Classic and hit kayōkyoku songs from the nostalgic 1960s
The 1960s are often remembered for Group Sounds and rock, but in reality, the charts were largely dominated by kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs).
It was also still a time when enka remained popular, and even those who were children back then probably have a rich repertoire of enka and kayōkyoku.
This time, we’re spotlighting nostalgic kayōkyoku from the music of the 1960s.
The 1960s were an era when classic, mainstream kayōkyoku drew the most attention.
If you’d like to look back on memories from that time through music, be sure to read this article to the end.
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- Evokes the charm of the good old days. Showa-era inspirational songs that are still loved today.
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Masterpieces and hit songs of nostalgic 60s kayōkyoku (71–80)
Angel’s TemptationMayuzumi Jun
It was released in 1968 as Jun Mayuzumi’s fourth single.
The song won the 10th Japan Record Award, and at that year’s 19th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, it was performed by Jun Mayuzumi wearing her trademark miniskirt.
It remains a classic that is still covered by many artists today.
Tokyo Olympic OndoMinami Haruo
It’s a song created for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, released in 1963.
Originally, it was part of a competitive project and was recorded by several popular singers of the time, including Yukio Hashi and Michiya Mihashi.
However, Haruo Minami was exceptionally passionate about this song, and as a result, his record sold the most.
Having experienced the war himself and even been held as a prisoner in Siberia, Minami was determined to sing about Japan’s postwar recovery.
He prioritized performing “Tokyo Gorin Ondo” over promoting his own new songs, and that dedication led to it becoming a million-seller.
Love me to the bone.Jō Takuya
It was the first single released under the name Takaya Jo, issued in 1966.
That same year, a film based on the work, Love You to the Bone, was released.
The song became a major hit, selling 1.4 million copies and achieving million-seller status.
He also made his first appearance at the 17th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.
Fossil of LoveAsaoka Ruriko
This was a single record released by Ruriko Asaoka in 1969.
Using this song as a motif, a film of the same title starring Asaoka and Jiro Tamiya was produced the following year, in 1970.
Beginning with narration by Asaoka herself, it is a ballad that alternates between spoken narration and singing, and it became her first hit in some time.
I look up as I walkSakamoto Kyu
The origin of this 1961 song, with lyrics by Eri Kyuusuke, was the moment when Eri heard that a woman active in the entertainment industry, whom he cared for, was going to marry his close friend; he found himself unable to stop the tears, and when he called his father for advice, he was told, “Keep your head up as you go home so your tears won’t fall.” That became the trigger for the song.
The piece resonates not only with heartbreak but with the many sad moments humans experience; it carries a faint loneliness while not forgetting brightness, and for that reason it has been sung around the world, not just in Japan.
Because the Japanese title was considered too long, it was labeled “Sukiyaki” overseas—a name chosen without any particular meaning.
Forever with youKayama Yūzō
Released in 1965, this is one of the well-known “Wakadaishō” signature songs.
Frankly, both the lyrics and the spoken lines in the song are so corny that they wouldn’t fly today, but back then, when Yuzo Kayama, as Wakadaishō, shyly delivered those lines while rubbing his nose a little, women—using the slang of the time—were absolutely swooning.
older womanMori Shinichi
This was a single released by Shinichi Mori in 1968, which recorded total sales of about 800,000 copies.
It reached No.
4 on the Oricon chart, and at the 65th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen in 2014, it was performed on Kouhaku for the first time—46 years after its release.
It is considered one of Shinichi Mori’s representative early songs.
In conclusion
This time we introduced popular kayōkyoku songs that colored the 1960s—did you find any favorites? Since it was still the genre’s early days, I imagine there were many classic, straight-down-the-middle kayōkyoku numbers. Ragmusic has other feature articles on kayōkyoku as well, so be sure to check those out, too.