Tear-jerking classic graduation songs! Recommended tracks for graduation movie BGM
At graduation, it’s common to give a graduation video: from graduates to the teachers who supported them, from teachers to their students, or from current students to the graduating class.
A slideshow that looks back on memories or a message video dedicated to those who helped you is perfect for expressing gratitude.
But one thing many people struggle with when making such videos is choosing the BGM.
So, here are some songs that are perfect for the upcoming graduation season! Pick one track that conveys your feelings.
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Burst into tears with classic graduation songs! Recommended tracks for graduation movie BGM (91–100)
cherry blossom pinksaidāgāru
Sakurairo, a color that evokes the beautiful scenery of spring.
This is a track by the rock band Cidergirl, included on their album SODA POP FANCLUB 3.
The song was created using phrases solicited from fans during a LINE LIVE program.
In this piece, the feelings of students graduating are depicted in parallel with the blooming of cherry blossoms.
Its warm message is sure to soothe listeners’ hearts.
With a mid-tempo pace, it seems easy to match with videos of various styles.
BELIEVESugimoto Ryuichi
Hasn’t everyone sung it at school at least once? “BELIEVE” is a choral piece written and composed by Ryuichi Sugimoto.
It’s used not only in music classes but sometimes in moral education classes as well.
That’s how full it is of important things—things we don’t want to forget as human beings.
The composer, Sugimoto, is said to have imbued the song with the message of “the importance of believing.” If you play this song while looking back on your school life, it will surely remind you of what truly matters.
Someday, these tearsLittle Glee Monster
A song marked by beautiful, resonant harmonies and powerful vocals.
Released by Little Glee Monster in January 2018, it was also chosen as the support song for the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
The gentle sound of the piano captures listeners’ hearts.
The lyrics, which affirm past efforts and bonds with friends, will deepen the emotion of graduation.
It’s a moving ballad perfect for a new beginning—one that gives a push to those striving toward their dreams.
Sakuraayaka
There are so many songs titled “Sakura,” aren’t there? Many of them sing about the unique wistfulness and transience that come with cherry blossom season.
This song, “Sakura” sung by Ayaka, is one of those—an emotional number that fits perfectly with the season of farewells, focusing on graduation.
It feels like a track that looks back on what graduation means after many years have passed and you’ve grown older—reflecting on everyday moments with friends and the fun memories—and as the song progresses, the emotional intensity keeps rising.
Cherry Blossom Rainabsorb
“Sakura no Ame” is a song released in 2008 by the acoustic band absorb.
A version using Hatsune Miku was originally uploaded to Niconico in 2008.
Written and composed by absorb’s vocalist, Haruyoshi Mori, the song carries the wish that students will create beautiful memories like those depicted in the song, and, after they become adults, look back on them.
Mori himself dropped out of high school, so it seems to also reflect his own sense of longing.
Knowing this and listening to the song again makes it all the more tear-jerking.
365 Days’ Paper AirplaneAKB48
Some of you teachers may be thinking about planning a surprise for the graduates who are about to spread their wings into the future.
In that case, how about gifting them “365 Nichi no Kamihikouki” by AKB48? Its lyrics, which encourage them to walk confidently into the life ahead, perfectly capture the feelings of teachers who genuinely celebrate their students’ growth and want to cheer them on.
I also recommend making a message video with this song as the background music.
For the students who receive it, it will become a lifelong treasure!
DiplomaTHE BOYS&GIRLS
A rock band based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, THE BOYS & GIRLS.
Let me introduce “Graduation Certificate,” a track from their album Things We Want to Cherish.
Written with the hope that the song would serve as proof of the youth they spent, it pairs intense rock sounds with lyrics that bid farewell to school.
The highlight is how it captures feelings everyone can relate to—anticipation and anxiety about the future.
The music video, which features a performance at a school, is also a helpful reference.