the LP and one for the Cassette (MC). Most items that charted in the 1970s (the main albums, for example) will have a highest position in the LP chart, and the weeks on that chart. Next to this is the highest position on the Cassette charts and the weeks on that chart. Items that charted that only have an LP position (ie: Greatest Hits 24 & All About Abba) were only released on LP. Items that only have positions on the Cassette charts (ie: Greatest Hits 20, Abba - The Movie and Top Run) were only released on Cassette. Items from the 1990s onwards were only available on CD.

Key to Abbreviations:

Date: This is the release date for the single or album - chart entry was usually within two to five weeks after this date. Where there is a second date, this is the cassette release date.
Title: The title of the single or album. All singles are written with their B-sides listed - there were no double A-sides as far as I know.
HP(1): Highest position reached on the National Sales Chart - both Japanese and Foreign artists together, and if a number 1, the amount of weeks at that position. For albums, this is split into a HP LP and HP MC. These are the highest position the LP reached on the albums chart, and the highest position the cassette reached on the tape chart.
TI: The amount of weeks the item spent in the chart. For albums, there is a TI LP and a TI MC - the weeks the LP was on the albums chart, and the weeks the cassette was on the tape chart.
Catalogue: This is the catalogue number assigned by the record company for the item.
Sales: Sales figures of some items, I suspect sales reported by record stores to the chart organisation.

Abba:

Japanese Singles
Date Title HP TI Catalogue Sales
06/1973 Another Town, Another Train/People Need Love -- -- Phonogram Japan SFL1796 --
16/09/1973 I Am Just A Girl/Ring Ring -- -- Phonogram Japan SFL1809 --
16/06/1974 Waterloo/Watch Out -- -- Phonogram Japan SFL1851 --
27/10/1974 Hasta Mañana/Honey, Honey -- -- Phonogram Japan SFL2011 --
04/1975 So Long/I've Been Waiting For You -- -- Phonogram Japan SFL1809 --
25/01/1976 SOS/I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do -- -- Discomate DSP-1 --
25/06/1976 Mamma Mia/People Need Love -- -- Discomate DSP-102 --
25/09/1976 Fernando/Tropical Loveland -- -- Discomate DSP-107 --
25/04/1977 Dancing Queen/Tiger 19 55 Discomate DSP-112 350,000
25/07/1977 That's Me/Money, Money, Money 75 15 Discomate DSP-115 40,000
25/11/1977 The Name Of The Game/I Wonder (Departure) -- -- Discomate DSP-116 --
25/01/1978 Take A Chance On Me/I'm A Marionette 67 13 Discomate DSP-118 38,000
25/07/1978 Eagle/Thank You For The Music 62 08 Discomate DSP-121 24,000
05/10/1978 Summer Night City/Medley 24 26 Discomate DSP-122 162,000
25/01/1979 Chiquitita/Lovelight 19 21 Discomate DSP-126 135,000
05/07/1979 Voulez-Vous/Kisses Of Fire 18 20 Discomate DSP-129 124,000
25/11/1979 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!/The King Has Lost His Crown 17 26 Discomate DSP-131 235,000
05/08/1980 The Winner Takes It All/Elaine 33 11 Discomate DSP-205 64,000
05/12/1980 On And On And On/The Piper 52 11 Discomate DSP-208 48,000
21/03/1981 Super Trouper/If It Wasn't For The Nights 93 02 Discomate DSP-212 5,000
06/1981 Slipping Through My Fingers -- -- Discomate PD-105 Promo
20/12/1981 One Of Us/Should I Laugh Or Cry -- -- Discomate DSP-216 --
21/03/1982 Head Over Heels/Lay All Your Love On Me -- -- Discomate DSP-218 --
21/11/1982 The Day Before You Came/Cassandra -- -- Discomate DSP-222 --
21/03/1983 Under Attack/You Owe Me One -- -- Discomate DSP-224 --
25/01/2001 SOS/Chiquitita 15 11 Universal UICY-5001 (CD) 130,800
23/05/2001 Dancing Queen/Eagle -- -- Universal UICY-5005 (CD) --

Japanese Singles - Billboard Japan Hot Overseas
DateTitleHPTICatalogueSales
08/09/2021Don't Shut Me Down0203+Universal

Japanese Albums
Date Title HP(1) LP TI LP HP(1) MC TI MC Catalogue Sales LP / MC
??/12/1973 Ring Ring -- -- -- -- Phonogram Japan SFX-5091 --
25/08/1974 Waterloo -- -- -- -- Phonogram Japan SFX-5128 --
25/10/1974 The Best of ABBA -- -- -- -- Phonogram Japan SFX-6008 --
25/01/1976 ABBA -- -- -- -- Discomate DSP-4001 --
25/05/1977 & 05/06/1977 Arrival 03 123 11 65 Discomate DSP-5102 514,570 & 130,110
25/10/1977 Greatest Hits 24 04 72 -- -- Discomate DSP-3012-13 321,130
25/10/1977 Greatest Hits 20 -- -- 04 88 Discomate DCP-4003 234,000
05/02/1978 & 25/02/1978 ABBA - The Album 09 66 38 31 Discomate DSP-5105 204,500 & 32,130
25/08/1978 Abba - The Movie -- -- 18 37 Discomate DCP-4002 77,960
05/11/1978 All About ABBA 68 14 -- -- Discomate DSP-4002 20,580
25/11/1978 Top Run -- -- 22 27 Discomate 51,550
01/05/1979 Voulez-Vous 01 (02) 37 03 52 Discomate DSP-5110 404,350 & 218,540
05/11/1979 Greatest Hits Vol.2 02 51 01 (??) 57 Discomate DSP-5113 615,970 & 319,220
21/07/1980 Gracias Por La Musica 26 13 67 03 Discomate DSP-8002 30,250 & 3,410
05/12/1980 Super Trouper 08 23 14 22 Discomate DSP-8004 156,980 & 61,530
05/07/1981 The Very Best Of ABBA 44 12 46 10 Discomate DSP-3015-6 20,680 & 14,000
20/12/1981 The Visitors 12 18 25 17 Discomate DSP-8006 92,390 & 35,930
21/06/1982 Disco Special 1 -- -- -- -- Discomate DSP-3024 --
21/06/1982 Disco Special 2 -- -- -- -- Discomate DSP-3025 --
21/06/1982 Dancing Special -- -- -- -- Discomate DSP-3026 --
21/06/1982 Love Sounds Special -- -- -- -- Discomate DSP-3027 --
25/10/1986 ABBA Live -- -- -- -- Polydor 28MM-0537 --
08/11/1992 ABBA Gold 13 14 -- -- Polydor Japan POCP-1246 107,180
07/07/1993 More ABBA Gold -- -- -- -- Polydor Japan POCP-1339 --
01/12/1994 Thank You For The Music -- -- -- -- Polydor Japan POCP-9501/4 --
07/01/1998 Forever Gold -- -- -- -- Polydor Japan POCP-9614/6 --
26/11/1998 Love Stories -- -- -- -- Polydor Japan POCP-7340 --
01/05/2000 Classic ABBA -- -- -- -- Polydor Japan POCY-2001 --
07/02/2001 SOS - The Best of ABBA 03 21 -- -- Universal UICY-1040 566,090
31/07/2002 Abba Gold (10th Anniversary Edition) 160 10 -- -- Polydor Japan 10,731
23/11/2005 Abba Gold (Super Shock Price) 211 07 -- -- Universal UICY-9645
25/01/2006 Abba Gold (10th Anniversary Edition) 12 28 -- -- Universal UICY-6007
17/01/2007 SOS - The Best of ABBA 103 07 -- -- Universal UICY-6650
29/12/2008 Abba Gold Complete Edition 21 22 -- -- Universal UICY-91318/9
04/12/2009 Super Best 25 55 -- -- Universal PROI-1003
24/06/2009 Abba Gold (10th Anniversary Edition) 154 02 -- -- Universal UICY-6994
17/03/2010 Best Price Abba Best 126 13 -- -- Universal UICY-91521
20/07/2011 Abba Gold (Special Edition) 97 05 -- -- Universal UICY-15117
26/03/2014 Abba 40/40 - Best Selection 26 61 -- -- Universal UICY-15279/80
13/10/2014 Live At Wembley Arena 120 02 -- -- Universal UICY-15344/5
15/11/2021 Voyage 04 09+ -- -- Universal UICY-16026 23,021+
15/11/2021 Voyage (packaged with ABBA Gold) 16 08 -- -- Universal UICY-7976 1/2 3,800+

Japanese Music Video & DVD
DateTitleHPTICatalogueSales
09/11/2005ABBA - The Movie (Special Edition)24401Universal UIBO-1076-7
11/11/2009ABBA In Japan15601Universal UIBY-1057-8

Agnetha Fältskog:

Japanese Singles
DateTitleHPTICatalogue
21/04/1983Never Again/Just For The Fun----Discomate DSP-225
21/07/1983Can't Shake Loose/Man----Discomate DSP-227
25/03/1988I Wasn't The One/If You Need Somebody Tonight----Warner-Pioneer P-2373
??/05/1988I'm So I'm So I'm So (I'm So In Love With You)/The Way You Are----Alfa ALI-203
21/07/1988Let It Shine/Maybe It Was Magic----Warner-Pioneer P-2415

Japanese Albums
DateTitleHPTICatalogueSales
??/07/1983Wrap Your Arms Around Me----Discomate DSP-5119--
25/03/1988I Stand Alone9301Warner-Pioneer P-13631800
??/07/1998That's Me - Greatest Hits----Polydor Japan POCP-7307--

Frida:

Japanese Singles
DateTitleHPTICatalogue
25/09/1982I Know There's Something Going On/Threnody----Discomate DSP-219
21/01/1983Tell Me It's Over/I Got Something----Discomate DSP-223
21/06/1983Here We'll Stay/Strangers----Discomate DSP-226
21/10/1984Shine/That's Tough----Discomate DSP-229

Japanese Albums
DateTitleHPTICatalogue
25/10/1982Something's Going On----Discomate DSP-5116
21/10/1984Shine----Discomate DSP-5122

Hep Stars:

Japanese Singles
DateTitleHPTICatalogue
??/01/1966Cadillac/Mashed Potatoes----King HIT 1280
??/05/1966No Response/So Mystifying----Grammophon Japan DP1472
??/11/1966Sunny Girl/Hawaii----Grammophon Japan DP1505
??/04/1967Bald Headed Woman/Lonesome Town----Grammophon Japan DP1518
??/04/1968Cadillac/Mashed Potatoes----King HIT 1504

Benny & Björn:

Japanese Singles
DateTitleHPTICatalogueSales
14/02/1972She's My Kind Of Girl/Inga Theme0722CBS/Sony Epic 83025188,000
??/06/1972En Carousel/Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung----CBS/Sony ECPA16--
??/09/1972Björn & Benny Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (4 track 7" of 1st 2 singles)----CBS/Sony ECPE7--
11/12/1972Love Has Its Ways/Rock'N Roll Band----CBS/Sony EPCA49--

Chess:

Japanese Singles & Albums
DateTitleHPTICatalogue
05/03/1985Chess----RCA RPL-3044-5
21/03/1985One Night In Bangkok/Merano----RCA RPS-164
21/03/1985One Night In Bangkok/Merano (12 inch)----RCA RPS-1010
21/04/1985I Know Him So Well/Chess----RCA RPS-170
21/01/1986Pity The Child/The Deal (No Deal)----RCA RPS-189
21/02/1986Chess Pieces----RCA RPL-8327

Others:

Japanese Albums
DateTitleArtistHPTICatalogue
29/12/2008Mamma Mia!Soundtrack0528Universal UICP-1102
28/04/2014Mamma Mia!Soundtrack2401+Universal UICP-1102

Maintained by Trent Nickson.
Last updated: 7 January 2022.