Songs to Listen to During Golden Week [Drive BGM and Relaxing Day-Off Tunes]
Golden Week, the long holiday spanning from the end of April to the beginning of May.
Many of you probably look forward to it every year, don’t you?
It’s a valuable time to refresh—going on trips or taking a slightly longer drive than usual.
However, going out means travel time, and during the holidays the roads get terribly congested…
So in this article, we’ll introduce a selection of songs perfect for Golden Week to keep you company on your drive.
They work great as BGM while traveling, and there are also tracks that let you relax and soak up the holiday mood—so be sure to check them out!
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Songs to Listen to During Golden Week [Drive BGM and Relaxation Tracks] (21–30)
Anniversary!!E-girls
Released in 2015 as E-girls’ 13th single.
The song was used in the “Samantha Vega meets E-girls” commercial and the “Prince Hotel Natsu Puri 2015” commercial.
It’s a refreshing dance-rock track that makes you want to get a jump on summer, and it’s a song that will boost your mood when you listen to it while driving.
holidayFLOW
Here’s “Holiday,” a super high-energy ska track by the hybrid rock band FLOW, released in 2012.
Contrary to its title and lyrics about taking a day off, it’s an extremely upbeat, vacation-like song.
It’s perfect not only for people who aren’t resting, but also for those who want to get pumped and have fun precisely on their days off.
Of course, it’s also recommended for anyone who wants to blast intense band sounds during Golden Week or any holiday.
Songs to Enjoy During Golden Week [Driving BGM and Relaxing Day-Off Tunes] (31–40)
Over DriveJUDY AND MARY
A hit song by JUDY AND MARY, a band that’s always near the top of “most wanted reunions” rankings.
As soon as YUKI starts singing, her charming voice completely changes the atmosphere and captivated the hearts of young listeners.
The dictionary meaning of “over drive,” which is also the song’s title, is “to keep driving excessively,” but as a noun it can also mean “overheated state.” With lyrics that stylishly capture youth charging ahead a bit overheated, it’s a timeless classic that hasn’t faded one bit even now.
If you’re from the generation that hit the sweet spot with this song, it might be fun to revisit the soundtrack of your youth over Golden Week!
BBQ tonightPAN
PAN is a rock band formed in Osaka in 1995.
Their magical phrase that gets everyone totally hyped is “Tonight is BBQ.” It’s the perfect situation that makes you feel like you can get through any job or school event, and this song playfully sings that phrase to a melodic hardcore rhythm.
It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that will light up any festival.
For example, on your way to the BBQ spot, just put this track on and your excitement will go totally off the charts!
holidaySHISHAMO
While the spring “Golden Week” consists of a string of weekends and national holidays, in recent years the late-September stretch of consecutive weekends and holidays has come to be called “Silver Week.” Either way, they’re great breaks for students and office workers.
Speaking of holidays, this song “Kyūjitsu” (Holiday) comes to mind.
Its lyrics—about “spending a long, solitary holiday while reminiscing about a romance that has ended”—are a bit lonely yet somehow comical.
It’s a recommended track for anyone who wants to take it easy over Golden Week.
By the way, when the band SHISHAMO first started, they used the kanji spelling 柳葉魚 for their name—still pronounced "Shishamo."
SHAKESMAP
It was released in 1996 as SMAP’s 23rd single.
The song was used as the theme for Fuji TV’s “SMAP×SMAP” and reached No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
They performed this song at the 47th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, marking their sixth consecutive appearance.
It’s a song that puts you in a good mood.
Overnight Sensation ~The Era Is Entrusted to You~TRF
Released in 1995 as trf’s 10th single.
The song was used in a commercial for the Honda Live Dio, reached No.
1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart, and became a million-seller.
It’s an upbeat, danceable track that evokes the 1970s, the heyday of soul music and disco.