[80s Graduation Songs] Nostalgic Classics & Hits That Have Become Standards
When it comes to graduation songs, choral pieces used to be the standard, but from around the 1970s, pop-style graduation songs began to appear, and by the 1980s, many hit songs related to graduation were being released.
In this article, we’ll introduce standout graduation songs that were released and became popular in the 1980s.
For those who were students during that era, these tracks will feel nostalgic; for those currently in school, they’ll feel fresh and deeply moving.
Enjoy the colorful world of 1980s graduation songs!
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[80s Graduation Songs] Nostalgic Classics & Now-Standard Hits (31–40)
A Lonely Graduation CeremonyAsaka Yui
Yui Asaka’s “Hitoribocchi no Sotsugyoushiki” is a moving song worthy of being called a graduation classic.
Her fresh, emotionally resonant vocals gently accompany the major life milestone of graduation, heightening the song’s sentimental mood.
The delicately drawn lyrics convey both the sorrow of parting and hope for the future, capturing listeners’ hearts.
That’s why this song has been loved by so many people for years.
In particular, those who spent their youth in the 1980s may find their feelings from that time vividly revived.
And those about to graduate will surely discover new emotion in the song’s universal message.
GraduationKurasawa Atsumi
A song that chronicles an unrequited love from youth, “Sotsugyo” (Graduation).
It’s Junmi Kurasawa’s fourth single, released in 1985.
At first, it sounds like a breakup song, yet the strangely bright sound felt puzzling.
But when you get to the end of the lyrics, the reason becomes clear: at graduation, they discover their feelings are mutual.
If you listen to it during graduation season, you might just find yourself tempted to check the desk of the person you like (lol).
With such a happy ending, graduation doesn’t seem so bad.
CheersNagabuchi Tsuyoshi
“Kanpai” by Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi is often sung as a wedding classic.
Because it’s also an anthem that cheers on those standing at a crossroads in life and wishes them happiness ahead, it’s frequently performed at graduation ceremonies as well.
Originally included on the album of the same name, Kanpai was re-recorded and released as a single eight years after the album’s release.
Life is longer after graduation, and far more things come at you than during your student days.
Through his passionate, soul-stirring voice, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi offers a wish that your long life overflows with happiness.
Lost Property of YouthHori Chiemi
A gem of a ballad that represents Chiemi Hori’s music career.
The lyrics, themed around the nostalgia and bittersweetness of youth, resonate as they look back on days gone by.
Set to a minor-key melody, Hori’s soft yet powerful vocals strike a chord with listeners.
Released in September 1985, the song peaked at No.
12 on the Oricon charts.
Amid her busy schedule, it is said to have brought Hori herself a sense of comfort.
It’s recommended for times when you want to immerse yourself in memories of your youth or when you’ve experienced a parting with someone dear—you’re sure to find moments you can relate to.
GraduationOzawa Natsuki
The moment that wistful intro starts playing, you just know it’s going to be a tearjerker, right? Let me introduce “Sotsugyo” (“Graduation”), the third single released in 1988 by Natsuki Ozawa, who debuted as an idol in the late 1980s and also worked as an actress.
As the title suggests, it’s a song themed around graduation, with beautifully poetic lyrics that portray a positive outlook on parting with “you,” who’s going far away.
Koji Makaino’s melody is wonderful as well—bright yet achingly bittersweet in just the right way.
“Graduation” can be interpreted as graduating from “you,” too, so I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to view separation in a positive light.
[80s Graduation Songs] Nostalgic Classics & Now-Standard Hits (41–50)
TIME ZONEotoko
You can feel the determination that “even after graduation, this love, this friendship won’t end!” in Otokogumi’s “TIME ZONE.” Released in 1989, this song stands out from other graduation songs with its cool rock sound.
The lyrics convey the feeling that even if you graduate and never see each other again, the bonds forged over these past years will never break.
While the central theme is the emotions of facing a breakup with a lover, it can also be interpreted as an unbreakable friendship with dear friends.
Goodbye once moreChekkāzu
A gem-like ballad that gently weaves the pain of parting, set against a scene of lights drifting beyond the window and ice clinking in a glass.
Among The Checkers’ band sound, it’s a masterpiece that delicately portrays the feelings of a grown-up love.
Fumiya Fujii’s poignantly resonant vocals and Naoyuki Fujii’s beautiful melodies tenderly enfold the end of a love that still lingers with regret.
Upon its release in November 1990, the song reached No.
7 on the Oricon charts, and it was also included on the album “THE CHECKERS THE BEST,” soothing the hearts of many listeners.
It’s a track I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who has experienced parting from someone dear with the arrival of spring.
Why not listen alone on a quiet night and immerse yourself in cherished memories?