AKB48

Favoring the bright, affectionate side of pop, AKB48 are an all-female Japanese theater troupe/musical unit. Created by the famous producer Yasushi Akimoto, "AKB" is short for Akihabara, a Tokyo district where the group performs daily in their own theater, and "48" was meant to refer to the number of members in this sizeable squad, although it operates more as an approximation. They made their recording debut with 2008's Set List: Greatest Songs 2006-2007, which collected earlier stage songs. The group then went to number one in Japan with their first proper studio album, 2010...