It started as Original Confidence Inc. (株式会社オリジナルコンフィデンス, Kabushiki-gaisha Orijinaru Konfidensu), which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts.

The charts are compiled from data drawn from some 39,700 retail outlets (as of April 2011[update]) and provide sales rankings of music CDs, DVDs, electronic games, and other entertainment products based on weekly tabulations.

Entitled Sōgō Geinō Shijō Chōsa (総合芸能市場調査, surveys of total entertainment markets), this went official on January 4, 1968.

Thanks to his intensive promotional efforts through multiple media including television programs, the hit parade became known by its abbreviation "Oricon" by the late 1970s.

[8] The lawsuit, filed by Oricon on November 17, 2006, accused Ugaya of "mendacious comments" and demanded 50 million yen (318,000 euros) in damages.

In the interview, Ugaya had questioned the validity of Oricon's hit chart on the grounds that its statistical methods were not transparent.