Ranking of Popular Oldies and Classic Songs [1960s Japanese Music Rankings]
We present the latest top 100 ranking of classic Japanese pop songs, all at once, ordered by the highest number of plays!
We’ve picked out nostalgic hits from the 1960s!
Listening again, you’ll notice many songs are still being revived today.
Be sure to check them out.
The playlist is updated weekly.
- Nostalgic Japanese hit songs from the 1960s. A collection of popular Showa-era classic melodies.
- Classic and hit kayōkyoku songs from the nostalgic 1960s
- Classic and hit Japanese pop songs from the nostalgic 1960s
- Hit songs in Japan in the late 1960s
- Popular Oldies and Classic Songs Ranking: 1970s Japanese Music
- [Recommended for people in their 70s] Classic nostalgic hits: A collection of youth songs
- A collection of nostalgic hit songs and classics from the 70s
- A roundup of classic Showa-era kayō songs: a comprehensive introduction to timeless tracks loved across generations.
- [Today's Recommended Nostalgic Songs] Memories from those days come flooding back! A collection of gem-like classics
- Good songs recommended for people in their 60s: classic and popular Japanese tracks
- Popular Showa-era pop. Timeless hit songs.
- Popular Japanese songs among men in their 60s: recommended masterpieces and classic tracks
- A heartbreak song that resonates in the chest of a man in his 60s: memories of youth woven by classic Showa-era masterpieces
Popular Oldies and Classic Songs Ranking [1960s Japanese Music Ranking] (1–10)
Sake, Tears, Men, and WomenKawashima Eigo8rank/position
A quintessential Showa-era ballad and one of Eigo Kawashima’s signature songs.
Its wistful melody and powerful vocals resonate deeply.
The lyrics, portraying both the strength and fragility of men and the impulse to escape into drink, struck a chord with many.
Released as a single in June 1976, it ranked high on the Oricon weekly charts.
It was also used in a commercial for Kizakura Sake Brewery, becoming a nationwide hit.
A recommended track for those who, weary of life, seek solace in a voice that reaches the heart.
Goodbye to sorrowanzenchitai9rank/position
Anzen Chitai is a band that has built an era with a uniquely Japanese sound brimming with originality, fusing kayōkyoku, pop music, and rock.
They have so many hit songs that whatever you sing will likely get the crowd going, but this time I’d like to introduce “Kanashimi ni Sayonara,” which is especially easy to sing among their repertoire.
This work is a major-key ballad that, despite its sorrowful lyrics, somehow retains a refreshing tone.
The vocal range is quite narrow at mid1B to mid2F#, so if you adjust it to your optimal key, you should be able to sing it without difficulty.
Lullaby of a Serrated HeartChekkāzu10rank/position
Characterized by lyrics that portray the unstable emotions of adolescence, this song resonated strongly with young people at the time.
Its musical appeal also lies in a lively rhythm interwoven with elements of rock and roll.
Released by The Checkers in September 1983, the track was featured in the TV drama “Uchi no Ko ni Kagitte…” and received coverage across various media.
The work depicts the complex emotions of youth and conflicts with society, skillfully capturing the subtleties of the younger generation’s hearts.
It remains a beloved staple at lively gatherings such as after-parties even today.
Popular Oldies and Classic Songs Ranking [1960s Japanese Music Ranking] (11–20)
Cotton HandkerchiefŌta Hiromi11rank/position
Hiromi Ohta’s biggest hit, “Momen no Handkerchief” (“Cotton Handkerchief”), is a classic whose enduring popularity is evident from the wide range of famous artists who have covered it—regardless of genre—such as Keisuke Kuwata, Ringo Sheena, Yoshimi Tendo, and Ikimonogakari.
It tells the story of a long-distance romance between a man who leaves for the city and a woman who waits for his return in the countryside, ending in sadness.
The choice of “momen” (cotton) rather than a more refined fabric evokes an image of a simple, single-hearted woman, and the final scene of her wiping away tears tightens the chest with sorrow.
Lingering Snowiruka12rank/position
Iruka is a folk singer who has also been active as a picture book author, and it made headlines when she was appointed a visiting professor at Joshibi University of Art and Design in 2010.
Her third single, Nagori Yuki, known as a cover of Kaguyahime’s song, has been beloved since its release as a classic that represents spring in Japan.
Its lyrical melody, carried by delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios, is filled with a poignant sense that evokes the imagery of the song’s lyrics.
Even in recent years, artists continue to cover it, making it a ballad that stands as a landmark in J-pop history.
Do whatever the hell you want.sawada kenji13rank/position
This was Kenji Sawada’s 19th single, released in May 1977.
It’s a classic Showa-era hit that won the Grand Prize at the 19th Japan Record Awards that same year and became one of Sawada’s signature songs.
His performance of tossing his hat during the chorus was also memorable.
I was in elementary school at the time, but I remember putting on makeup like Sawada himself and singing it at a class party, earning a huge round of applause (haha).
Of course, I faithfully recreated the hat-tossing bit too.
It wasn’t a soft felt hat like his, though—it was a baseball cap (haha).
Beyond the GoodbyeYamaguchi Momoe14rank/position
A gemlike ballad by Momoe Yamaguchi that portrays parting and gratitude on a grand scale.
Though it runs over six minutes, its expansive arrangement and deeply expressive vocals blend beautifully, stirring the listener’s heart.
Released in August 1980, this work came out just before Yamaguchi’s retirement, and at her final concert at the Nippon Budokan that October, many remember her singing it through tears.
While it conveys the impermanence that nothing lasts forever, it also suggests hope for new beginnings.
It is a song that deeply resonates with those who have experienced a farewell with someone dear or who find themselves at a turning point in life.