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 (1–10)
horizonback number
A timeless song whose heartfelt melody and gentle lyrics have moved many to tears.
It’s a ballad by back number that, while staying close to the frustration and sorrow of unrequited effort, teaches us that there is light beyond them.
It was released digitally in August 2021.
Its warm message—that someone sees your pain—will surely offer a gentle push to those standing at the milestone of graduation.
Teenage BlueEVE
The lyrics capture both the glitter of being in the thick of youth and the sudden pangs of bittersweet emotion—surely many listeners will feel a tightening in their chest.
Sung by Eve, the track is a number whose exhilarating rock sound evokes days that rush by.
Written specifically as the ending theme for the TV anime “Blue Box,” it was released in October 2024.
Packed with both the loneliness of realizing you’ve somehow become an adult and a sense of hope for the future, it’s perfect for videos that look back on memories of club activities and school life.
cheerMarushii
It’s a supportive anthem that gently affirms your everyday efforts.
Released in February 2024, this song was written as the 55th-anniversary campaign song for Benesse’s Shinken Zemi High School Course.
The down-to-earth lyrics penned by vocalist Ukyo Yoshida resonate with those who are trying their best, giving them the courage to look ahead.
It carries a warmth that embraces not just the results, but also the journey and the struggles along the way.
Use it as the BGM for a graduation video with friends who worked hard in clubs and studies, and there’s no way you’ll get through it without tears.
Sakura, You, and Ituki.
A song by tuki.
that gently stays close to the bittersweet feelings of graduation season.
It delicately sings of a fleeting love, fragile like cherry blossoms, and the loneliness of parting that comes with graduation, moving listeners to tears.
It’s down-to-earth yet pierces deeply into the heart.
Released in January 2024, the track drew attention as an insert song for ABEMA’s show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita: Graduation Edition 2024.” Paired with footage that looks back on memories with someone special, it’s sure to create a moving, standout moment.
Dropkick&TEAM
A number with a sense of dashing forward into the future—perfect for graduation.
&TEAM’s “Dropkick,” created with contributions from global hitmaker Ryan Tedder and others.
The lyrics depict a strong bond of taking each other’s hands and overcoming hardships together, vividly coloring memories with friends from club activities and school life and moving viewers to tears.
The song is included on the album “First Howling : NOW,” released in November 2023.
It was also used as an in-film song in the 2025 movie “Paripi Komei THE MOVIE.” Ideal as BGM for a slideshow looking back on your class’s journey.
The Long Goodbyehikari no naka ni
“Long Goodbye” by the rock band Hikari no Nakani is a song that blends the bittersweetness and headlong momentum of graduation season.
The lyrics, infused with the members’ real feelings when they were graduating high school, brim with a resolve to move toward the future even while carrying the sadness of parting, giving listeners a powerful push forward.
Its true-to-life words and stirring melody make it a perfect BGM choice for a graduation movie that conveys gratitude to someone important.
Sakura rollFunatsu Mahiro
It’s a song that makes you feel both the bittersweet ache and warmth unique to spring—one you can’t listen to without tears.
Released by Masato Funatsu in March 2021, it’s the perfect number for the season where meetings and farewells intersect.
The lyrics, which overlay falling cherry blossoms with the camera roll left in your phone, tighten the chest.
The harmony created by Masato Funatsu’s vocals layered with Ren’s chorus is also beautiful, heightening the emotional atmosphere.
It’s sure to become a track that etches itself deeply in your heart as an unfading memory.