1970s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
We’ll be ranking popular songs and hidden gems by female singer-songwriters from the ’70s.
Breakthrough hits by legendary SSWs who are still going strong today will also make an appearance.
It’s a playlist that even younger listeners will find thoroughly satisfying.
- A collection of nostalgic hit songs and classics from the 70s
- A roundup of debut songs by Japanese female artists from the 1970s
- Female Singer-Songwriters of the ’60s: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
- Top 1980s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
- [Showa Kayō] A roundup of Japanese love songs that hit in the 1970s
- [70s Western Music] Timeless Masterpieces and Popular Songs by Female Singers
- Classic and hit songs by nostalgic Japanese idols from the 1970s
- Recommended love songs for women in their 70s: A collection of nostalgic love songs
- Heart-touching, tear-jerking masterpieces from the Showa era
- Popular Oldies and Classic Songs Ranking: 1970s Japanese Music
- [Japanese Music] A Collection of Heart-Touching Hit Folk Songs from the 1970s
- Classic and hit Japanese pop songs from the nostalgic 80s
- Commercial songs from the 70s. Nostalgic TV commercial jingles.
1970s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Song Rankings [2026] (71–80)
Demon-Counting SongKarashima Midori71rank/position
Even Midori Karashima, famed as a master of winter ballads like “Silent Eve,” sang spine-chilling songs like this in her early career.
With each number counted—one, two—the song depicts a curse-like world where a burning love plunges into hell and the underworld.
Her pure, beautiful voice only heightens the icy despair in the lyrics, and that contrast sends shivers down your spine.
This piece was produced in February 1989 as an insert song for the OVA “Yoma.” Listen to it on Halloween night, and its beautiful melody may amplify the terror so much that you won’t be able to spend the night alone!
I won’t forgetTakayama Iwao72rank/position
Iwao Takayama formed the group Banban with Hirofumi Bamba and Hiroshi Imai in 1971, and after leaving the band in 1975, he made his solo debut with this song.
The lyrics and music were written by Takayama himself, and he has since been actively working as a solo singer.
Seriously Only You (Let’s Get Married)Takeuchi Mariya73rank/position
It’s a classic that seems made for weddings, opening with an intro that quotes Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” The proposal words, written entirely in English, resonate as a straightforward message of love.
Included on Mariya Takeuchi’s April 1984 album “VARIETY,” the song was produced by Tatsuro Yamashita.
It’s also well known that Ryuichi Sakamoto took part in the intro performance, and that it was used as the image song for Kagome’s “Libera” in 1984 and as a Nissan “Cefiro” commercial song starting in August 1994.
Brimming with a happy atmosphere, it would be perfect to play during the entrance at your reception or for the cake-cutting scene.
I want to go back to that dayArai Yumi (Matsutoya Yumi)74rank/position
Yumi Matsutoya, who is still active as a singer, had the maiden name Arai before marriage.
A pioneer among female artists in the New Music genre, her song “Ano Hi ni Kaeritai” was released under the name Yumi Arai in October 1975 and became a major hit, reaching No.
1 on the Oricon chart and selling over 600,000 copies.