AKB48


AKB48 (pronounced A.K.B. Forty-eight) is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (Akiba for short) area of Tokyo, where the group's theater is located, and its original roster of 48 members. As of August 2014, the group has expanded to include 140 members aged from their early teens to their mid-20s. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with its own theater (unlike pop groups performing occasional concerts and seen on television) and performing daily so fans could always see them live. This "idols you can meet" concept includes teams which can rotate performances and perform simultaneously at several events and "handshake" events, where fans can meet group members. Akimoto has expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister groups in Japan, China and Indonesia. 

The group is one of the highest-earning musical performers in Japan, with 2013 sales of over $128 million, and has been characterized as a social phenomenon. As of March 2014 the group has sold over 30 million records, including over 28.78 million singles as of May 2014, the second-highest musical act in Japan in the number of singles sold and the highest by a girl group. AKB48's twenty-seven latest singles have topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, with a record eighteen singles selling over a million copies; the 2013 single, "Sayonara Crawl", sold over 1.87 million. In 2010 "Beginner" and "Heavy Rotation" placed first and second, respectively, on the list of Japan's best-selling singles for the year. AKB48's singles occupied the top five spots of the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart in 2011 and 2012, the top four in 2013 and the top five in 2014. 

Discography:
Set List: Greatest Songs 2006–2007 (2008)
Kamikyokutachi (2010)
Koko ni Ita Koto (2011)
1830m (2012)
Tsugi no Ashiato (2014)
Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe! (2015)

AKB48 in the news

	Night Tempo 'Ladies In The City' (19/02/2022)
	Marty Friedman 'One Bad M.F. Live!!' Out Now On Prosthetic Records; US Headlining Tour Starts January 23 (25/10/2018)
	Marty Friedman Is 'One Bad M.F. Live!!' As Heard On His 14th Solo Album Due Out October 19, 2018 (24/08/2018)
	Walt Disney Records To Release Wreck-It Ralph Original Motion Picture Soundtrack On October 30, 2012 (18/10/2012)
	Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wreck-it Ralph" Scores Big With Composer Henry Jackman, Plus Original Music From Skrillex, AKB48, Owl City And Buckner & Garcia (15/09/2012)
	Lady Gaga Opens 'MTV Video Music Aid Japan' With A Message For Japan To Overcome Adversity (27/06/2011)
	The Biggest Names In Entertainment To Appear At MTV Video Music Aid Japan (24/06/2011)
	Lady Gaga To Perform Live At Mtv Video Music Aid Japan (15/04/2011)
	Anime Expo 2010 Announces Japanese Singer, BENI, As An Official Guest Of Honor (14/06/2010)
	Japanese Musical Group Akb48 Will Be Official Guests Of Honor At Anime Expo 2010 (28/04/2010)

More songs by AKB48

Namida Surprise (67|3|259) play video

Bokutachi Ha Tatakawanai (6|1|35) play video

Shitsuren.Arigatou (5|1|27) play video