Hi-STANDARD’s Signature Songs and Hidden Gems Guide [2026]

Wait For The SunHi-STANDARD

Hi-Standard featuring Fat Mike – Wait For The Sun (Live 2011)

Amid its powerful sound, this track conveys a poignant yet determined will.

It is included on the first album, “GROWING UP,” released in November 1995.

The lyrics depict someone chasing their dreams, believing that the sun will rise someday.

That somewhat naive yet straightforward stance is truly moving.

When you’re challenging yourself and feel like your spirit might break, or when you’re anxious about the future, listening to this song will surely give you the courage to face tomorrow.

This work stands like an anthem that stays close to everyone pursuing their dreams.

Who’ll Be The NextHi-STANDARD

Hi standard – Who’ll be the next – Last Sunny Day

Their first album, Last of Sunny Day, released in 1994.

This is where Hi-Standard’s history truly began.

At the time, melodic hardcore wasn’t well-known—not just in Japan but worldwide—and when Last of Sunny Day came out, the music media reportedly described them as the “Nirvana of Shimokitazawa.” Nowadays it feels like a completely different kind of music, but back then it was an era when people couldn’t even categorize Hi-Standard.

The first track on Last of Sunny Day is Who’ll Be The Next—an anthem asking, “Who will be the next hero?”—and it serves perfectly as the overture to Hi-Standard becoming that next hero.

NothingHi-STANDARD

Hi-Standard-Nothing (with lyrics)

“Making The Road” is an album that absorbs a variety of genres.

Some tracks evoke jazz, while others are straightforward hardcore.

Among them, “Nothing” stands out.

As a composition, it’s a textbook example of melodic hardcore, but pay attention to the intro.

Ken Yokoyama, Hi-Standard’s guitarist, normally plays without any guitar effects—plugging straight into the amp—but only for the intro of “Nothing” he uses a chorus effect.

It’s a must-hear track for Hi-Standard-loving guitar kids.

PentaxHi-STANDARD

Hi-STANDARD　pentax

Compared to J-pop songs, Hi-Standard’s tracks are very short, with most running about two to three minutes.

Among them, the especially short “Pentax” from the album “Making The Road” clocks in at a mere 35 seconds.

Yet even within this sub-one-minute span, Hi-Standard manages to complete the song.

It’s a simple one-chorus track, but it’s brimming with charm.

Sexy GirlfriendHi-STANDARD

Sexy Girlfriend(bonus track)【Hi-STANDARD】

Lastly, let me introduce the bonus track included at the end of the album “Making The Road,” titled “Sexy Girlfriend.” This is (perhaps?) the only acoustic-style song by Hi-Standard, with Ken Yokoyama playing the ukulele.

The mood feels like a slightly wistful summer evening, but when you look at the lyrics, it’s packed with dirty jokes—an effortlessly laid-back ending that’s quintessentially Hi-Standard (lol).

CrowsHi-STANDARD

Crows【Hi-STANDARD】

Hi-Standard had many interactions with overseas punk bands, but of course they also had deep ties with Japan’s punk rock scene.

And their cover that became a legend in the Japanese punk scene is “Crows” by bloodthirsty butchers.

The original is a Japanese song titled “Karasu” (“Crows”), leaning more toward alternative rock, but in Hi-Standard’s version it was translated into English and arranged with a hardcore sound.

Incidentally, the Butchers were also the band they shared the bill with at Hi-Standard’s very first live show after forming.

It’s an episode that offers a glimpse into both Hi-Standard’s history and that of the legendary band bloodthirsty butchers.

The Sound Of Secret MindHi-STANDARD

Hi-STANDARD – The Sound Of Secret Mind [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

This song is a track from their second album, released in 1997.

Right from the start, the moment the band jumps in after the drummer’s count is really cool.

There are parts, especially in the intro and interludes, where the bass comes to the forefront.

By bringing the bass to the front, it seems to give the song an even stronger impression.