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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Cry your eyes out with classic graduation songs! Recommended tracks for graduation movie BGM (51–60)
Embrace the presentsatō moka
A ballad by Moka Sato that makes you want to gently embrace the “now” we tend to lose sight of during busy days and the season of graduations and farewells.
Released as a single in November 2025, it’s a work that lays bare unadorned feelings.
What really hits home is how it portrays the will to move forward, even while carrying loneliness, through everyday details like familiar rooms and scenery.
It’s a song that sinks into the heart when you’re tucking away precious memories and heading toward a new place.
Cherry blossom seasonEXILE ATSUSHI
With graduation approaching, some of you might be planning to create a graduation movie with your classmates as a lasting memory.
In times like these, I highly recommend “Sakura no Kisetsu” sung by ATSUSHI from EXILE! It’s a classic, straight-up graduation song that speaks for everyone’s fun memories and the bittersweet feeling of parting.
You could even keep it a secret from your teacher and present it at the graduation ceremony.
And years from now, when you all get together again, watching this graduation movie will help you relive and share those memories!
EverlastingSixTONES
This piece is included on the album CITY, released in January 2022.
It was also used as the corporate CM song for Idemitsu Kosan, so many of you have probably heard it on TV and elsewhere.
It’s a grand ballad befitting life’s milestones such as weddings and graduations, carrying a warm message that evokes eternal bonds and trust.
The rich, layered sound featuring a choir is sure to move listeners to tears.
It’s a number we hope you’ll listen to when you want to express gratitude to someone important.
horsetailnishina
Released in February 2025, this work was newly written as the theme song for NHK’s Saturday drama “The Path Where Lilacs Bloom.” Its melody, which evokes the resilient power of life that endures beneath the snow and eventually sprouts, makes it a perfect number for the season of departures.
The worldview of waiting for spring after a harsh winter will gently support those feeling anxious before graduation.
It’s also recommended for times when you want to look back on memories with someone special.
Burst into tears with classic graduation songs! Recommended tracks for graduation movie BGM (61–70)
A bouquet of flowers with loveSuperfly
When it comes to tear-jerking graduation songs, this track is unmissable.
Superfly’s signature song “Ai o Komete Hanataba o” wraps you in a whirlwind of emotion.
Overflowing with “love and future,” it’s a timeless classic that gently accompanies graduations and many other life milestones.
The lyrics, delivered with Shiho Ochi’s vocals, resonate directly and align with the swirling emotions one feels.
It’s become an essential song for graduation season and, though released in 2008, continues to be beloved by many.
The color-themed phrases evoke endless possibilities, sure to make your heart race for the future ahead.
It’s a perfectly moving choice for graduation movie BGM—second to none.
This is me ~Poem of Promise~RIKU
RIKU from THE RAMPAGE wrote “This is me ~Yakusoku no Uta~” for his solo tour.
Released as a single in November 2025, it was created to express his true, authentic self.
It embodies a resolve to accept his weaknesses and past, and to live as he is.
The song is filled with a universal message of self-affirmation that encourages listeners to be proud of themselves.
For graduates about to embark on a new world, it will surely resonate as if it were their own story.
Promise ~promises~EXILE
A heartwarming ballad by EXILE themed around a promise to meet again.
Created as the final work featuring ATSUSHI and TAKAHIRO as the duo on vocals, who have long led the group, the song’s lyrics were written by ATSUSHI.
It is filled with unwavering bonds that remain strong even when apart and a firm hope for the future.
Played at important milestones like graduation ceremonies or farewell gatherings to express gratitude, it will surely envelop the entire venue in a warm, moving atmosphere.