Masterpieces in 3/4 Time: That Hit Song Too!? A Curated Selection of Popular Japanese and Western Tracks
When you think of hit songs in triple meter, what kind of tracks come to mind?
Triple meter is known as the waltz rhythm and is popular in classical music; it’s also commonly used in other genres, especially in Western music.
Interestingly, it’s often said that Japanese listeners are not as comfortable with triple meter, so it doesn’t appear much in J-pop hits.
In this article, we’ve selected songs in triple meter from Japanese and Western pop and rock.
From timeless favorites to lesser-known hidden gems, we’ve got a wide-ranging playlist for you!
- The Appeal of Irregular Time Signatures: A Collection of Songs in 5/4 Time
- Standard songs for ballroom dancing. Popular and well-known tracks.
- Coming-of-age songs for your 50s: heart-thumping × heartwarming classics and popular tracks [2026]
- [Gets you grooving] Upbeat Japanese songs. Tracks that make you feel happy.
- [For Seniors] Have Fun and Relieve Stress! Introducing Dances Everyone Can Enjoy Together
- The Appeal of Odd Time Signatures: A Compilation of Songs That Use 7/4 Time
- Ranking of Popular Children's Songs [2026]
- Kids will love it! A collection of dance song ideas with easy-to-follow rhythms
- [April 2026] Trending songs: A roundup of the hottest, viral tracks right now
- [Rhythm] A roundup of popular Japanese songs that use 16-beat [2026]
- [Spring Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s] Carefully Selected Nostalgic Classics & Big Hits
- [Classic and Contemporary Hits] Emotionally Stirring, Heart-Touching Songs
- [Easy to Remember] A Collection of Cool Dances Recommended for Girls
[Masterpieces in 3/4 Time] That hit song too!? A curated selection of popular Japanese and Western tracks (21–30)
Spring of Life9mm Parabellum Bullet
9mm Parabellum Bullet is a rock band that debuted in 2007.
Their song “Inochi no Zembai” is a shadowy track composed as the theme for the film Higanjima.
It projects a world like a deranged tin doll, strongly reflecting the movie’s survival horror elements.
That otherworldly, decadent mood is irresistible! This sensation is created precisely because it’s in triple meter.
When a waltz rhythm combines with a dark tonal color, it becomes all the more unsettling.
BreakawayKelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson, the singer who came out of the popular American audition show American Idol.
Her song Breakaway is a great example of using 3/4 time effectively in pop music.
In the bluesy acoustic-guitar-driven verse, you can hear the guitar strumming along to the triple meter.
Then, in the chorus, the drums lead with a 3/4 pattern.
What’s interesting is that the song doesn’t heavily emphasize the waltz feel, so you don’t get the typical sense of oddness often associated with 3/4 time.
Masterpieces in 3/4 Time: That hit song too!? A curated selection of popular Japanese and Western tracks (31–40)
ImagineAriana Grande
Released in February 2019, this is the opening track of the album Thank U, Next, which earned high praise not only for its commercial success but also for its artistic excellence.
For a pop singer like Ariana Grande, it’s customary to kick off an album with a catchy single as a hook, but many listeners were likely surprised when they heard Imagine.
While employing contemporary trap methodologies, Ariana’s commanding vocals deliver a waltz-time number imbued with a retro, oldies-like atmosphere—an embodiment of her growth as an artist.
Jameel Roberts, one of the song’s co-writers, said he was surprised when he heard Ariana was including it on the album: “You hardly ever see songs in 3/4 these days—especially not in pop.”
Waltz #2Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith, a singer-songwriter who emerged from the 1990s indie rock and alternative rock scenes, continues to influence countless artists.
Beyond his superb body of work—colored by an innate melodic sensibility and delicate emotional touch—the tragedy of his passing in October 2003 at the young age of 34 has also cemented his status as a legend well into the 2020s.
Among the many classics he left behind, let me introduce the 3/4-time gem whose title says it all: “Waltz #2.” Included on XO, his fourth album released in 1998, it’s a fan favorite that showcases Smith’s outstanding talent as a melodist.
From the simple drum intro to the strummed acoustic guitar and lyrical piano phrases, the song isn’t necessarily dark melodically—but reading the lyrics, which can be described as nihilistic reflections of Smith’s state of mind at the time, is heartbreaking.
Even so, the sheer brilliance of the music ultimately gives us something that outweighs the tragedy.
Kiss From A RoseSeal
Kiss From A Rose, included on British soul singer Seal’s second album, Seal, released in 1994, has a sweet yet dreamlike atmosphere.
However, when you look at the lyrics, it seems to be more than just a simple love song, inviting a variety of interpretations.
In interviews, Seal himself has said, in essence, that he is singing about things that cannot be put into words.
It seems likely that he intentionally used a triple meter to express that ineffable, singular worldview.
Indigo WaltzKubota Toshinobu
A pioneering figure who brought a completely new breeze to the world of Japanese pop with a vocal style unlike anything typically Japanese, Toshinobu Kubota’s song appears on his 1988 album “Such A Funky Thang!”.
While R&B-style singers aren’t uncommon now, the impact when Kubota first emerged was nothing short of shocking.
This track is a waltz-time ballad, and he delivers a sensuous performance, giving precise dynamics to a vocal line that could easily become monotonous.
Nothing Else MattersMetallica
Metallica is generally well known worldwide as a metal band.
However, they’re popular not only for their heavy songs but also for their calmer tracks.
The piece we’re introducing today, “Nothing Else Matters,” begins as a slow ballad, but its shift into a more intense development partway through is a highlight.
If you listen closely, you’ll notice the song maintains a triple meter from start to finish.
This distinctive rhythm conveys emotions like melancholy and inner conflict that you don’t often feel in other tracks, making the song itself particularly memorable.