A roundup of hit love songs from the ’90s
The 1990s were a decade that produced countless million-selling hits.
TV dramas were also hugely successful, and it wasn’t uncommon for theme songs to sell big alongside the shows themselves.
In this article, we’re shining a spotlight on love songs from that era.
We’ve gathered a variety of romantic tunes: theme songs from blockbuster romance dramas, wedding classics, and timeless love songs cherished across generations.
It’s a lineup that longtime fans who experienced the era firsthand will enjoy—as well as younger listeners who didn’t live through it.
Be sure to check it out!
Playlist
| A roundup of hit love songs from the ’90s | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | HOWEVERGLAY |  play_arrow | A huge hit as GLAY’s first million-seller… |
| 2 | God of RomanceHirose Kōmi |  play_arrow | The signature so— of Ms. Kōmi Hirose, known as the “Queen of Winter,”… |
| 3 | kissORIGINAL LOVE |  play_arrow | If you're younger, you might know it from Mika Nakashima's cover… |
| 4 | White LoveSPEED |  play_arrow | SPEED’s highest ... released in 1997 |
| 5 | First LoveUtada Hikaru |  play_arrow | Hikaru Utada, who released in 1999... |
| 6 | PRIDEImai Miki |  play_arrow | Hotei, who would later become his partner in private life as well... |
| 7 | LOVE LOVE LOVEDREAMS COME TRUE |  play_arrow | Etsushi Toyokawa and Takako Tokiwa star in it, and it has received high... |
| 8 | Swallowtail Butterfly ~Love Song~YEN TOWN BAND |  play_arrow | The ficti… that appears within the film Swallowtail |
| 9 | HELLOFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | A chorus with a refreshing acoustic guitar... |
| 10 | cherrysupittsu |  play_arrow | "Short and cute, but with a punk vibe" name... |
| 11 | Seesaw Game ~A Brave Love Song~Mr.Children |  play_arrow | Released in 1995, with a cumulative sales total of 181… |
| 12 | Midsummer FruitSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | Also active as a solo artist as a singer-songwriter… |
| 13 | beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko |  play_arrow | From the mid to late 1990s, the conventional... |
| 14 | TRUE LOVEFujii Fumiya |  play_arrow | Explosively as the frontman of The Checkers... |
| 15 | Banzai ~ So glad I loved you ~Urufuruzu |  play_arrow | Loved by many as one of Ulfuls’ signature songs… |
| 16 | One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi |  play_arrow | Masayoshi Yamazaki’s relea… in 1997 |
| 17 | Time goes byEvery Little Thing |  play_arrow | Pushing catchy digital sounds to the forefront… |
| 18 | Eiichi Ohtakishiawasena ketsumatsu |  play_arrow | Eiichi Ohtaki’s Love Generation theme song |
| 19 | Because it’s a cold nightTRF |  play_arrow | Just having that group at the live venue is alr… |
| 20 | Robinsonsupittsu |  play_arrow | It’s a song released in 1995, but the age… |
| 21 | LA LA LA Love SongKubota Toshinobu/Naomi Campbell |  play_arrow | The originator of R&B in Japan and… |
| 22 | Poem of SunlightLe Couple |  play_arrow | Cast members from the previous work, such as Yosuke Eguchi and Masaharu Fukuyama… |
| 23 | Love Story Comes SuddenlyOda Kazumasa |  play_arrow | The intro’s insanely famous guitar cutting... |
| 24 | Kiss me here.Shiina Ringo |  play_arrow | Even when I think back to that time, our debut song “Happi… |
| 25 | SAY YESCHAGE and ASKA |  play_arrow | CHAG, which had been active since the 1970s… |
| 26 | Let’s Count Your Kisses ~You Were Mine~Koyanagi Yuki |  play_arrow | An artist who captivates people with overwhelming vocal prowess… |
| 27 | can’t stop fallin’ in loveglobe |  play_arrow | Every single song Tetsuya Komuro put out became a hit... |
| 28 | Winter, againGLAY |  play_arrow | In the season of falling snow, a melody that pierces the heart resounds... |
| 29 | Just by you being herekome kome CLUB |  play_arrow | The moment I heard that ridiculously famous opening line, I was at a loss for words… |
| 30 | You’re the Only…Ono Masatoshi |  play_arrow | With that translucent high-tone voice, she/noted... |
| 31 | Like when we first metEvery Little Thing |  play_arrow | Every Little Thing's representative summer love theme song |
| 32 | My Baby Grand ~Wanting Warmth~ZARD |  play_arrow | With signature songs like “Makenaide,” across a wide range of generations… |
| 33 | As I love you selfishly, I won’t hurt anyone but you.B’z |  play_arrow | If you’re from around the same generation as I am, the ’90s… |
| 34 | I love you more than anyone.Furuchi Toko |  play_arrow | Lyrics about love based on one’s own experiences are wor... |
| 35 | Swaying feelingsZARD |  play_arrow | When asked about ZARD’s signature song, the first that comes to mind is “Make…” |
| 36 | Dan Dan Kokoro HikaretekuFIELD OF VIEW |  play_arrow | The Dragon Ball series, which was at the peak of its popularity… |
| 37 | CAN YOU CELEBRATE?Amuro Namie |  | Speaking of the greatest songstress born of the ’90s, well... |
| 38 | For the momentEvery Little Thing |  play_arrow | With contributions from both domestic and international songwriters and a wide-ranging musical style, … |
| 39 | DEPARTURESglobe |  play_arrow | It may be too late to mention it now, but 1990s J-pop... |
| 40 | I’m proudKahara Tomomi |  play_arrow | In the ’90s, produced by Tetsuya Komuro, they became a huge… |
| 41 | LOVE YOU ONLYTOKIO |  play_arrow | An idol group belonging to Johnny’s, and also a farm… |
| 42 | MessageFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | Masaharu Fukuyama’s refreshing classic that conveys the feelings of love. |
| 43 | Breath of DawnChekkāzu |  play_arrow | Singer-songwriter Fumiya Fujii... |
| 44 | Surely more than anyone else in the worldNagayama Miho & WANDS |  play_arrow | A love song that became a massive hit along with the drama, and… |
| 45 | Somewhere in a distant townNagayama Miho |  play_arrow | A heartwarming ballad themed around Miho Nakayama’s long-distance love |
| 46 | Movin’ on without youUtada Hikaru |  play_arrow | A masterpiece with a mature worldview right after their debut |
| 47 | The Last RainYasushi Nakanishi |  play_arrow | An impression of Stevie Wonder… |
| 48 | A gentle feelingChara |  play_arrow | He began composing in elementary school, and in his roots, B… |
| 49 | Hello, Again ~A Place That’s Been Around Since Long Ago~My Little Lover |  play_arrow | Putting it into words like “a clear, translucent singing voice” makes it sound kind of cheap... |
| 50 | Ballad of a SingerSaitō Kazuyoshi |  play_arrow | Back in my school days, I was into intense genres like hard rock and metal… |
| 51 | LOVE〜Destiny〜Hamasaki Ayumi |  play_arrow | Ayumi Hamasaki’s fateful, heartrending ballad |
| 52 | for a long timeKiroro |  play_arrow | A masterpiece that could be called one of the defining songs of the ’90s. Co… |
| 53 | HeartFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | The warm song “Kokoro” (Heart), Masaharu Fukuyama’s comeback single |
| 54 | Kiss me right nowLINDBERG |  play_arrow | Named after the aviator Charles Lindbergh… |
| 55 | BOY MEETS GIRLTRF |  play_arrow | They got the whole venue hyped up in an instant and turned it into a disco... |
| 56 | Get Along TogetherYamane Yasuhiro |  play_arrow | He is currently part of the South Korean vocal group sg WA… |
| 57 | SundayJITTERIN’JINN |  play_arrow | Known as a quintessential love song of the 1990s… |
| 58 | Love is…Kawamura Ryuuichi |  play_arrow | The visual kei rock band, LUNA S… |
| 59 | ClassicJUDY AND MARY |  play_arrow | An original lyric that likens sleepless longing in love to the cosmos… |
| 60 | ZUTTOMariko Nagai |  play_arrow | Released in October 1990, and for 12 weeks… |
| 61 | Swaying FeelingsZARD |  play_arrow | “Don’t Give Up” is a classic of youth, resonating in the heart |
| 62 | I just feel like crying.Nagayama Miho |  play_arrow | A masterpiece whose Miho Nakayama’s singing voice resonates in the heart. The ’90s… |
| 63 | ALONEB’z |  play_arrow | A classic by B’z: a love ballad that colors loneliness |
| 64 | Don’t forget.DREAMS COME TRUE |  play_arrow | A heartfelt DCT ballad that portrays the pain of parting |
| 65 | SquallMatsumoto Eiko |  play_arrow | Eiko Matsumoto’s rain ballad with lyrics by Masaharu Fukuyama |
| 66 | Cinderella ChristmasKinKi Kids |  play_arrow | Kin..., released in December 1998 |
| 67 | OH MY LITTLE GIRLOzaki Yutaka |  play_arrow | Garnering overwhelming support as a charismatic figure among the youth, … |
| 68 | ReplayMr.Children |  play_arrow | Known by the abbreviation “Misu-Chiru,” now a J-pop... |
| 69 | Stay closest to me.Daikoku Maki |  play_arrow | Maki Ohguro’s ... released in May 1995 |
| 70 | A third of pure-hearted feelingsSIAM SHADE |  play_arrow | The harder I try, the more distance I feel between us... |
| 71 | Sly womanSha ran Q |  play_arrow | A quintessential breakup song of the ’90s, by Sharan Q… |
| 72 | IT’S ONLY LOVEFukuyama Masaharu |  play_arrow | Masaharu Fukuyama, who is loved by a wide range of generations, ... |
| 73 | Feelings for youtsuji ayano |  play_arrow | The captivating songs from Ayano Tsuji’s debut work |
| 74 | love the islandSuzuki Ami |  play_arrow | Ami Suzuki's debut single, The Story of a Summer Departure |
| 75 | P.S I miss youTakahashi Yoko |  play_arrow | Yoko Takahashi’s solo debut work that sings about the heartache of a long-distance relationship |
| 76 | WHITE BREATHT.M.Revolution |  play_arrow | Composed by Daisuke Asakura of ACCESS, spea… |
| 77 | LA LA LA Love SongKubota Toshinobu with Naomi Kyanberu |  play_arrow | A bittersweet classic song of carousel-like love |
| 78 | LOVE AFFAIR ~ Secret DateSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | A powerful longing and anguish for a forbidden love |
| 79 | Red tambourineBLANKEY JET CITY |  play_arrow | 1990s love songs by BLANKEY JET CITY |
| 80 | STEADYSPEED |  play_arrow | Singing of bittersweet feelings of love, SPEE… |
| 81 | suddenlyFIELD OF VIEW |  play_arrow | ZARD “Totsuzen,” a moving anthem of youth |
| 82 | There will be love there -Ainō Aru Basho-the brilliant green |  play_arrow | People in their late 40s to 50s would go, “Ah, Brig… |
| 83 | I can’t say it.Gō Hiromi |  play_arrow | Hiromi Go's ballad trilogy is a classic of the 1990s. |
| 84 | Winter Fantasykazan |  play_arrow | Appeared in the commercial song for Sapporo Beer’s “Fuyu Monogatari” (Winter Story)… |
| 85 | Silent EveKarashima Midori |  play_arrow | The T… that featured Atsuko Sendo, Eisaku Yoshida, and others |
| 86 | Man & WomanMy Little Lover |  play_arrow | Producer Kobayashi, a legendary figure in the history of Japanese popular music… |
| 87 | Tearful KissSazan Ōrusutāzu |  play_arrow | A signature ballad by Southern that depicts the pain of heartbreak |
| 88 | It’s love.V6 |  play_arrow | A gem-like ballad that finds courage from loneliness |
| 89 | Happy endingOhtaki Eiichi |  play_arrow | Eiichi Ohtaki’s first love song in 12 years. A major hit with 970,000 copies sold. |
| 90 | My Room, My Dress Shirt, and MeHiramatsu Eri |  play_arrow | Loved enduringly since its release in 1992… |
| 91 | Summer Days of 1993class |  play_arrow | A ballad portraying the shift of feelings from friendship to romance |
| 92 | Primalorijinarurabu |  play_arrow | A love song that is one of ORIGINAL LOVE’s signature tracks |
| 93 | AutomaticUtada Hikaru |  play_arrow | “The great prophecy of Nostradamus is...” and then, where... |
| 94 | Together…MAX |  play_arrow | Sexy, sharp dance moves that still haven’t lost their edge… |
| 95 | Surely more than anyone else in the worldNagayama Miho |  play_arrow | A smash-hit ballad by Miho Nakayama and WANDS |
| 96 | I won’t fall in love anymore.Makihara Noriyuki |  play_arrow | A ballad depicting the pain of heartbreak and the glimmer of hope |
| 97 | RALLYCymbals |  play_arrow | Expressing romantic mind games through breezy pop |
| 98 | Another OrionFujii Fumiya |  play_arrow | He has remained active even after the Checkers disbanded... |
| 99 | The Day Love Was BornFujitani Miwako, Ouchi Yoshiaki |  play_arrow | The duet song by Miwako Fujitani and Yoshiaki Ouchi |