is a Japanese rock power trio formed in 2004. The band consists of Iyori Shimizu (lead vocals, guitar), Kazuya Kojima (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Hisashi Kurihara (drums, percussion). The group signed to independent record label Idolsmith Recordings in 2009 and released their debut EP (2009) and studio album (2010). They signed to Universal Sigma in 2011. The band have a major cult following in Japan.
The group's biggest hit is , which peaked at number-one for three weeks on the Japan Hot 100 chart, and was later certified million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Their first compilation album, Encore (2016), reached number one on the Billboard Japan Hot Album for two consecutive weeks in 2016 and also ranked number five on the Oricon yearly best-selling album chart of 2017. In 2018, back number successfully held a Dome Tour titled “stay with you”, including a 2-night-concert in Tokyo Dome. All tickets for 5 concerts are sold out within 2 hours, mobilized over 45,000 guests per concert.
Members Current members Iyori Shimizu – lead vocals, guitar Kazuya Kojima – bass guitar, backing vocals Hisashi Kurihara – drums, percussion
Former members Makio Saito – guitar, backing vocals
History In 2004, Iyori Shimizu formed the band in Gunma Prefecture. Prior to the band's formation, Shimizu lost a girlfriend to another band member. This experience made him feel "outdated", which is why he named the band "back number".
In November 2004, the band performed their first live show at Isezaki DUSTBOWL.
Since 2005, voluntary live performances were held annually in November (until 2007), following the release of the demo CD.
In 2007, the band performed a one-man live show, mobilized over 150 people and the tickets were sold out. In the same year, the band was chosen as the semi-best rocker (second place) from more than 100 bands at the band audition "ROCKERS 2007" sponsored by FM Gunma, which is a gateway for the northern Kanto band. It became well known in the local media.
In April 2008, their regular radio program "PIZZA SMALL WORLD" started broadcasting at the radio station FM TARO for an area of Ota City, Gunma Prefecture (broadcast ended in March 2014). In June 2008, the band won a qualifying competition from among 500 pairs of entries at the Shonan Music Festival Opening Act Audition and secured an appearance at the large outdoor festival Shonan Music Festival Vol. 2.
On February 18, 2009, the band released their first mini album, Nogashita Sakana, and became HMV push item "HOT PICKS", TOWER RECORDS push item "Tawareko Men" for the first time, selected as power play of FM station and Sony Ericsson CS commercial song, the band then was widely known throughout the country. On May 27, Tawareko, a back number free live with HMV as the co-ownership was held at SHIBUYA-BOXX, and more than 500 people joined, which exceeded the capacity of the regular entry. In June, the band finished a tour at the Ferrari Temple Park Outdoor Stage in Isezaki City with a crowd of 500 people. After that, the band also positively appeared in events such as "SAKAE-SPRING", "MINAMI WHEEL", "TREASURE", "MUSIC CUBE" all over the country, school festival, install alive, etc.
On June 2, 2010, released their first full-length album, Ato no Matsuri.
On April 6, 2011, the band made their major debut with the single "Hanabira".
On September 7, 2013, the band held a one-man live "back number live at Nippon Budokan - stay with us-" at Nippon Budokan.
From April 2014, the band was appointed as a regular personality of Nippon Broadcasting "All Night Nippon" on every Tuesday. On September 14, 2014, at the Yokohama Arena, the first arena performance "love stories tour 2014 - Yokohama love story 2 ~" was held.
On December 15, 2015, their fifth album, Chandelier, reached first place on the Oricon chart for two consecutive weeks.
On December 28, 2016, the band released their own all-time best album, Encore, which reached number one on the Billboard Japan Hot Album for two consecutive weeks.
On December 20, 2017, the band released their 17th single, Mabataki, which reached number one on the Recochoku Weekly Download Charts for two weeks.
Discography
Albums + List of albums, with selected details, chart positions sales, and certifications Title Details Peak chart positions Sales CertificationsJPN Nogashita Sakana Type: Extended play Released: June 2, 2010 Label: Idolsmith Recordings Format: CD 132 Ato no Matsuri (後の祭り, "Too Late") Type: Studio album Released: June 2, 2010 Label: Idolsmith Recordings Format: CD 55 Superstar Type: Studio album Released: October 26, 2011 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, digital download, streaming 4 RIAJ: Gold Blues Type: Studio album Released: November 21, 2012 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, CD+DVD, digital download, streaming 7 RIAJ: Gold Love Story Type: Studio album Released: March 26, 2014 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, CD+DVD, digital download, streaming 2 RIAJ: Gold Chandelier Type: Studio album Released: December 9, 2015 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, CD+DVD, digital download, streaming 1 JPN: 359,000 RIAJ: Platinum Encore Type: Greatest hits album Released: December 28, 2016 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, CD+DVD, digital download, streaming 2 JPN: 853,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum Gold Magic Type: Studio album Released: March 27, 2019 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray, digital download, streaming 1 JPN: 361,000 RIAJ: Platinum Humor Type: Studio album Released: January 17, 2023 Label: Universal Sigma, A&M Format: CD, CD+DVD, CD+Blu-ray, digital download, streaming 1 JPN: 140,025 RIAJ: Platinum
Independent production Release dateTitle1stNovember 2005 Gift×Life2ndNovember 2006 then Fish3rdNovember 2007Distance Knock Tender
Singles + List of singles as lead artist, showing year released, selected chart positions, physical sales, certifications, and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Physical sales (JPN) Certifications Album JPNOricon JPNHot KORWW 2011 — 46 ——Superstar 45 13 —— 3,000 RIAJ: Gold 18 3 —— 13,000 RIAJ: 3× Platinum Diamond 24 1 —— 5,000 RIAJ: Gold Gold 2012 24 12 —— 7,000 RIAJ: Gold 2× Platinum Blues 24 9 —— 7,000 RIAJ: Gold Platinum 14 3 —— 9,000 RIAJ: Gold 2× Platinum 14 4 —— 10,000 RIAJ: Platinum Platinum 2013 11 3 —— 15,000 RIAJ: 3× Platinum Diamond Love Story "Fish" 2014 4 5 —— 21,000 RIAJ: Gold 9 6 —— 11,000 RIAJ: Gold Platinum 2015 6 2 55— 43,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum 3× Platinum Chandelier "Sister" 9 5 —— 32,000 RIAJ: Gold Platinum 4 2 —— 29,000 RIAJ: Gold Platinum 2 1 —— 100,000 RIAJ: Gold Million 3× Platinum 2016 6 1 —— 33,000 RIAJ: Gold Gold Encore 5 4 —— 59,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum Diamond 2017 5 2 —— 61,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum 2× Platinum Magic 2018 3 2 —— 45,000 RIAJ: Platinum Platinum 4 1 —— 65,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum 2× Platinum "Happy Birthday" 2019 4 2 —— 45,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum 3× Platinum 2021 3 2 —— 26,000 RIAJ: 2× Platinum Humor 2024 6 1 — — 24,843 RIAJ: Gold 2× Platinum "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.
Digital singles + List of digital singles as lead artist, showing year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album JPNHot WW 2016 12 — Encore 2020 7 — RIAJ: Gold Platinum Humor 2021 3 87 RIAJ: Gold 3× Platinum 2 123 RIAJ: Platinum Diamond 2022 13 — RIAJ: 2× Platinum 5 — RIAJ: Gold 3× Platinum 2023 16— rowspan="6" 2024 9— RIAJ: Platinum 2025 1— RIAJ: 2× Platinum 22— 7— 7—"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.
Other charted and certified songs +List of singles as lead artist, showing year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album nameTitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum JPNHot "Stay with Me" 2010 89 Ato no Matsuri 2011— RIAJ: Gold Superstar 73 RIAJ: Platinum — RIAJ: Gold 2014 — RIAJ: Platinum Love Story 2015 100Heroine 89 RIAJ: Gold 45 RIAJ: Platinum Chandelier 2016 41 RIAJ: Platinum Happy End 2023 76 RIAJ: Gold Humor "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
DVD Release dateTitleHighest rank (Oricon)1stFebruary 25, 2015"Love stories tour 2014 ~ Yokohama love story 2 ~"32ndNovember 15, 2017"All Our Yesterdays TOUR 2017 at SAITAMA SUPER ARENA"13rdMarch 25, 2020"NO MAGIC TOUR 2019 at Osaka-jo Hall"24thOctober 11, 2023"in your humor tour 2023 at Tokyo Dome"1
Live tour Bolded performances are additional performances. ScheduleTitleConference venueDecember 6 - December 22Super Tour 20114 locations nationwide, 4 shows December 06 Nagoya ell Fits All December 08 Shinsaibashi MUSE December 17 Tokyo TSUTAYA O-EAST December 22 Fukuoka DRUM Be-1March 16 - April 30Love is blind tour 201212 locations nationwide, 12 performances March 16 Sapporo KRAPS HALL March 18 Sendai HooK March 30 Fukuoka DRUM LOGOS April 01 Nagoya CLUB QUATTRO April 04 Gunma CLUB FLEEZ April 07 Hiroshima Namiki Junction April 13 Osaka AKASO April 15 Takamatsu DIME April 19 Fukushima CLUB # 9 April 21 Niigata CLUB RIVERST April 27 Tokyo SHIBUYA-AX April 30 Tokyo Shibuya Public HallJanuary 14 - March 30Back to the blues tour 201317 places nationwide, 19 performances January 14 Chiba LOOK January 15 Mito LIGHT HOUSE January 17 Sendai Rensa January 20 Sapporo PENNY LANE 24 January 26 Niigata LOTS January 27 Toyama SOUL POWER January 31 Kagoshima CAPARVO HALL February 01 Kumamoto DRUM Be-9 V1 February 03 Okayama IMAGE February 05 Hiroshima CLUB QUATTRO February 07 Kochi X-pt. February 09 Takamatsu Olive Hall February 14 Gunma club FLEEZ March 1 Fukuoka International Conference Hall Main Hall March 03 Aichi Nagoya City Public Hall Great Hall March 08 Osaka NHK Osaka Hall March 09 Osaka NHK Osaka Hall March 29–30 Tokyo Shibuya Public HallMay 14 - September 23Love stories tour 201422 places nationwide, 24 performances May 14 Gunma Ota Nita Cultural Center Aerith Hall May 16 Gunma Isezaki City Cultural Center May 18 Saitama Omiya Sonic City Hall Hall May 23 Kagoshima Kagoshima Prefectural Cultural Center Baoshan Hall May 25 Fukuoka Fukuoka Sun Palace May 31 Okayama Okayama City Hall June 1 Hiroshima Ueno Gakuen Hall June 06 Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu Great Hall June 08 Hyogo Kobe International Hall Kokusai Hall June 14 Hokkaido Sapporo Municipal Hall June 20 Niigata Niigata Prefectural Civic Center June 21 Mori Hall of Ishikawa Honda June 28 Miyagi Tokyo Electron Hall, Miyagi June 29 Iwate Morioka Civil Cultural Hall Great Hall July 04–05 Osaka Orix Theater July 13 Ehime Matsuyama City Hall Great Hall July 15 Kagawa Sunport Hall Takamatsu Great Hall July 19 Aichi Nagoya International Conference Center Century Hall July 23 Tokyo Nakano Sun Plaza Hall July 25 Tokyo NHK Hall September 14th - 15th Kanagawa Yokohama Arena September 23 Osaka Osakajo HallMarch 25 - June 7Urban Live Tour 201510 places nationwide, 16 performances March 25–26 Niigata LOTS March 31 - April 01 Sendai Rensa April 03 Hokkaido Zepp Sapporo April 08–09 Aichi Zepp Nagoya April 13–14 Osaka Zepp Namba April 17 Hiroshima BLUE LIVE April 19 Fukuoka Zepp Fukuoka April 23–24 Tokyo Zepp Tokyo April 29 Okinawa Sakurazaka Central June 06–07 Chiba Makuhari Messe Event HallJanuary 24 - July 24Mirrorball and Chandelier Tour 201632 places nationwide, 39 performances
Hall performance January 24 Chiba Ichikawa City Cultural Center Great Hall January 28 Tokyo TAMASHIN RISURU Hall February 04 Oita iichiko Grand Cita February 06 Miyazaki Miyazaki citizens culture hall If it is Nara, February 11th 100th anniversary hall February 12 Mie Yokkaichi City Cultural Center First Hall February 19 Hiroshima Ueno Gakuen Hall February 21 Okayama Okayama City Hall February 25 Kanagawa Kanagawa Prefectural Hall February 28 Ibaraki Ibaraki prefectural prefectural cultural center