80s commercial songs. A roundup of Japanese songs from the 80s that have been used in commercials.
In this article, we’ll be introducing, all at once, the songs that were used in commercials aired in the 1980s, as well as 80s tracks that have been featured in commercials over the years!
Speaking of 80s music, a wide variety of artists—bands, female idols, singer-songwriters—burst onto the scene, and all of them gained tremendous popularity.
Countless songs were used in commercials, and many timeless classics that are still loved today were born during this era.
We’ve picked a wide range, from staple tunes you still hear often to hidden gems you might not have heard in a while, so please take this opportunity to listen closely and enjoy.
- 80s Western pop hits featured in commercials. A roundup of nostalgic CM songs.
- Catchy Showa-era commercial jingles. Introducing famous songs recently featured in commercials, too!
- A must-see for people in their 30s and 40s! A roundup of nostalgic 1990s commercial jingles
- [Nostalgic Commercials] A compilation of commercials that aired in the Showa era
- Commercial songs from the 70s. Nostalgic TV commercial jingles.
- Heartwarming nostalgic commercial jingles: a special collection of timeless hits that take you back.
- [I want to hear it again!] Songs from Suntory commercials. Popular commercial jingles
- Classic and hit Japanese pop songs from the nostalgic 80s
- Western songs from the 90s featured in commercials. A roundup of CM songs.
- [Summer Tunes] A roundup of commercial songs featured in summer ads
- [Touches the heart] Bittersweet commercial songs: those famous tracks that make you tear up
- Classic nostalgic summer hits from the ’80s. A roundup of summer songs.
- [Nostalgic Classics] Hit Japanese Love Songs from the 1980s
80s commercial songs. A roundup of 80s Japanese pop songs used in commercials so far (11–20)
My Pure LadyOzaki Ami
Ami Ozaki’s third single, “My Pure Lady,” was released in 1977.
Featured in a Shiseido commercial, the song quickly made Ozaki widely known.
It may be something only some people know, but Shiseido’s commercials in the 1980s had an elegant, timeless cool.
The melody of this track has a subtle bossa nova feel, and the lyrics evoke an emotional sense of spring that makes your heart race with excitement as you listen.
It’s a classic that continues to be loved and comes highly recommended.
A new face you might love to hateYoshikawa Koji
Kōji Kikkawa’s “Nikumaresō na NEW FACE,” used as Kanebo’s summer campaign song in 1985, was a big hit and reached No.
1 on the Oricon charts.
It was his fifth single, released in 1985.
From his debut, he blazed his own trail, with an original singing style that captivated not only women at the time but men as well.
In this song, you can really feel the way of life that is Kōji Kikkawa’s charm—it’s cool in every little detail (lol).
As you listen, the impactful chorus sends your mood soaring—watch out for getting overly hyped! Even after all this time, it’s still a masterpiece.
Graduationsaitou yuki
What do you think Maiko Ito, Yoko Minamino, and Fumie Hosokawa all have in common? The answer is that they all debuted through the Miss Magazine contest organized by Weekly Shonen Magazine.
Yuki Saito was one of them, too—she won the 3rd Miss Magazine contest and entered the entertainment world.
Her song “Sotsugyo,” which expresses the bittersweet feelings of a girl graduating with unrequited love, was also a big hit.
Her voice was on the lower side, wasn’t it? Yuki Saito had a slightly different, laid-back vibe compared to typical idols, and that image hasn’t changed even as she’s grown older.
Her warm, softly charming commercials were fun as well.
It’s a truly pleasant song that’s quintessential of a Showa-era idol.
With a fiery heartKobayashi Akira
Akira Kobayashi was a major star of Japanese cinema in the 1950s and is renowned as an actor, but he’s also famous as a singer.
Amazingly, “Atsuki Kokoro ni” was his 124th single, released in 1985.
The lyrics were written by Yū Aku, and the music was newly composed by Eiichi Ohtaki.
The song was used in a coffee commercial—part of the “Person of ~” series like “Person of Flowers.” Though the ads had no dialogue and were simple, they matched the warmth of the song, and the commercial, like the track itself, remains a classic.
The song has a grand sense of scale, and Kobayashi’s commanding presence hasn’t faded even today—highly recommended as a masterpiece.
A Lovely Cinderella ComplexGō Hiromi
Hiromi Go’s “Suteki ni Cinderella Complex,” which was featured in a Toyota Corolla commercial, is his 47th single, released in 1983.
Hiromi Go has many famous songs, but I think this one is a hidden gem among them.
So for those who remember that era, hearing it will probably make them go, “Ah, that song!” In the commercial, he even appeared playing rugby with the song in the background.
The melody is catchy and pleasant to listen to, and it really sticks with you.
It’s easy to see why it’s been loved by the public and listened to for so long.
SWEET MEMORIESMatsuda Seiko
A song by the legendary idol Seiko Matsuda, who enjoyed immense popularity in the 1980s and continues to thrive at the forefront of the J-pop scene as a singer-songwriter.
Originally included as the B-side to her 14th single “Garasu no Ringo” (“Glass Apple”), the track was re-released as a double A-side single due to its strong fan support and its use in a Suntory CAN Beer commercial.
Many listeners likely discovered a new side of Seiko Matsuda through the song’s mature, jazz-inflected atmosphere.
With an arrangement that overturned the conventional image of idol songs and aligned perfectly with the direction of the commercial, it stands as a classic that left its mark on the history of idol music.
80s commercial songs. A compilation of Japanese pop songs from the 80s used in commercials (21–30)
Stop the night once moreSakiya Kenjirō
“Lighthouse” was a wristwatch model released by Citizen in the late 1980s, and the song chosen for its commercial was Kenjirō Sakiya’s “Mou Ichido Yoru o Tomete” (Stop the Night Once More).
It was later also used as an insert song in the TV drama “Tokyo Love Story.”