I believe this list was made based on the author's personal taste and you guys shouldn't take it too seriously... you can make your own list as well right? :yes

If I made a list it would be something like this and in no particular order:

ayumi hamasaki - (miss)understood
Namie Amuro - PAST < FUTURE
Hikaru Utada - Distance
Koda Kumi - secret
Mika Nakashima - MUSIC
Mai Kurai - Perfect Crime
Miho Fukuhara - Music Is My Life
BoA - Love & Honesty
Superfly - Superfly
ayaka - First Message
Masami Okui - Love Axel
mink - Shalom
Nanase Aikawa - Red
Rurutia - Promised Land
Tomomi Kahala - Kahala Compilation
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Pamyu Pamyu Revolution


All girls cause girls rule!

Duty it's a great choice, but (miss)understood would be good too.
Usually I recommend it to anyone who never heard of Ayu nor is a big jpop fan. And most of the times, everyone loves it.

I don't really agree with Utada though.
First Love may be the best selling japanese album of all the times, but it's so generic music wise. Deep River it's much better imo.

The word awesome in "15 Awesome Albums for Beginners to J-Pop" is somehow out of place. This list mostly introduces you to basic J-Pop music from basic idol groups (9 out of the 15 albums are from girl/boygroups).
Why not make a list to introduce people to western pop music and include *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Take That, One Direction, Jonas Brothers, Destiny's Child, Pussycat Dolls and Atomic Kitten. Than add an album of Madonna from ten years ago, the worst Mariah Carey album out there, an album of Britney Spears, Rihanna and Katy Perry and last but not least one from Avril Lavigne.
This list would be equally "diverse". I mean, not that a lot of those artists wouldn't be iconic to one point or another, but this list can't show how great and diverse pop music can be.
It's a nice fun fact that "First Love" is the best selling album in Japan ever, but it's by far Utada's worst album.
What I can't stand about the whole J-Pop fandom is people ALWAYS!!!!!!! (yes, I'm angry about it) forget that there is much more to discovere than idol groups, Ayu, Koda, Namie and Utada. Of course idol groups have high sales atm, but that doesn't mean other artists sell nothing at all and aren't popular. People forget that high sales aren't equal to good music and if I would be introduced to western pop music with a list similar to the one I posted I wouldn't be impressed. Same goes for the list with those "awesome" J-Pop albums. It's a shame people reduce J-Pop to idol groups and if anything this list is an introduction to what's popular at the moment.

true that :yes

Thank you for that list, I've never listened to these people, I checked the previews on iTunes and loved them as the others too.

I like Rurutia so much that I'm already downloaded all of her albums and EPs.