[5][6] After the contract with Victor Entertainment, the band released their top ten charting debut single "Katte ni Sindbad" in 1978.
[14] In 1974, a prototype of the band, composed of Aoyama Gakuin University students who belonged to the popular music club "Better Days", was formed by Keisuke Kuwata.
Because of the sales promotion of "Katte ni Sindbad" and the following single "Kibun Shidai de Semenaide", they were considered performers of novelty songs.
This pop-ballad was highly regarded by many Japanese music critics and artists, including Hiroshi Miyagawa and Kosetsu Minami.
10 Numbers Carat featured their breakthrough ballad "Itoshi no Ellie", which was released only eight months after their debut album.
[citation needed] In 1980, the band started a serial project called "Five Rock Show" and released five singles every month.
However, thanks to the success of their early singles in the late '70s, they had built up a solid fan base and high popularity on the album chart in Japan.
In addition, as a vocalist, he imitated the lisping vocals of Toshihiko Tahara, one of the most popular Japanese male idol singers at that time.
Such popular expression generally received favorable reaction from the public and became the band's most successful single since "Itoshi no Ellie".
One of the highlights of Nude Man, "Natsu o Akiramete" was recorded by distinguished comedian and singer Naoko Ken the same year.
Throughout Southern's career, Kuwata has featured extremely erotic expressions in many of his self-written songs and the band's sales promotions.
"I Love You wa Hitorigoto", Kuwata composition released as Hara's first solo single in 1981, was banned due to suggestive lyrics including the term "motel".
With "Miss Brand-New Day", a successful single and one of the highlights on Ninkimono de Ikō, the band gradually built up a definite reputation in the changeable Japanese music industry.
To promote this blockbuster, extensive advertisement including an impressive TV commercial starring distinguished comedian Sanma Akashiya was used.
"Kanashii Kimochi (Just a Man in Love)", Keisuke Kuwata's successful solo debut single released in 1987, was produced and arranged by Takeshi Kobayashi.
Kobayashi started his career in the late '70s, and collaborated with numerous Japanese musicians, including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yosui Inoue, Taeko Onuki, Hiroshi Takano and Kenji Omori.
Through the recording of the solo material, Kuwata recognized Kobayashi's abundant and practical ability, and decided to continue this strong combination for his career.
Kuwata praised Kobayashi's capability as a partner, and joked at a live performance, "Even if he is unwilling to be part of my projects, I'll force him to be involved in my career!"
On June 25, 1988, ten years after Southern debuted, they returned to the Japanese music scene with a single "Minna no Uta" produced by Kobayashi.
Southern continued to enjoy commercial success and remained one of the mainstream groups of Japanese popular music throughout the 1990s.
"Manatsu no Kajitsu", a song written by Kuwata, was released as the lead single from the album, and climbed to the top 5 on the charts.
In 1991, Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung covered the ballad in Chinese and enjoyed huge commercial success in several Asian countries.
It sold more than 900,000 copies and won the 8th Japan Gold Disc Award's "Compilation Album of the Year" prize.
The strong partnership between Kuwata and Kobayashi ended in the band's holiday song released as a single "Christmas Love" in the autumn of that year.
The next year, the band released two singles "Ai no Kotodama -Spiritual Message-" and "Taiyō wa Tsumi na Yatsu", the former selling over million copies.
It was used as theme song of Mirai Nikki III, a popular part of the TBS program called Un-nan no Hontoko!, and made a strong impression on many people.
After the concert tour in 2000, Takashi Omori announced a stop in work, and he left the band in August 2001.