Editing Enka (section)

=== 1960s–1970s: Commercial success ===
[[Image:Murata Hideo museum.jpg|thumb|left|The memorial museum of singer [[Hideo Murata]]]]
In the early 1960s, [[rockabilly]] influenced by [[Elvis Presley]] began to gain popularity. [[Kyu Sakamoto]], who came from Japanese rockabilly, joined Japanese popular music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://elekitel.jp/elekitel/special/2006/13/sp_02_d.htm |title=Special 2. Japanese popular music (4) |publisher=[[Toshiba]] |date=November 2006 |access-date=2009-05-15 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619165647/http://elekitel.jp/elekitel/special/2006/13/sp_02_d.htm |archive-date=2008-06-19 }}</ref> However, many Japanese music critics complained about rockabilly, and [[Hideo Murata]]'s 1961 "pure Japanese style"-like song "Ōsho", composed by Toru Funamura, became a million-selling single in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.columbia-songs.co.jp/feature/02/funamura.html |title=Toru Funamura |publisher=[[Columbia Music Entertainment]] |access-date=2009-05-05 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121094347/http://www.columbia-songs.co.jp/feature/02/funamura.html |archive-date=2008-01-21 }}</ref> When Kyu Sakamoto took part in the [[Kōhaku Uta Gassen]] for the first time with the song "Ue o Muite Arukō" (aka "[[Sukiyaki (song)|Sukiyaki]]") in 1961, Hideo Murata also made his debut with the song "Ōsho" at the same show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nikkansports.com/news2/entert2/2001kouhaku/history-12.html|title=12th Kōhaku Uta Gassen|publisher=[[Nikkan Sports]]|access-date=2009-05-15|language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115052950/http://www.nikkansports.com/news2/entert2/2001kouhaku/history-12.html|archive-date=2010-01-15}}</ref>

Young ''enka'' singer [[Yukio Hashi]] appeared in 1960, [[Saburō Kitajima]] in 1962 and [[Harumi Miyako]] in 1964. [[Sachiko Kobayashi]] debuted with the 1964 single {{Nihongo|"Usotsuki Kamome"|ウソツキ鴎|lit. "Liar Seagull"}} at the age of only 10. The most well-known and beloved performer of ''enka'' is [[Hibari Misora]] (1937&ndash;1989), known as the "Queen of ''Enka''" and "Queen of Shōwa" for the period in which she lived and was celebrated. Misora's song "Yawara", composed by Masao Koga, won the grand prix award at the 1965 [[Japan Record Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jacompa.or.jp/rekishi/d1965.htm |title=7th Japan Record Awards |publisher=[[Japan Composer's Association]] |access-date=2009-02-12 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506061145/http://www.jacompa.or.jp/rekishi/d1965.htm |archive-date=2010-05-06 }}</ref> Masaru Matsuyama also made his debut in 1965, but was not able to achieve commercial success and changed his stage name to [[Hiroshi Itsuki]] in 1971.

[[Mina Aoe]] appeared with the single {{Nihongo|"Kōkotsu no Blues"|恍惚のブルース|lit. "Ecstasy Blues"}} in 1966, pioneering the "''enka''-[[blues]]" genre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nikkansports.com/jinji/2000/seikyo000704.html |script-title=ja:訃報・青江三奈さん |publisher=Nikkan Sports |date=2000-07-04 |access-date=2009-09-14 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606005736/http://www.nikkansports.com/jinji/2000/seikyo000704.html |archive-date=2008-06-06 }}</ref> [[Shinichi Mori]] debuted with the 1966 single {{Nihongo|"Onna no Tameiki"|女のためいき|lit. "Woman's Sigh"}}. His 1969 song {{Nihongo|"Minatomachi Blues"|港町ブルース|lit. "Port Town Blues"}} topped the Japanese [[Oricon]] single charts for five weeks and sold over one million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umeshunkyo.or.jp/204/263/data.html|title=Minatomachi Blues|publisher=Japan Dredging Reclamation Engineering Association|date=September 2008|access-date=2009-10-02|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430012727/http://www.umeshunkyo.or.jp/204/263/data.html|archive-date=2010-04-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Keiko Fuji]] came out with the 1969 single {{Nihongo|"Shinjuku no Onna"|新宿の女|lit. "Woman in Shinjuku"}} at the age of 18. The term ''enka'' which had not been used in the postwar era, was revived by her performance.<ref name=keio />

[[Keiko Fuji]]'s 1970 song "[[Keiko no Yume wa Yoru Hiraku]]" won the mass popularity award of the [[12th Japan Record Awards]] and the grand prix award of the first [[Japan Music Awards]]. That year, she also took part in the 21st ''[[Kōhaku Uta Gassen]]'' with the song. Her 1970 album {{Nihongo|''Shinjuku no Onna/'Enka no Hoshi' Fuji Keiko no Subete''|新宿の女/"演歌の星" 藤圭子のすべて|Woman in Shinjuku/'Star of Enka' All of Keiko Fuji}} established a record-breaking consecutive number-one record to top the [[Oricon]] charts for 20 "consecutive" weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi.com/komimi/TKY200709190117.html|script-title=ja:オリコンのアルバム１位が千作品に 最多はユーミン|publisher=Asahi Shimbun|date=2007-09-19|access-date=2009-01-27|language=ja|archive-date=2017-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170526005315/http://www.asahi.com/komimi/TKY200709190117.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a record that still stands.

The best-selling ''enka'' after the Oricon charts began in 1968 is [[Shiro Miya]] and Pinkara Trio's 1972 "[[Onna no Michi]]." The song topped the Japanese Oricon single charts for 16 consecutive weeks and sold over 3.25 million copies, to become the second best-selling single in Japan behind "[[Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun]]."

[[Hiroshi Itsuki]]'s song "Yozora" won the grand prix award at the [[15th Japan Record Awards]] in 1973. [[Shinichi Mori]] released the single "Erimo Misaki" in 1974. Although the song was composed by non-''enka'' musician [[Takuro Yoshida]], "Erimo Misaki" won the grand prix at the [[16th Japan Record Awards]] that year. [[Harumi Miyako]]'s song "[[Kita no Yadokara|Kita no Yado kara]]" also won the grand prix at the [[18th Japan Record Awards]] in 1976. New ''enka'' singers, who debuted in the '70s, include [[Sayuri Ishikawa]] and [[Takashi Hosokawa]] who were both [[Michiya Mihashi]]'s pupils.<ref name="goo" />

Masao Koga died in 1978, after a career of composing about 5,000 songs.<ref name="koga" /> Toru Funamura became self-employed in 1978, beginning live performances and returning to the original position for his old friend Kimio Takano.<ref name="funamura" /> Keiko Fuji announced her retirement in 1979 and went to the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsutaya.co.jp/item/artist/view_a_A006096.html|title=Keiko Fuji|publisher=Tsutaya|access-date=2009-05-06|language=ja|archive-date=2022-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227202303/https://tsutaya.tsite.jp/artist/PPS000000YLU|url-status=live}}</ref>