[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
- 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
- [Must read] Songs with great lyrics. Moving songs you’ll want to listen to while reading the lyrics
- 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
[Alcohol Songs] Classic Favorites and Latest Hit Songs to Enjoy While Sipping a Drink (41–50)
A booze-belly sake☆Bando janai mon! MAXX NAKAYOSHI
A six-member idol group in band format, Band Ja Naimon! MAXX NAKAYOSHI.
Since many of their songs focus on entertainment, even first-time listeners can jump right in and have fun with the vibe.
Their track “Sakeppara Dai-Sake☆” is an upbeat number themed around alcohol.
[Drinking Songs] Timeless Classics & Latest Hit Tracks to Enjoy with a Drink (51–60)
IzakayaItsuki Hiroshi / Kinomi Nana
A masterpiece that beautifully portrays the delicate emotions of a man and a woman who meet by chance in the corner of an izakaya.
The perfectly synchronized duet by Hiroshi Itsuki and Nana Kinomi creates a mood that is both heartrending and warm.
Released in November 1991, this song has also become a karaoke classic.
In the unadorned setting, it gently sings of the preciousness of human connections that arise.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to on nights when you want to linger in memories with someone special, or when a quiet loneliness creeps in.
Savor this gem that depicts an unforgettable, fleeting encounter—one that will stay close to your heart.
Cassisthe GazetteE
This is the eighth single by the visual kei band the GazettE, who call themselves the ‘Great Japan Heretical Geisha, the GazettE.’ It sings of a man’s heart torn between his past—when he kept making her sad and couldn’t cherish her—and his longing for a future where they can stay together forever.
It conveys gratitude and tenderness for the person who stays by your side, feelings that can be hard to recognize when you’re actually together.
If you listen while reminiscing about an old romance, a drink in hand like the ones you used to have back then, you might just find your eyes welling up.
Teki-ranRepezen Chikyuu
If we’re talking about the most talked-about YouTuber of 2019, wouldn’t it be Repezen Chikyuu? They post videos with an outlandish style and are mainly supported by elementary, middle, and high school students as well as partygoers.
Their track Tekiran is a song themed around tequila.
Its cheap-feeling composition and sound effects make it oddly addictive.
A Love Game Between a Man and a WomanAoi Shirō & Hino Mika
When it comes to male-female duet songs themed around alcohol, isn’t “Otoko to Onna no Love Game” the one that comes to mind? The lyrics exude a distinctly Showa-era atmosphere, which is quite striking.
The melody also brilliantly captures the world of drinks, men, and women.
It’s a song that would likely get people of all generations excited at karaoke.
Hey! Hey!Tonneruzu
Tunnels’ “Ora Ora” portrays drunken behavior throughout the entire song.
Released in 1987, it features lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto and music by Tsugutoshi Gotō, who also composed for the 48 groups including AKB48, as well as Onyanko Club.
People often say, “Drink, but don’t let the drink control you,” yet the characters in this song seem completely controlled by alcohol.
Some listeners might picture someone they know who’s just like that, while others may find themselves thinking, “I’ve done that too,” and relate to it.
Oh, sake!Yoshi Ikuzo
Yoshi Ikuzo’s “Sake yo” is hailed as a masterpiece that sings, within the enka itself, a scene evoking a man from Tohoku drinking alone—the landscape of enka and sake.
Songs that carry a melancholy in the chorus and sing of drink like this may be fine for a street-performer setting, but are often said not to suit ordinary concert halls.
Yet this song both captivates the listener and, in the end, unfolds into a resounding melody that lets you feel a man’s strength.
A work worthy of its reputation.