A wonderful youth song

[2026 Edition] Youth Anthems for Your 40s! A Roundup of Popular Heart-Pounding × Heartwarming Songs

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

The period when people now in their 40s spent their teens and twenties was the heyday of CDs—the golden age of J-POP—when million-selling singles were released almost every week.

TV dramas were a common topic at school and work, and the hit songs chosen as their tie-ins were everywhere… It was that kind of era.

Even now, past the 2020s, many timeless masterpieces born in that period continue to be loved.

In this article, titled “Youth Songs for the 40s Generation,” we’ll deliver a roundup of nostalgic hits and beloved classics from those days.

From an abundance of smash hits, the selections have been handpicked by a writer in their 40s!

We’ve also included songs currently enjoying revival success, so younger music fans are welcome to enjoy them too.

[2026 Edition] Youthful Anthems for Your 40s! A Compilation of Heart-Pounding × Heart-Fluttering Hits (161–170)

Full of memoriesH₂O

Memories Are Full (with lyrics) H2O

Full of memoriesH₂O

A classic by H2O that stirs sweet, bittersweet memories, like flipping through an album filled with youthful moments.

The innocent smiles captured in photos, the glimmering memories like sun-dappled light, and a beautiful melody line that gently embraces the dreamy, Cinderella-like feelings of girlhood make this a memorable song.

Released in March 1983 and used as the ending theme for the anime Miyuki, it reached No.

6 on the Oricon Singles Chart.

Since then, it has been covered by numerous artists and cherished in school music textbooks and as a choral piece.

It’s a song that quietly speaks to the importance of looking back on memories while accepting your own growth.

One you’ll want to hum with friends, wrapped in a sense of nostalgia.

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In conclusion

The lineup of hit and popular songs from the late ’80s through the ’90s is so extensive that it’s impossible to cover in a single article. Even if you’re in your teens or twenties now, there were probably plenty of songs you’ve heard somewhere at least once. Since it’s so easy to listen on streaming services these days, making your own playlist of the hits from your youth and going for a drive would definitely be fun!