Recommended Western music for men in their 50s: world classics and popular songs

Billy JeanMichael Jackson

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Official Video)

The first single released from Michael Jackson’s classic album Thriller, which has sold 65 million copies worldwide and was recognized by Guinness as the best-selling album in history.

It’s also famous for the music video in which Michael performs the moonwalk.

Killer QueenQueen

Queen – Killer Queen • TopPop

This is the song released in 1974 that became the catalyst for QUEEN’s global breakthrough.

Freddie Mercury’s distinctive high notes and Brian May’s looks became popular among Japanese women, and the popularity that first ignited in Japan before their home country of the UK eventually spread around the world.

Anarchy In The UKSEX PISTOLS

The Sex Pistols – Anarchy In The U.K (official video)

The Sex Pistols, symbols of the punk rock movement, were a legendary band that became a social phenomenon in their homeland of the UK, with their fiercely anti-establishment lyrics even leading to temporary sales bans.

In Japan, where people didn’t understand English, it wasn’t so much the lyrics as Johnny Rotten’s vocal style and voice, along with the excessively raucous sound, that served as a way to blow off stress.

Eye of the TigerSurvivor

Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger (Official HD Video)

Above all, it’s the famous song everyone knows as the theme of the movie Rocky III.

The track itself is a lively yet melodic rock number characteristic of Survivor, and its powerful, driving rhythm makes it a perfect fit for Rocky’s theme.

It became a massive hit, earning them their first No.

1 in both the US and the UK.

HonestyBilly Joel

Billy Joel – Honesty (Audio)

In the 1980s, the American singer Billy Joel was hugely popular in Japan as well.

This song is one of his signature ballads.

Beginning with a beautiful piano intro, it sings about the difficulty of staying honest in a dishonest world, and its message resonates deeply, amplified by his vocal delivery.

(Just like) starting OverJohn Lennon

Just like starting Over, John Lennon. (Lyrics)

Released in 1980, this song by John Lennon topped the charts in many countries, including the UK, the United States, and Canada, becoming the biggest hit of his solo career.

In Japan as well, it has been widely used as a theme or insert song for TV dramas, commercials, and variety shows.

John’s vocals, as if speaking to a long-time partner, make it a classic that evokes a sense of new hope.

I Need YouMAURICE WHITE

MAURICE WHITE I NEED YOU

A classic ballad released in 1985 by Maurice White, known as the leader of Earth, Wind & Fire, a funk/disco band emblematic of the 1970s and 1980s.

Although Maurice White sadly passed away in 2016, this song can be considered a hallmark of his solo career.

Its mellow, beautiful sound also became a hit in Japan at the time, especially in discos.