Cool songs of the Heisei era. Hit tracks that energized the times.
The Heisei era saw the birth of countless masterpieces, with many works achieving million-selling hits.
Thanks in part to revival hits, many songs from the Heisei era continue to be listened to and passed down even as times change.
In this article, we’ll carefully select and introduce some of the coolest tracks from Heisei-era hit songs!
We’ve gathered a variety of cool songs, including classics from bands that represent Japan, tracks from blockbuster films, and songs that leave you feeling refreshed.
You might even find a song that fired you up back in the Heisei days!
Whether you’re from the heart of that generation or new to these tunes, give them a listen and get pumped!
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Cool songs of the Heisei era: hit tracks that energized the times (21–30)
GLAMOROUS SKYNANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA
A rock number that became a huge hit as the theme song for the film NANA, in which Mika Nakashima herself starred.
Composed and produced by HYDE, with lyrics by Ai Yazawa, the original creator of NANA, the song drew attention as an ultra-luxurious collaboration.
Many people were surely captivated by how perfectly the role fit—so much so that you’d think, “NANA could only be Mika Nakashima!” If you’ve been feeling a bit stuck in a fog lately, try belting out this song; it might just make your current worries feel small.
FIREWORKSEXILE
A fiery dance number that layers the passion of love over fireworks coloring the summer night sky.
Released by EXILE in July 2009 as their 31st single, the track stands out with its East-meets-West sound that fuses the tones of the shamisen with rap, instantly reviving that exhilarating summer feeling.
It debuted at No.
1 on the Oricon weekly chart and ranked 12th on the year-end chart.
The lyrics, which sing of passionate love like fleetingly brilliant fireworks, are sure to stir your heart.
Listen to it before a summer festival or fireworks show, and your excitement will definitely soar.
WILD HEAVENTMN
It’s a rock number that captures the exhilaration of speeding down the highway at night and the drama of an urban romance! Released in November 1991 as their 26th single, it was chosen as the opening theme for the TV Asahi drama “Lullaby Detective ’91.” It topped the Oricon weekly chart, sold about 399,000 copies, and earned a Platinum certification.
With TMN’s signature fusion of synth sounds and rock, it conjures the image of two people racing past glittering city lights and soaring skyscrapers.
It’s the perfect track for a nighttime drive.
Until the world endsWANDS
The 8th single chosen in 1994 as the ending theme for the landmark basketball manga SLAM DUNK became a million-seller and one of WANDS’s signature songs.
The lyrics, written by then-vocalist Sho Uesugi, depict loneliness and a sense of loss in the big city, infusing the personal pain of heartbreak with an urgent feeling that hints at the end of the world.
Composed by Tetsuro Oda, the driving melody merges perfectly with Uesugi’s soul-stirring vocals.
The song reached No.
1 on the Oricon weekly chart and stayed in the Top 10 for nine consecutive weeks.
For those who spent their youth with the anime, just hearing it may bring back a flood of memories.
It’s a classic that’s guaranteed to unite the room when everyone belts out the chorus at karaoke.
A Little Love SongMONGOL800
This song is by MONGOL800, a three-piece rock band from Okinawa Prefecture, and is included on their album “MESSAGE,” released in September 2001.
The lyrics, written in straightforward words that convey pure feelings for a loved one, sing of the significance of someone right by your side and the resolve to keep loving unchanged even in difficult times.
Its exhilarating melody and powerful vocals vividly capture the bittersweetness and hope of youth.
Despite not being released as a single, it held the No.
2 spot on the Oricon karaoke chart for 14 consecutive weeks and has become a karaoke staple.
It has also been widely used across media, including as the ending theme for the TV anime “Teasing Master Takagi-san.” In 2019, a film inspired by this song was released, drawing renewed attention.
It’s a rock tune recommended not only for those in love, but also for anyone who wants to reaffirm their bond with someone important.
DIVE TO BLUEL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
It’s a track brimming with exhilaration and dynamism, as if it bursts straight through into the blue sky.
According to Hyde, who wrote the lyrics, the song captures the free-spirited feeling of boyhood, striving to overcome self-imposed limits and a predetermined fate.
That powerful message, paired with Tetsu’s springlike melody, gives you the strength to break through any sense of stagnation.
Released in March 1998 and included on the classic album “ark,” it also drew attention as the theme for TBS programs and as the first commercial song the members appeared in, for NTT Personal Kansai.
When you’re ready to take a new step forward, why not listen to this song and soar into a sky that’s yours alone?
As I love you selfishly, I won’t hurt anyone but you.B’z
A landmark track by B’z where Koshi Inaba’s passionate vocals intertwine with Takahiro Matsumoto’s brilliant guitar riffs.
It’s an irresistible, glittering yet powerful sound that epitomizes Being, the label that dominated the music scene of the ’90s.
The famously long title “Ai no mama ni wagamama ni boku wa kimi dake wo kizutsukenai” is, as Inaba himself puts it, the very embodiment of “the ultimate selfish song.” It superbly portrays a single-minded love that is a hair’s breadth away from intense possessiveness.
The vow “I won’t hurt anyone but you”—or literally, “I won’t hurt only you”—carries the dangerous implication that “everything else can be sacrificed,” and many listeners were likely shaken by that contradictory expression of love.