A poignant masterpiece that sings of adolescence. Popular songs you’ll want to hear during your teenage years.
I’d like to introduce Japanese songs themed around adolescence!
Adolescence is said to be the most sensitive time, swaying between childhood and adulthood.
It overlaps with one’s youth, and whether you’re a teenager living in the present or someone who has already passed those years, there are all kinds of worries and inner conflicts you can vividly remember…
In this article, we’ve gathered songs centered on the theme of adolescence: tracks you’ll want to listen to during those years, and timeless, popular songs that resonate deeply when heard in your youth.
If you’re in your teens right now, or if you’re looking for the songs you listened to back then, be sure to give these a listen!
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A collection of piercing masterpiece songs about adolescence. Popular songs you’ll want to hear in your teenage years (41–50)
Adult code of conductShiina Ringo
Otona no Okite was created as the theme song for the 2017 TV drama Quartet.
The opening melody is so cool—it feels like a secret you can’t tell anyone has been expressed directly in sound.
The song sings about the struggles and conflicts of how things you could do as a child become difficult once you’re an adult.
If you’re going through adolescence right now, you’re probably experiencing exactly those worries and feelings.
Becoming an adult does broaden your freedom in some ways, but in reality, there are many ways you become less free as well…
A Boy’s PoemTHE BLUE HEARTS
THE BLUE HEARTS are a legendary four-piece rock band that brought punk rock into the mainstream of the Japanese music scene.
“Shonen no Uta” (A Boy’s Poem), included on their first album THE BLUE HEARTS, is a track that vocalist Hiroto Kōmoto had already written before the band was formed.
Its lyrics portray the quintessential adolescent mindset—harboring vague dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s surroundings without knowing how to resolve it—something many listeners can surely relate to.
With a tight ensemble and catchy melodies, it’s a rock tune that vividly captures the inner world of youth.
Teenage in GlassHikaru GENJI
Hikaru Genji is an idol group that debuted from Johnny’s in 1987.
For women who were in their teens and twenties at the time, Hikaru Genji is probably one of those unforgettable groups in life.
This song is also one of their signature tracks that always gets mentioned—a real fan favorite! The lyrics portray the precarious emotions of adolescence and a bittersweet yet single-minded love.
Listening to it while reminiscing about those days is sure to rekindle the heat of youth and adolescence.
Even now, this song is still often used as a cheer song for high school baseball.
Adolescent Summer: Our Love Still Lingers on the RanchMr.Children
Mr.
Children is a four-piece rock band that has consistently led the J-pop scene, with many of their released albums achieving million-seller status.
The track “Shishunki no Natsu ~Kimi to no Koi ga Ima mo Bokujō ni~” from their second album, Kind of Love, features drummer Hideya Suzuki on lead vocals.
Its depiction of the uniquely adolescent uncertainty about how to approach someone you like is something many people across generations can relate to.
With a light, country-tinged beat that feels pleasant, it’s a pop tune that showcases the deeper charms of Mr.
Children.
youthMorita Kōichi to Toppugyaran
Seishun Jidai by Koichi Morita & Top Gallant, released in 1976.
It was a classic that won tremendous support from young people at the time, so many of you may have spent your youth listening to this song.
As adults, our memories of youth tend to be filled with beauty and joy, but for those of you living your youth right now in your teens, you’re probably feeling lost, getting hurt, and still doing your best to move forward.
This song focuses on that very “now.” If you listened to it back then, hearing it today may leave you with a different impression.
Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!Buono!
A song by the female idol group Buono!, it was used as the ending theme for the 2008 anime Shugo Chara!.
It’s an upbeat, idol-like track that lifts your spirits as you listen.
If you’re in your teens, the lyrics will probably hit home from the very first lines.
Most of us spend our days worrying about how we look to others and searching for the “right” answers… but that’s not what really matters.
Even if you fail, even if there isn’t a big reason, what’s meaningful is following the path you believe in.
This song makes you feel that way.
Youthful AmigoShūji to Akira
This is the debut single from the duo Shuuji to Akira, made up of Kazuya Kamenashi and Tomohisa Yamashita.
It was used as the theme song for the drama Nobuta wo Produce, in which they co-starred.
When I listen to this song, which sings about strong friendship, the faces of dear friends come to mind.
Friends you spent your youth with are unforgettable, aren’t they? I think it’s a blessing to have someone special you can look back on.
To everyone in your teens: there are many things that matter during this time we call youth, but please treasure the time you spend with your friends!