My Japan Times colleague Ian Martin nailed the state of Japanese pop music when he wrote that it was "clinging on to the hoary old remains of the past." The Oricon Chart's top albums of 2012 list was dominated by "Best Of" compilations, with the top two spots going to a pair released by rock band Mr. Children, put out to celebrate the quartet's 20th anniversary. "Mr. Children 2005-2010 <macro>" sold 1.16 million copies and was 2012's best-selling CD. It's a fitting representation of the state of J-pop entering 2013 — a serviceable collection of songs with a few strong moments, but ultimately an exercise in playing it safe.