Tin Pan Alley is the iconic name given to a collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated popular music in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally, it referred to a specific location: West 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Manhattan’s Flower District.

Drawing inspiration from this historic music landmark, renowned Japanese musicians Haruomi Hosono (Apryl Fool, Happy End, Yellow Magic Orchestra), Masataka Matsutoya (music producer, arranger, keyboardist, and composer married to popstar Yumi Arai), Shigeru Suzuki (guitarist in Happy End), and drummer Tatsuo Hayashi (later known for fusion prog-bands Aragon and Parachute) adopted the Tin Pan Alley name for their band. 

Their 1975 self-titled debut album remains one of the most sophisticated and influential works in the city pop genre, blending refined musicianship with timeless style.