Since the arrival of Hatsune Miku in 2007, countless masterpieces have emerged in the Vocaloid scene.
From love songs and anthems of encouragement to darker tracks, and spanning every genre—pop, rock, dance music, hip-hop, and more—Vocaloid music covers it all.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of songs born in the Heisei era that helped establish the popularity of the Vocaloid scene.
Even now, long after their release, these beloved works continue to be cherished—be sure to give them a listen!
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- [Memories] A Collection of Nostalgic and Classic Popular Vocaloid Songs
- A Collection of Classic Vocaloid Masterpieces Released in 2010 [Nostalgic]
- Vocaloid songs recommended for people in their 30s. Classic and popular Vocaloid tracks.
- [Nostalgic] A Collection of Early Masterpieces from the Vocaloid Scene
- [Standard] Vocaloid masterpieces, recommended popular songs, god-tier tracks
- [Easy to Sing] A Compilation of Recommended Vocaloid Songs for Karaoke
- [Newer] Summary of Hall of Fame Vocaloid Songs
- [Hot] A special feature on cool Vocaloid songs!
- [Sentimental/Emotional] A Collection of Vocaloid Songs That Shake the Heart [Moving Songs]
- [Hits Home] A Special Feature on Dark/Vent Vocaloid Songs
- [Trend] A collection of nostalgic Vocaloid songs we used to listen to a lot
- [Carefully Selected] A Special Feature on Hidden Vocaloid Masterpieces
Summary of Popular and Classic Songs That Colored the Heisei-Era Vocaloid Scene (1–10)
If I could become someone's heartYurii Canon
It’s a masterpiece that evokes deep empathy, portraying a heart wavering between life and death.
One of Yurry Canon’s signature songs, it was released in February 2018.
GUMI’s clear, soaring vocals blend beautifully with the emotional band sound.
And the lyric “I want to be someone’s reason to live” really pierces the heart.
It’s the perfect song for times when you feel lonely or despairing, or when you want to support someone.
HibanaDECO*27
A masterpiece in the Vocaloid scene that fuses a thrilling, fast-paced sound with emotional lyrics! DECO*27 wrote this song to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hatsune Miku’s debut.
It’s an aggressive rock number that will lift your spirits the moment you hear it! You’ll also be drawn into the lyrical world depicting a battle to capture someone’s heart.
It truly resonates with listeners.
A rearranged version is included on the 2019 album “Re:Start,” so be sure to check it out if you’re interested!
Inferior, SuperiorGiga
A track that sends shivers through your whole body with its exhilarating EDM sound! Released in July 2018, it became a major talking point as the theme song for the “Kagamine Rin/Len 10th Anniversary.” Giga’s masterful blend of beats and synths is superb, and just listening to it makes your heart race.
The cool duet by Rin and Len brilliantly conveys a world of lyrics brimming with rebellious spirit.
Centered on the theme of “gekokujo” (the underdog overturning the hierarchy), it portrays the strength to overcome inferiority complexes and society’s hypocrisy.
When you want to fire yourself up, let this sound set your heart ablaze!
Senbonzakurakuro usagi P
When it comes to Vocaloid songs, this is probably the first one that comes to many people’s minds! Senbonzakura, the smash hit by Kurousa-P, was released on Niconico in 2011.
It sparked an explosive boom, expanding into novels, manga, a musical, and even a kabuki performance.
It also made waves when it was used in a Toyota commercial.
Its Taisho retro-flavored mixture rock sound grabbed listeners’ hearts.
Back during the height of the craze, fans were even saying things like, “Let’s make this our national anthem.”
Six Trillion Years and an Overnight Storykemu
A powerful mixture rock track shook the Vocaloid scene.
It’s a 2012 work released under the name kemu by Akita Horie, who is also active as a composer and a member of the rock band PENGUIN RESEARCH.
The song’s heavy, high-pressure sound pairs perfectly with IA’s solid, resonant vocals, making you want to crank up the volume.
The lyrics, which reveal a tragic story, are another highlight, and the piece was later novelized.
It’s also included in the mobile game “Project SEKAI COLORFUL STAGE! feat.
Hatsune Miku,” so some of you may have discovered it there.
LokiMikito-P
Crank up your energy with some hard-hitting rock ’n’ roll! One of popular Vocaloid producer Mikito-P’s signature songs, “Roki,” was released in February 2018.
It’s a duet by Kagamine Rin and Mikito-P himself, and the back-and-forth vocal work is insanely cool! The crisp band sound is fantastic too—especially that bouncy slap bass, which is absolutely irresistible.
It’s a heart-pumping Vocaloid classic that’s perfect as the first song at karaoke!
Meltryo
It’s one of the iconic songs from the very early days of the Vocaloid scene.
Composed by ryo, who is active as the composer for the creator unit supercell, it was released in 2007.
With lyrics brimming with the sweet-and-sour feelings for someone you love, there’s no way it won’t make your heart skip a beat.
Back then, the standard way to make a Vocaloid song was to “have the Vocaloid sing the Vocaloid’s own feelings,” but in this track, the protagonist isn’t Hatsune Miku—it’s a single girl in love.
The way it invites you to imagine what might happen next in her relationship, adding a sense of imagination and storytelling, may be one of the reasons it became a hit.