Seiko Matsuda (松田聖子, Matsuda Seiko?, born Kamachi Noriko, 蒲池法子, on March 10, 1962) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter.
Born in Kurume, Fukuoka, she rose to fame in 1980 as a teen idol, making her debut with the song "Hadashi no Kisetsu". Later in the same year, "Kaze wa Aki-iro" became the first of her 24 consecutive #1 hits in Japan.
Seiko used to hold the record for the most number 1 singles by a female singer (25 in all) until March 2006 when Ayumi Hamasaki's "Startin' / Born To Be..." reached number 1, making it her 26th single to top the charts. Nonetheless Seiko still holds the record of the most consecutive No.1 singles for a female artist, a record that she has been holding for two decades.
Seiko was also the first person in Japanese pop history to have a single and an album debut at No. 1 on Oricon Chart in the same week. In November 1984, Seiko released a single 'Heart No Earring' and album 'Seiko Town': both reached No. 1. The next time it happened was nearly nine years later, and so far only seven other artists had successfully topped the two major charts at the same time with new releases.
Seiko is also on the Top 3 list of Most No.1 albums, Most Top 10 singles and Most Top 10 albums. HMV Japan ranked her No. 10 Top Japanese Artist of All Time, and No. 7 Top Singer of All Time. Her unusual staying power gives her the title of "Forever Idol".
Nobody in Japanese history (including royalty, politicians and sports stars) got more news coverage than Seiko {Oya Soichi Library}. Controversial news about her personal life, as well as her resilient ability to bounce back from any scandals or set-backs, garnered extensive media attention.
She attempted to break into the North American market with an English-language, self-titled album in 1990. She scored a hit with "The Right Combination", a duet with boy band New Kids on the Block singer Donnie Wahlberg. Album sales were mediocre, however, and her follow-up Was it the Future failed to generate any significant sales. In 2002, Seiko's English dance hits 'All To You' and 'Just for Tonight' reached Billboard dance chart No. 8 and No. 2 respectively.
Seiko still holds annual concerts, Christmas dinner shows and New Year's Eve Countdown shows. Despite the high ticket prices (her dinner show tickets are the most expensive among female artists), she always performs to a sold out crowd.
Married to actor Masaki Kanda from 1985 to 1997, she has a daughter, also a singer, Sayaka Kanda.
In addition to music, her career includes appearances in television, film, commercials, and radio. Two books of photos of Matsuda, and two books about her, have been published.
