RAG MusicJunior
A wonderful classic

Songs that junior high school students like. Classic and popular Japanese hits.

Once you’re in junior high school, you naturally start listening to all kinds of music—not just the songs that hit the charts, but also tracks you discover through your family and friends!

I’m sure many of you feel like, “I want to discover new music!” or “I want to keep up with my friends’ music conversations!”

So in this article, we’ll introduce a collection of songs from buzzworthy artists in recent years, as well as tracks by artists who are staples in the J-POP scene.

We’ve gathered songs you’ll definitely want to hear as a junior high student, including tracks trending on TikTok and anime theme songs.

Listen to the songs we’re about to introduce, and share them with your friends too!

Songs middle school students like: classic and popular Japanese hits (61–70)

Ponytail and ScrunchieAKB48

[MV full] Ponytail to Shushu / AKB48 [Official]
Ponytail and ScrunchieAKB48

A single released in 2010 by the national idol group AKB48.

It’s one of the popular songs from AKB’s golden era.

Legendary former members like Atsuko Maeda and Yuko Oshima appear in their prime.

It’s a slightly bittersweet, refreshing pop tune that’s easy on the ears.

The world is falling in loveCHiCO with HoneyWorks

The World Is Falling in Love / CHiCO with HoneyWorks
The world is falling in loveCHiCO with HoneyWorks

CHiCO with HoneyWorks engages in a wide range of media works, from music production to animation.

Their single released in 2014 was the opening song for the anime Blue Spring Ride (Ao Haru Ride).

The anime is a high school romance, and the song also portrays the real romantic feelings of middle and high school students.

It depicts a love triangle between two close girl friends and a boy.

At times, there are expressions that make you think, isn’t this more like a novel than a song?

Joyfulikimonogakari

A B-side single released in 2009 by the three-member folk group Ikimono-gakari.

The A-side is “YELL.” It was used in a Pocky commercial featuring actress Shiori Kutsuna.

“YELL” served as the theme song for the National Choir Contest, so it has a calm tone.

In contrast, “Joyful” is a very bright and energetic song that seems to get crowds going at live shows.

GarnetOku Hanako

A single released in 2006 by singer-songwriter Hanako Oku.

It’s the theme song for the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

It’s a love song that portrays a realistic, adolescent romance.

Two close friends at first, but after one confesses, their relationship begins to change—capturing a dynamic that could easily happen in real life.

In conclusion

We’ve carefully selected and introduced Japanese songs that are popular among junior high school students.

Did you find any favorites? We picked a wide range of recommended tracks—from songs by artists who are trending right now to classics by staple J-pop artists.

Feel free to use this as a guide to find music for your everyday listening, and have fun chatting with your friends about the songs you discover here!