Pop singer and songwriter Misato Watanabe was born on July 12, 1966, in Seika, Kyoto, Japan. Interested in music, she formed a band with high school friends in 1983. The following year, she came in third place in 1984’s Miss Seventeen Contest while winning the Best Vocalist award. In 1985, she was modeling for Seventeen magazine and began to host her own show on MBS Radio. Misato Watanabe signed to Epic Records Japan that same year and released several singles with only minor success. Early reviews compared her to Shira Takako, a popular singer in Japan at the time. However, with the release of her 1986 single “My Revolution,” Misato Watanabe stepped out of Takako’s shadow and hit number 1 on the Oricon Singles chart. The song, which was the theme to the TV drama series Sailor Suit Street, thrust her into the spotlight and she released her second album, Lovin’ You, and performed several high profile concerts in Japan. She continued to play live shows, appear on TV, and release hit albums including the number 1 albums Breath (1987), Ribbon (1988), Flower Bed (1989), Tokyo (1990), Lucky (1991), and Big Wave (1992). Misato Watanabe also released a series of successive singles that climbed to number 2 on the chart: “Believe” (1986), “It’s Tough” (1987), “That’s Sad” (1987), and “It’s Okay to Fall in Love” (1988). Her final number 1 single was 1989’s “Have You Seen a Rainbow?” although she still made the Top 10 with subsequent singles including “Punks in Love” (1990), “Graduation” (1991), and “Summer is Here” (1991). Misato Watanabe has remained a popular live artist and TV and radio personality even though her releases seldom reached the Top 20 on the singles chart. Alongside her two dozen studio albums, she has also released several live albums, compilations, and duet releases. In May 2024, Misato Watanabe released the single “Bitter Sweet Rock ‘n’ Roll” and undertook a successful tour to support it.
