And Japan's most popular artist is...

As every year Oricon has just published the results of its great popularity annual survey on Japanese musical artists, attended by 20,000 people..

The results are no great surprise : Hikaru Utada gets the no.1 spot again just ahead Kobukuro and aiko. The best progression go to EXILE (which wins 16 positions in ranking 13th), Namie Amuro (+14 to 7th position). YUI is 16th and neither Ayumi Hamasaki or Kumi Koda do appear in the top 20.

Classification:
01 - Hikaru Utada (0)
02 - Kobukuro (0)
03 - aiko (1)
04 - Mr.Children (-1)
05 - DREAMS COME TRUE (0)
06 - SOUTHERN ALL STARS (5)
07 - Namie Amuro (14)
08 - B'z (2)
09 - Spitz (-2)
10 - Arashi (15)
11 - Masaharu Fukuyama (-2)
12 - Kou Shibasaki (2)
13 - EXILE (16)
14 - PORNO GRAFFITTI (-6)
15 - ayaka (-9)
16 - YUI (-3)
17 - Ken Hirai (5)
18 - YUKI (new)
19 - Keisuke Kuwata (new)
20 - Yuzu (10)

And also...

• > Is Miliyah Katou stronger than Utada? (2008-11-17)
• > Dohzi-T and JUJU try to earn a bit of extra (2008-11-16)
• > TERIYAKI BOYZ with PHARRELL again on their second album (2008-11-15)
• > MISIA visits a slum in Kenya (2008-11-15)
• > RSP's next answer song to feature a group (2008-11-15)
• > 101A releases a "not album" (2008-11-14)
• > And Japan's most popular artist is... (2008-11-14)
• > Unstoppable AI... on DVD (2008-11-14)
• > BONNIE PINK to appear on Craig David's album (2008-11-13)
• > First album from Naoya Urata (2008-11-12)
• > Thelma Aoyama get remixed (2008-11-12)
• > Best Hit Kayousai nominees (2008-11-11)
• > First live DVD of electro-pop singer MEG (2008-11-11)
• > Shoko Nakagawa's second album (2008-11-10)
• > m.o.v.e goes back to its roots with a new album (2008-11-10)
• > Tommy heavenly6 sings for GUNDAM (2008-11-10)
• > HALCALI samples Chara on a new single (2008-11-09)
• > Beni Arashiro is back with Universal (2008-11-09)
• > Mr.Children: the album of all ties-up! (2008-11-09)
• > GIZA Studio celebrates its 10th anniversary (2008-11-07)
• > X JAPAN cancelled: the big rubbish! (2008-11-07)
• > TK Productions banned from radios and karaoke (2008-11-06)
• > Who wants to see flumpool naked ? (2008-11-05)
• > Komuro's arrest : KEIKO and Marc Panther's reactions (2008-11-05)
• > Miho Fukuhara sings for SCANDAL ! (2008-11-05)