Masterpieces to Listen to in January: New Year-Themed, New Year-Ready, and Winter Songs
January marks the beginning of a new year—what kind of songs do you feel like listening to? There are plenty of tracks that suit January: refreshing songs that evoke a fresh start, cheerful tunes themed around the New Year, and even wintery ballads.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide selection of songs that are perfect for January.
We’ve gathered many tracks regardless of gender or generation, so be sure to find your favorites.
Let’s dive in and see what songs are out there!
- [New Year’s Songs] Timeless classics and popular New Year tunes you’ll want to listen to at the start of the year
- [For Seniors] Winter songs you'll want to hum along to. A collection of classic tunes recommended for BGM and recreational activities
- [New Year BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations
- Winter songs you'll want to listen to in the cold season! Recommended for the yutori generation
- [Winter Songs] The Best Classic and Popular Winter Tunes to Listen to in Winter
- Popular Winter Songs Ranking [2026]
- Winter Songs: Classic tracks you want to listen to in winter. Songs you long for during the winter.
- [Winter Songs] Recommended for Instagram Reels! Classic winter hits
- [1980s J-Pop] Popular winter songs: from chart-toppers to hidden gems!
- Snow Songs to Enjoy in Winter! Children's Snow Nursery Rhymes & Hand-Play Songs
- A classic winter song you often hear recommended on TikTok.
- [Masterpiece] Big Winter Anime Song Special!
- [Winter Songs] Recommended for Women! A Collection of Winter Songs That Get the Crowd Going at Karaoke
Masterpieces to Hear in January: Songs with a New Year’s Theme, Tracks Suited for the New Year, and Winter Songs (41–50)
Love multiplied by 100! New Year’s-holiday-defying training☆Mikoshiba Momotarō (CV: Kenichi Suzumura) Nitori Aiichirō (CV: Kousuke Miyata)
One of the character songs from the anime Free!, this track depicts New Year’s–specific training scenes.
Although it starts with New Year’s greetings, the spotlight quickly shifts to the duo’s lively back-and-forth as they throw themselves into practice, leaving the celebratory mood behind.
The calls for warm-ups and the stretching sequences are expressed with an upbeat tempo, conveying the passionate energy of youth dedicated to sports.
Included in the Free! Character Song Mini Album Additional Edition released in August 2023, this piece is a duet realized nine years after their respective solo songs in 2014.
It’s recommended for those who want to stay disciplined toward their goals from New Year’s Day, or when you want to reminisce about your club activity days!
this winterMakihara Noriyuki
In Noriyuki Makihara’s serene winter ballad, the gentle happiness of everyday life is carefully woven together with the season’s atmosphere.
Through distinctly wintry visual motifs—like the cold and visible white breath—the song’s gaze on the distance between lovers and the accumulation of shared time resonates deeply.
Included on the album PHARMACY, released in October 1994, and later selected for the 1997 best-of compilation SMILING II – THE BEST OF NORIYUKI MAKIHARA, this piece may not be showy, but it has long been cherished as a beloved winter staple.
It’s a song you’ll want to play softly on a quiet night around the New Year, while spending time with someone special.
The Bell of BeginningsUguisumaru Tomonari (CV: Shimizu Ayaka) Namazuo Toushirou (CV: Watada Misaki) Hotarumaru Kunitoshi (CV: Tachibana Meemu)
This is a character song that vividly colors the dawn of a new year.
It was released digitally by Pony Canyon in January 2021 and was later included on the album “Hyakka Ryoran III” in July of the same year.
The lyrics intertwine the sound of New Year’s temple bells with the resolve held in one’s heart, capturing the exhilaration of standing tall in festive attire and stepping forward into a new self.
Blending the crisp air of early January with a melody full of hope, this number is perfect for etching your resolutions into your heart as you watch the first sunrise of the year.
Its clear, radiant vocals gently deliver the sparkle of the New Year.
The first dream of the year with youTaka Fuji Nasu (CV: Morishita Rena)
This song, themed around the first dream of the year, is a Japanese-style pop number that captures the New Year’s uplift and gentle hope.
Rena Morishita’s soft yet dignified vocals deliver a blessing for the year ahead and a hint of dreams to come.
A lively rhythm infused with traditional Japanese elements blends seamlessly, and the radiant melody envelops listeners in a festive atmosphere.
Released in January 2021 as the ending theme for the anime The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls Theater Extra Stage, it was later included in THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS LITTLE STARS EXTRA! “Kimi no Stage Ishou, Hontou wa…”.
It’s highly recommended as the perfect track for a peaceful moment spent with family over the New Year holidays, or for a quiet morning when you hold your New Year’s resolutions close to your heart.
Winter SongKiroro
It’s a gentle winter song whose tender music-box tones and Chiharu Tamaki’s soft vocals gently untangle your heart.
Some of you may remember it from commercials for winter-only sweets like Meltykiss and Porte.
Even “in the freezing cold where snow piles up, just thinking of you makes me feel a warmth as if you were right beside me.” It’s a song that lets you feel human warmth in a season when loneliness tends to swell and we long for others.
I won’t forget the rain in January.THE ALFEE
Sakurai, Sakazaki, and Takamizawa—THE ALFEE is a trio rock band whose explosively distinct personalities make for an incredibly powerful presence.
When it comes to their classic winter songs, “I Won’t Forget the January Rain” comes to mind.
With its slightly mysterious, minor-key feel, the track truly shines—both the sweet vocals and the guitar solo are absolute highlights!
Rock ‘n’ Roll New Year’s Gift MoneyOhtaki Eiichi
A track included on Eiichi Ohtaki’s solo album “NIAGARA CALENDAR,” known for his work as a member of Happy End.
As the title includes “rock ’n’ roll,” it features a light, upbeat rock ’n’ roll arrangement topped with laid-back vocals.
The lyrics are filled with New Year’s imagery, and listening to it is sure to get you excited! If you’re looking for a cheerful song that’s perfect for the New Year, this one comes highly recommended!
