AKB48 scoops 8 Gold Disc awards for CD sales

Sales = "Artist of the Year". Other countries at least pretend to consider musical artistry of some sort.

I am very very happy about this, this group is wonderful, they show such great spirit, enjoy their performances and share openly from the heart with the audiences. Music and such performance is not just about the nature of the music, a lot of it involves the why the performers believe in themselves and their work and how they feel about sharing it with the listeners....and the girls of AKB48 show fine aspects of all of this. They really can sing beautifully, and if you listen to them carefully and watch some of the videos, they are well deserving of any and all awards. It is not just sales, that is a cynical and limited view. Yes, in other countries, it is just sales, for the performers are shallow, egotistic, and self focused and show the worst traits in public and private..and that includes many of the most famous names. Japan and this sort of group are very different. They care about their group and support each other with sincerity and real affection and I am very glad to have discovered them and have been enjoying them very much. Here are some links to some really enjoyable performances and the first one or two of these are very moving. I hope they continue to prosper and share as they do...they are very special..

AKB48 Sakura no Shiori [official]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzVf5wJzTMA

same lovely song in the form of a mini movie...another special sharing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhEK1mxOm-I&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CrZ-P_rw1paPmSQwmrVBv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6KetMVkSNE

The Mr ildren (?) award was for a "best-of" 2001~2010 - how can that an album of the year? Needless to say that I can't hold too much vale for these awards, it SEEMS to be more about generating more publicity just to generate more sales.

Hahaha, and people complain that the Grammy Awards are getting devalued!

At least that hasn't yet resorted to talent agency-controlled factory-production-line work-for-hire automatons following their masters' commands, heheheh.

I believe that band is called "Mr. Children".

ChrisGerSan: "this group is wonderful, they show such great spirit"

No, they show little girls in lingerie and hence half the fan base are buyers are the same middle-aged men who read manga porn about little girls.

They really can sing beautifully,

You have just got to be kidding? Sing beautifully?

The only thing to admire AKB about is their producer and all the cash he has made off the backs of these girls.

I am sorry to say that some of the numbers are a bit sadly directed but that is not the girls' fault..there are plenty of very nice ones that show a very sweet group making some beautiful music. It all depends on what one is looking for, if you seek the positive it will be there. So lets enjoy them and allow them to be good and positive. I choose that anyway, and it makes life a lot happier. :)

It is not just sales, that is a cynical and limited view. Yes, in other countries, it is just sales, for the performers are shallow, egotistic, and self focused and show the worst traits in public and private..and that includes many of the most famous names.

It all depends on what one is looking for, if you seek the positive it will be there. So lets enjoy them and allow them to be good and positive. I choose that anyway, and it makes life a lot happier. :)

Best news ever. THe girls are the best at everything they do. I hope this group lasts 100 years.

I hope they disband soon. Too much lack of attention and too squeaky.

why

It's one of those moments where you dont know what to say. Maybe if you buy the CD the girls will recognize you and thank you?

Do you have to listen to the music on the CD's or just buy them?

Been watching AKBingo, and I think AKB48 has got some really funny and interesting personalities, as well as talented dancers and singers. I find the whole AKB phenomenon interesting.

Its sad but its true.

AKB48 its overated. Yes they are "funny" and deserve a place in the Japanese entertaiment Industry... (whatever it is), but put them in the top of japan pop music ? Only like the 15% of all that army of teens and post-teens have some kind of talent. The rest are just a bunch of amateur backdancers. 90% of they "Live" performance are lipsinked. I know what im saying, I attend stages, concerts and events back in 2010. Its a shame that real musicians like Mr Children are a second category artist now because the cute-gravure-pushed up breast-Idol concept. Anyway, lets hope Japan can rise from this hole soon.

Thank heaven I saw Namie Amuro's name in this article. I still believe in the human race!

It goes to show that any form of art can be enjoyed no matter its level of quality. Not everything has to be masterful or perfect. People can enjoy mediocrity or plain garbage too. No sense in criticize other's tastes too, even if you know better.

What I would like to criticize is the tactics of this AKB managers which consist in awarding fans who buy multiple copies of their CDs with a chance of shaking a poor idol's hand, etc. Sales get then artificially inflated and other artists or groups just have no way to compete.