Even that overseas musician!? Popular cover versions of 'Itoshi no Ellie'

Southern All Stars’ classic ballad, “Itoshi no Ellie.” Keisuke Kuwata’s husky voice pairs beautifully with the gentle, soothing melody—truly a masterpiece among masterpieces! It’s a signature song of the J-pop scene, but it’s also remarkably popular overseas.

Believe it or not, it’s been covered by Ray Charles and The Ventures! Of course, many top-tier musicians in Japan have covered it as well, and the versions introduced in this article are all outstanding.

Be sure to listen through to the end.

Playlist

Even that overseas musician!? Popular cover versions of 'Itoshi no Ellie'
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Ellie My LoveRay Charles		Ray Charles produced a cover version
2	My Dear EllieBENI		BENI’s clear yet powerful singing voice in English
3	My Dear EllieATSUSHI		A cover of Eri that showcases ATSUSHI’s vocal prowess
4	My Dear EllieUru		Covering “Eri” with Uru’s gentle singing voice
5	My Dear EllieHirahara Ayaka		Ayaka Hirahara creates a new world with jazz arrangements
6	My Dear EllieNOKKO		Introduction to cover songs by NOKKO
7	My Dear EllieMiyamoto Hiroji		Hiroji Miyamoto covers the song with his own unique interpretation.
8	My Dear EllieKoyanagi Rumiko		The supple singing voice of Rumiko Koyanagi is captivating.
9	Ellie My LoveThe Ventures		The Ventures play “Itoshi no Ellie” on guitar
10	My Dear EllieYashiro Aki		Aki Yashiro sings “Eri” in an enka style
11	My Dear EllieFukuyama Masaharu		Masaharu Fukuyama's passionate vocal prowess
12	My Dear EllieHirai Ken		Ken Hirai expresses earnest love through a ballad
13	My Dear EllieIshii Tatsuya		The version performed on the program hosted by Tatsuya Ishii as the personality
14	My Dear EllieRickie-G		Covered in acoustic reggae by Rickie-G
15	My Dear EllieHirose Kōmi		Kohmi Hirose performs a cover song rhythmically
16	My Dear EllieShimizu Shota		Shota Shimizu’s passionate vocal ability
17	My Dear EllieSaijō Hideki		Hideki Saijo covers a Southern All Stars song