Autumn songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic fall tunes and recommended popular tracks.
From the 1990s, when CDs sold like hotcakes, into the 2000s, when the shift to digital gradually took hold.
As more people began enjoying music on digital music players, cell phones, and YouTube, the music industry truly entered a turning point.
In this article, we’ll introduce hit autumn songs from the 2000s, a time when the way we listened to music began to change.
We’ve gathered a variety of tracks—from songs that evoke the slightly wistful mood of fall to tunes many people downloaded to their phones.
You might just reunite with the songs that colored your youth.
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Autumn songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic autumn tracks and recommended popular songs (11–20)
crescent moonayaka
This is the fourth single by singer-songwriter Ayaka, chosen as the theme song for the information program “Mirai Kansoku Tsunagaru TV @ Human.” The song won the Best New Artist Award at the 2006 Japan Record Awards, and its wistful melody evokes the long nights of autumn.
Centered on a long-distance relationship, the lyrics have a vivid realism that conjures up scenes not only for those who’ve experienced it, but even for those who haven’t.
The brilliant metaphor likening a flip phone’s shape to a crescent moon feels very of its time, and this sentimental ballad is sure to stir your emotions.
Maplesupittsu
This is the 19th single by Spitz, a four-piece rock band known for numerous tie-ins including the opening theme for the music program COUNT DOWN TV as well as theme and insert songs for various TV dramas.
It was released as a double A-side single with Spica, which was not included on any album, and was cut from their 8th album, Fake Fur.
The band sound—layered over piano tones and carrying a somewhat dry atmosphere—evokes a melancholic autumn landscape.
With a catchy yet wistful chorus that lingers in your ears, it’s an emotional number.
language of flowersMr.Children
A four-piece rock band whose name combines words with opposite meanings to signify “not bound by form” and “uncategorizable”—this is a song by Mr.Children.
It’s included on their 11th album, “Shifuku no Oto,” and its gentle vocals and ensemble feel so soothing.
The lyrics, themed around autumn scenery and parting, match the nostalgic atmosphere of the arrangement, likely leaving listeners with a sentimental feeling.
Though an album track, it distills Mr.Children’s appeal into a number that evokes the essence of autumn.
red-orangeACIDMAN
A track distinguished by an emotive melody that evokes an autumn dusk.
The vocals, captivating with their unique timbre, sink deeply into the listener’s heart.
Released in October 2002, the piece was also included on the album “Sou.” It offers a musical experience akin to viewing an autumn landscape painting, making it perfect for a leisurely listen on long autumn nights.
If you want to immerse yourself in ACIDMAN’s world, be sure to give it a listen.
nape (of the neck)aiko
This is the 14th major-label single by singer-songwriter aiko, beloved by a wide range of listeners for its bluesy chord progression that creates a distinctive melody and for its heartrending lyrics that many women are sure to relate to.
The catchy phrases and lyrics that delicately depict inner feelings evoke a vivid sense of reality, as if the scenes unfold before your eyes.
The sentimental melody and arrangement add an even more nostalgic touch to the melancholic atmosphere of autumn.
It’s a number that perfectly matches the image of fall—especially one women will want to sink into alongside their own memories.
Like tonight’s moonElefanto Kashimashi
A bittersweet love song by Elephant Kashimashi that evokes the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.
Released in July 1997, it became a major hit as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Because It’s a Night When the Moon Shines.” Hiroji Miyamoto’s powerful vocals give voice to a heart wandering in search of lost love.
A track you’ll want to listen to on a long autumn night while gazing up at the moon—one that will surely stay close to your heart.
late autumngagaga supi
This is the fifth single by Gagaga SP, a four-piece rock band often dubbed Japan’s oldest “youth punk” group and recognized as a leading act in the major movement that took off after 2000.
Riding on a rush of high-velocity punk sound, its straightforward message is both exhilarating and quietly sentimental.
The arrangement—lyrics that are relentless yet grounded in reality—is quintessential Gagaga SP.
It’s a punk tune tinged with melancholy, not just high tension, evoking scenes of heartbreak as autumn deepens.
Iroha Japanese mapleHitoto Yo
Yaô Hitoto, a Taiwan-born singer who gained nationwide support thanks to the massive success of her fifth single Hanamizuki.
Iroha Momiji, included on her second album Ichisei, is a nostalgic number with an oriental melody and sound.
The lyrics, which portray a delicate distance between two people who are drawn to each other, seem to link with the melancholy of the autumn season and evoke a sentimental mood.
It’s a classic from the 2000s that perfectly matches those poignantly colored scenes.
In the season of wind and falling leavesKawaguchi Kyogo
A breeze that signals the arrival of autumn and fallen leaves.
Through the changing of the seasons, this song by Kyogo Kawaguchi tenderly captures the sorrow of a love that has passed.
Interweaving autumn motifs like rows of ginkgo trees turned yellow and a cup of cooled coffee, it delicately expresses lingering feelings for a lost romance.
Released in September 2005, the track is included on the album “Kaze to Ochiba no Kisetsu ni” (In the Season of Wind and Falling Leaves).
It’s the perfect song to listen to alone on an autumn evening—a slightly bittersweet autumn classic that seeps into your heart.
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro
This is the second single by singer-songwriter Chihiro Onitsuka, whose powerful yet fragile voice creates a uniquely compelling presence.
Chosen as the theme song for the TV drama “Trick,” it’s a medium-tempo ballad whose opening—anchored by a spacious, resonant piano—lingers in the ear.
The message of liberation from oppression and the austere, precisely because it is simple, ensemble combine to evoke a mysterious atmosphere that conjures the image of moonlight.
It’s a weighty ballad that made Chihiro Onitsuka’s name widely known—perfect for immersing yourself in your own world while gazing at the autumn moonlit sky.