[Drinking Songs] Timeless Classics and the Latest Hit Tracks to Enjoy with a Drink
Songs about alcohol.
Do you have a favorite one?
When it comes to drinking, beyond the types of alcohol themselves, there are all kinds of situations: getting lively with a crowd, quietly sipping alone, or soaking up the mood at a bar.
In this article, we’ll introduce classic songs about drinking that suit various scenes, situations, and emotions.
We’ve selected a wide range from nostalgic hits of the ’70s and ’80s to the latest chart-toppers, so enjoy the differences in vibe across the decades.
- [Intoxication and Music] A collection of pleasant Japanese songs to accompany your drinks
- Songs that hype you up just by listening—recommended tracks from timeless classics to the latest releases
- Easy-to-sing songs recommended for men in their 70s: A collection of classic hits you’ll want to sing at karaoke
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Songs with Great Lyrics] Masterpieces you’ll want to listen to while savoring the words that resonate with your heart
- Lively songs recommended for people in their 80s: A collection of nostalgic enka and kayōkyoku
- [Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
- Songs that get people in their 30s pumped up: a roundup of nostalgic tracks that are also great for karaoke
- A Must-See for Those in Their 20s: A Collection of Youthful Songs That Bring Back School Days
- [Karaoke] Recommended Songs for Men in Their 80s: A Collection of Showa-Era Classics You’ll Want to Belt Out
- A love song that makes a man in his sixties relive his youth. Timeless classics that rekindle the romances of those days.
- [Relaxed & Gentle] A calm track with an easy, unhurried tempo
- Breakup songs recommended for people in their 80s: a collection of classic tracks that capture heartbreaking feelings
[Drinking Songs] Classic Evergreens and Latest Hit Tracks to Enjoy While Savoring a Drink (71–80)
Cheers to the night breezenagira kenichi
When it comes to songs about drinking, Kenichi Nagira’s “Toast to the Night Breeze” is a name that often comes up.
With its folk- and country-style sound, it has a nostalgic vibe and a feeling that seeps into your bones, making it a heartwarming drinking song to listen to.
The cheerful melody sings about trying to forget and have fun, and it gives you a boost when you’re feeling down from being scolded or things not going well.
You’d be happy to have someone say something to you like that, wouldn’t you?
Akira’s gene really gets me going.Kobayashi Akira
As the commercial song for Suntory’s classic whisky “Suntory White,” the track that became a huge hit at the time—praised for bringing out a completely new facet of Akira Kobayashi’s appeal—was “Akira no Jean to Kichauze,” produced by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.
While Kobayashi has songs like “Jidosha Show Uta” and “Dynamite ga 150 Ton,” this one takes that same vibe and infuses it with a richer groove.
It’s become an indispensable track when talking about Akira.
Drunk and reelingKatsura Ginshuku
Yoidorate (Staggering Drunk) by the Korean-born singer Ginshi Katsura is a song about trying to forget painful experiences with the help of alcohol.
Released in 1989, it became a major hit, winning numerous awards such as the Gold Prize at the 31st Japan Record Awards and the Wired Music Award at the 22nd Japan Cable Radio Awards.
No matter how hard things get, we put on a brave face and keep living, but once we’re alone, we’re overwhelmed by a sorrow that makes us want to give up on life altogether.
Many people have likely felt that way at some point.
Katsura’s husky voice further brings out the painful emotions expressed in the lyrics.
[Drinking Songs] Classic Evergreens and Latest Hit Tracks to Enjoy with a Drink (81–90)
Dekansho BushiHyōgo-ken Sasayama-shi Rōdōka
The Dekansho-bushi is said to be a work song from Tamba in Hyogo Prefecture that became a folk song.
Its rhythm is considered especially well-suited for brewing sake, and through master brewers (toji) who grew up in this area and worked as technicians at breweries producing seasonings and alcoholic beverages across Japan, the song spread nationwide.
It has been used in commercials for various sake brands and is still sung at some small, hand-crafted breweries today—making it a tune inseparably linked with sake.
If The Sea Was WhiskeyWillie Dixon
Willie Dixon, who wrote many famous blues songs.
This is a song where, if the sea were whiskey, he’d want to dive in like a duck.
Perhaps there’s also a warning in there about not getting drunk despite it all.
It has a stylish, laid-back vibe you could imagine playing as restaurant background music, and that hazy feel is nice too.
Listening to it is somehow calming.
It seems perfect for relaxing and slowly sipping a drink while soaking in that richly flavorful sound.
HighballNishikido Ryo
Ryo Nishikido, who was the main vocalist of Kanjani Eight and transitioned to a singer-songwriter in 2019.
“Highball” is a track included on his second album, Note, released in 2021.
Its bright yet nostalgic vibe pairs perfectly with Nishikido’s warmly human vocals, making it a song that keeps you company during those moments spent alone with a drink in hand.
It portrays the conflicted heart of a man wrestling with the “past.” Nishikido himself apparently can’t drink highballs, but he said the word just sounded right.
The bouncy piano and bluesy feel in the interlude are incredibly stylish!
Dream-Chasing SakeAtsumi Jirō
This is Jiro Atsumi’s fifth single, released in 1978.
Although it initially failed to gain traction, it became a hit thanks to Atsumi’s steady nationwide promotional efforts.
It holds the rare distinction of topping the yearly Oricon chart without ever reaching number one on the weekly rankings.