Commercial songs from the 70s. Nostalgic TV commercial jingles.
When it comes to music of the 1970s, it was an era that produced countless classic songs—often called Showa Kayō—that are still loved today.
Naturally, many of these timeless hits were used in commercials at the time.
What’s more, numerous 70s tracks that were popular with listeners back then have also been picked up as commercial songs decades after their original release!
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of songs: not only those used in real time during the 1970s, but also tracks released in the 70s that were later featured in commercials.
From nostalgic commercials of the era to recently aired spots, enjoy a comprehensive look at 70s masterpieces that continue to be loved across generations.
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- [Nostalgic Commercials] A compilation of commercials that aired in the Showa era
- 80s commercial songs. A roundup of Japanese songs from the 80s that have been used in commercials.
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- Heartwarming nostalgic commercial jingles: a special collection of timeless hits that take you back.
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- Classic enka songs featured in commercials, along with original CM tracks, introduced together!
- A collection of nostalgic hit songs and classics from the 70s
- Cosmetics commercial song. Popular commercial jingle.
- [Going Viral!] A Special Feature on the Cute Songs Used in Commercials
- A must-see for people in their 30s and 40s! A roundup of nostalgic 1990s commercial jingles
Commercial songs from the 70s. Nostalgic commercial jingles (11–20)
youKozaka Akiko
マクドナルドとマイランドのCMで使われた曲は、1973年に小坂明子のデビューシングルとして発売された「あなた」です。
She also performed this song when she won the Grand Prix at a Yamaha contest at age 16.
The commercials feature a piano instrumental version.
The song has been covered by many artists, including Ryoko Moriyama and Acid Black Cherry.
Depicting a dreamlike life with an unattainable love—or a future lover yet to be met—the piece has moved many listeners with its lyrical world, whose heartbreaking intensity is hard to believe came from a teenager.
metropoliskurisutaru kingu
Crystal King’s signature song “Daitokai” was featured in a 1998 commercial for Pokka’s Crystal Black.
The commercial also starred the band’s vocalist, Masayuki Tanaka, and the running gag was that he was never allowed to sing beyond the opening line.
Sometimes he’d be on a free-fall ride and his singing would turn more into a scream, and other times Yoshimi Tendo would take over everything after the intro and sing “Like the Flow of the River,” which has a similar opening… As for the song itself, Tanaka’s exhilarating high tones leave a strong impression! Many people probably thought, “I wish I could sing as crisply and powerfully as that.”
Cotton HandkerchiefŌta Hiromi
The song used in the 2004 Suntory “New Style Latte SORA” commercial was Hiromi Ohta’s classic “Momen no Handkerchief” (Cotton Handkerchief).
It has been covered by various artists, including Ringo Sheena, Masamune Kusano of Spitz, and Haruka Ayase, and has been loved for many years.
Set to a fresh and charming pop melody, the song portrays the feelings of a long-distance couple from both the man’s and the woman’s perspectives.
As the boyfriend gradually becomes absorbed into city life and even his heart begins to change, the girlfriend back in their hometown wishes he would stay just as he was.
Incidentally, unlike the girlfriend in the song who patiently waits for her boyfriend, Hiromi Ohta herself is said to be the exact opposite—someone who clearly says whatever she thinks.
Love Dial 6700Fingā 5
Finger Five’s “Koi no Dial 6700” is a song released in 1973 as their third single.
It topped the Oricon singles chart, and, as it was also chosen as the theme song for “Finger Five no Daibōken,” a feature in the Toei Manga Matsuri, it became beloved across generations.
With phrases themed around the sound of a ringing telephone and cute lyrics that evoke romance, the song conveys a bright, straightforward mood.
The light, catchy phone-ringing at the beginning has drawn particular attention, and it seems this part is often highlighted when the song is used in commercials.
School HeavenFingā 5
Set in a snack bar with Takanori Nishikawa singing, this is a commercial for Asahi’s GINON.
In a snack bar run by Michiko Kichise, Nishikawa passionately performs a parody of “Gakuen Tengoku,” showcasing his outstanding vocal prowess to the fullest.
He’s basically just singing, but somehow it’s so entertaining that you want to watch it over and over.
Until we meet againOzaki Kiyohiko
In a Suntory commercial promoting the proper sorting of plastic bottles, former SMAP members Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori appear.
Kusanagi, hidden behind a wall, gives Inagaki and Katori a lesson on how to dispose of an empty PET bottle.
The ad explains that the peeled-off label and the removed cap can be placed directly into Suntory’s recycling bin together with the bottle, which likely made many viewers think, “Really? I didn’t know that!” The background music features an instrumental arrangement of a classic Showa-era hit, Kiyohiko Ozaki’s “Mata Au Hi Made,” whose flowing, pleasant melody is absolutely lovely.
70s commercial tunes. Nostalgic commercial songs (21–30)
UFOpinku redii
Even if you didn’t watch Pink Lady in real time, many of you probably still know “UFO.” That’s how influential it is—you hear it often in commercials.
Released in 1977, it became their biggest hit.
Its distinctive worldbuilding also incorporates an episode from producer Masatoshi Sakai and lyricist Yū Aku’s trip to Easter Island.
In the ’70s, the song was used in commercials for Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O., with lyric changes tailored to the ads, and in the late 2010s it became familiar again through UQ Mobile commercials.
Truly a mega-hit on a cosmic scale.
