A famous song about first love. Recommended popular songs.
That bittersweet “first love” that only happens once in a lifetime.
In this article, we’ve gathered songs that capture that very first love.
People often say “first love doesn’t last,” but how was it for you?
Some married their first love, some didn’t see it blossom, and some might be in the midst of their very first love right now, overwhelmed by feelings that only grow stronger.
Pure, straightforward, fleeting… emotions that make you blush to remember now.
But at the time, it was just a desperate, all-consuming first love.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of songs—from those about being in the throes of first love to those that look back on it nostalgically.
Give them a listen.
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- Recommended love songs for high school students! A handpicked selection of heart-throbbing romance tunes.
- [A Gem of a Love Song] Classic and Popular Tracks to Listen to When You're in Love
- Classic Western songs about first love. Recommended popular tracks.
- Masterpieces that sing of love. Recommended popular songs.
- Recommended love songs for junior high school students! Carefully selected J-POP classics and popular tracks
- Songs of pure love. Recommended masterpieces and popular pure-love love songs.
- A poignant masterpiece that sings of adolescence. Popular songs you’ll want to hear during your teenage years.
- Recommended love songs for teenage girls: classic and popular J‑Pop hits.
- Bittersweet feelings come rushing back! Recommended love songs for the Yutori generation
- Songs to give to your lover or someone you like. Love songs devoted wholeheartedly to your boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Tear-jerking unrequited love songs that will break your heart: timeless classics about unattainable love
- [Song of Destiny] Love songs to listen to when you meet your destined person
A masterpiece about first love. Recommended popular songs (1–10)
Music HourPorno Graffitti
Many people probably feel like listening to it when summer comes around.
Released in 2000 as their third single, Porno Graffitti’s “Music Hour” is a love song that unfolds as if reading postcards sent to a radio show.
Its high-energy sound pairs perfectly with lyrics that capture a summer-like, burning feeling of love.
It’s also a great pick for a driving soundtrack.
Love letterTHE BLUE HEARTS
As a leading Japanese punk band whose music continues to be loved across generations, THE BLUE HEARTS stand out.
This song is their seventh single, released in 1987.
While their invigorating punk sound is undeniably appealing, they also have many ballads that are deeply moving.
“Love Letter” is one of those songs that tightens your chest with its aching, tear-inducing emotion.
The act of writing a love letter and the feelings behind it are already compelling, but it’s the moment when true feelings overflow that brings you to tears.
First Love CiderBuono!
“First Love Cider,” sung by Buono!, a powerhouse unit from Hello! Project, truly captures the sweet-and-sour feeling of first love.
Sometimes someone you thought was just a friend can become something more, right? The lyrics portray that frustrating, in-between feeling in a way that’s highly relatable.
It’s a perfect song for anyone who’s found themselves falling for a friend.
Be sure to also pay attention to the trio’s impressive vocal skills.
A classic song about first love. Recommended popular songs (11–20)
The Door to TomorrowI WiSH
When it comes to first love songs, many of them sing about love that has ended, bringing back memories of a long-ago first love.
I WiSH’s hit song “Ashita e no Tobira” portrays a fresh, properly fulfilled first love.
Released in 2003 as I WiSH’s debut single, it’s also memorable as the theme song for the romance reality show “Ainori.” The song conveys the excitement of being in love and the sense of personal growth that comes from those feelings, making you feel that it’s a truly beautiful romance.
First LoveFukuyama Masaharu
This song has a slightly different atmosphere from a typical delicate first love from school days.
Masaharu Fukuyama’s “Hatsukoi” is his 25th single, released in 2009.
People often say that one person’s happiness rests on someone else’s misfortune, and in this song, loving someone means that fulfilling your own love and feelings would end up hurting everyone around you.
It’s a first-love song about a precarious, risky relationship.
You can sense the intensity of those emotions and the depth of affection in Fukuyama’s vocal delivery, as if he were speaking them aloud.
I tried falling in love with you.chay
A song by chay, a Japanese singer-songwriter who also works as a fashion model.
It was used as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Date: What Is Love?”.
The track was crafted with a 1960s pop vibe, giving it a nostalgic and cute finish.
It’s easy to empathize with the content, which brings to mind a pure, awkward protagonist who lacks dating experience and gets nervous on dates.
First loveJewel
First loves often don’t come true, do they? You come to understand that as you grow up, but when you’re in the thick of your very first love—truly falling for someone for the first time—you can’t see that, and you don’t want to even think about it.
Jewel’s song “First Love” is a first-love anthem that conveys the feeling of sensing it may never be fulfilled, yet still insisting, “No, it can’t be that way—I believe it will come true.” It communicates a love that lingers in the heart, one you can never forget no matter how much time passes.