![[Sing for your health!] Popular songs among seniors. Also recommended for recreational activities.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/9yqNN2wsLu4/maxresdefault.webp)
Music has always enriched people’s hearts, no matter the era.
For older adults as well, there are surely countless songs filled with memories.
In this article, we’ll introduce songs that are popular among seniors.
Just listening to a nostalgic tune can make you feel as if you’ve time-traveled back to those days.
Let’s listen to the songs you used to sing when you were young and reminisce together.
For seniors, singing can support health by improving cardiopulmonary function, stimulating the brain, and promoting emotional stability.
Of course, it’s wonderful to listen to your favorite songs—and we recommend humming along too.
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- [For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities
- [For Seniors] Crowd-Pleasers! A Collection of Classic Karaoke Songs
- [For Seniors] Recommended Songs for Care Activities and Events! Crowd-Pleasers That Bring Joy
- [For Seniors] Popular Karaoke Songs That Everyone Can Enjoy Together
- [For Seniors] A heartwarming round song. Let’s layer our voices with this nostalgic classic.
- [For Seniors] Spring Songs You'll Want to Hum: Feel the Season with Nostalgic Classics
- Also great for dementia care! Recommended dance songs for people in their 70s: Let’s dance to those classic hits
- Recreation Popularity Rankings for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Popular Summer Songs: Selections That Liven Up Karaoke
- [Brain Training for Seniors] Recommended Hand-Play Recreation for Dementia Prevention
Sing for Better Health! Popular Songs for Seniors. Also Recommended for Recreation (1–10)
Flowers ~Flowers for everyone’s heart~NEW!Sakushi sakkyoku: Kina Shoukichi
People’s hearts sway between tears and laughter, but this timeless classic carries a universal wish: to let beautiful flowers bloom in our hearts no matter the moment.
Kina Shoukichi’s “Hana ~Subete no Hito no Kokoro ni Hana wo~,” with a melody that evokes the breezes of Okinawa and warm, peace-praying words that resonate deeply.
Included on the 1980 album “BLOOD LINE,” it’s also well known for being sung by Satoko Ishimine as the theme song for the 1995 film “Himeyuri no Tō.” Its relaxed rhythm is perfect even for exercise time, and if everyone hums along while savoring the lyrics, a gentle feeling will come naturally.
It’s the ideal song for spending a calm, heart-unwinding moment along with the cheerful spring weather.
Flowers will bloom.NEW!Sakushi: Iwai Shunji/Sakkyoku: Kanno Yoko
This work was created with the aim of supporting recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The lyrics, said to be written from the perspective of those who passed away, carry a gentle yet powerful message.
Shunji Iwai wrote the lyrics, Yoko Kanno composed the music, and it was performed by members of the “Flowers Will Bloom” project.
Released as a single in May 2012, it has long been cherished as NHK’s recovery support song.
There are various arrangements, including a version featuring figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, and it is loved across generations.
It’s the perfect song for moments spent thinking of someone dear while watching flowers bloom with the arrival of spring.
Please hum along to this beautiful melody that rests close to everyone’s heart.
school daysPegī Hayama
This is a song by Peggy Hayama, released in 1964 and performed at the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
It is said to be set at Aoyama Gakuin, the alma mater of Peggy Hayama and Seiji Hiraoka, who wrote and composed the piece, and it introduces various spots on campus along with fond memories.
The sound is very light and breezy, conveying just how joyful the memories of student days were.
It feels like a song that gently invites us to look back on our own school days from time to time, just as this song does.
Blue MountainsFujiyama Ichirō
This is a signature song by Ichirō Fujiyama, released as the theme song for the film “The Blue Mountains,” which was based on a novel by Yōjirō Ishizaka.
Composer Ryōichi Hattori said the idea came to him when he saw the Rokko mountain range while traveling from Umeda toward Kyoto.
As that episode suggests, the song is characterized by a grand, powerful atmosphere that evokes verdant mountains.
It’s also memorable for depicting the awe inspired by beautiful scenery and the way it stirs feelings for one’s hometown.
It might be nice to sing it while recalling a beautiful landscape you once saw.
Tsugaru Strait – Winter SceneIshikawa Sayuri
The famous song that everyone knows, “Tsugaru Strait – Winter Scene.” I’m sure you know it—it’s Sayuri Ishikawa’s signature song and a million-seller.
It’s also been performed 12 times on the NHK New Year’s Eve program Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
The song depicts the feelings of a woman who, heartbroken, returns to her hometown in Hokkaido.
The lyrics are wonderful, but Sayuri Ishikawa’s powerful vocals, which instantly draw you into that world, are truly stunning.
Since almost everyone knows it, it’s perfect for group singing, too.
I look up as I walkSakamoto Kyu
The singer of this song is Kyu Sakamoto, a popular vocalist affectionately known as “Kyu-chan.” First performed on the TV program “Yume de Aimashou,” it remains a beloved classic to this day.
Its positive lyrics—encouraging listeners to stay forward-looking even in tough times—resonated with many people and made it a huge hit.
When you’re feeling low, I imagine many have been heartened by the gentle voice and words.
With its relaxed tempo, it’s also nice to sing it while savoring the lyrics.
The Apple SongNamiki Michiko
This song, sung by Michiko Namiki, is famous as the first postwar hit.
Its cheerful vocals and forward-looking lyrics resonated with many people who held onto hope amid the chaos after the war, making it a massive success.
Since it was played in many places at the time, I imagine many people are familiar with it.
In the original version it was a duet with Noboru Kirishima, but Michiko Namiki’s solo version is better known.
If you keep the bright image of the song in mind and sing crisply, it will match the mood well.