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.
Top 1970s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (21–30)
stationTakeuchi Mariya21rank/position
This is the 16th single by Mariya Takeuchi—an iconic singer-songwriter in the city pop genre, which has seen a global revival.
It’s a self-cover of a song she originally wrote for the legendary idol singer Akina Nakamori, released as a double A-side with “AFTER YEARS.” The bittersweet lyrics set to a wistful melody evoke the complex emotions of a breakup you thought you’d moved past but still lingers somewhere in your heart.
Also used as the theme song for the film “Goodbye Mama,” it is one of Mariya Takeuchi’s signature tracks.
No one knows anyone.Katō Tokiko22rank/position
With just a single guitar, Tokiko Kato unfolds a marvelous world of song.
Many people may not be familiar with her debut track, right? As her career has grown through the ’70s and ’80s, her music has deepened, and surely many listeners resonate with Tokiko’s art.
wicked womanNakajima Miyuki23rank/position
Still beloved today as a classic from the Showa era, this work features Miyuki Nakajima’s soul-stirring vocals and a poignant love story that resonates deeply.
Released as a single in October 1981, it is known as one of Nakajima’s signature songs.
The lyrics, which portray a woman’s feelings as she sacrifices herself for the one she loves, strike a chord with listeners.
Covered by numerous artists, it has been cherished both in Japan and abroad.
It’s a song recommended for listening alone on a quiet night.
A gem that accompanies those suffering in love or harboring a bittersweet longing.
Equator Girl: Dokki!Yamashita Kumiko24rank/position
This is the sixth single by Kumiko Yamashita, released in 1982.
It became a major hit as the summer campaign image song for Kanebo Cosmetics.
With lyrics by Takashi Matsumoto and music by Haruomi Hosono, the song features evocative lyrics that conjure images of blazing sun and tropical romance.
Paired with a buoyant techno-pop rhythm, it captures both the heat of summer and the precarious intensity of love.
Yamashita’s captivating vocals vividly portray a passionate love affair in a southern paradise.
It’s the perfect track for outdoor fun like summer drives or seaside BBQs.
How are you?Shimizu Yukiko25rank/position
It was released in 1977 as Yukiko Shimizu’s debut single.
It became a hit with what was, at the time, a rare style: on music shows and the like, she sang while gently strumming a folk guitar herself along with the backing band.
The song was created by a star-studded duo, with lyrics by Yū Aku and music and arrangement by Takashi Miki.
I want to go back to that dayArai Yumi26rank/position
Yumi Arai’s sixth single, released in October 1975, is a love song that wistfully longs for days gone by.
Chosen as the ending theme for the TBS drama “Kazoku no Himitsu,” it reached No.
1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart, selling approximately 615,000 copies in total and becoming Yuming’s first number-one hit.
Even knowing it can never come true, the heart drifts back to “that day.” The guilty feeling that recalling a past love might hurt someone in the present, and the irrepressible urge to return to it—this duality is rendered with delicate nuance through a restrained yet uplifting melody and a prose-like narrative voice.
It’s a song that gently stays by your side on nights when old romances come to mind.
A Lonely RoomTakagi Asaya27rank/position
They participated in the 5th Yamaha Popular Song Contest, won a prize with “Hitoribocchi no Heya,” and made their debut.
The song sold over 400,000 copies and won the Oricon New Artist Award.
Although they suspended musical activities for a long period, they resumed in 2004.
My Pure LadyOzaki Ami28rank/position
A hit song from 1977.
I was captivated by its refreshing melody and vocals, but even more so by its use in Shiseido’s lipstick commercial—the sleek beauty of Asami Kobayashi, appearing with a short haircut, made this song feel exceptionally beautiful.
April Fools in DecemberEPO29rank/position
Released in 1985, this song is a ballad that captures the aching sadness lurking beneath the festive Christmas season.
As the title suggests, the paradox of “April Fool in December” symbolizes a love betrayed.
The lyrics intertwine the pain of discovering that the person believed to be the only one was not, with the loneliness of spending Christmas prioritizing work, vividly reflecting the gap between romantic ideals and reality.
Arranged by Hiroshi Sato, the adult-oriented sound weaves strings with restrained synthesizers.
Included on the album “PUMP! PUMP!” and later re-recorded in a self-cover version, it has long been cherished as one of EPO’s signature songs.
Recommended for those entering winter with a broken heart, or anyone who resonates with the less-than-glittering side of Christmas.
Hee, hee, hee, hee,EPO30rank/position
“Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo”—just the title alone makes you smile, doesn’t it? This irresistibly upbeat song radiates excitement.
It’s singer-songwriter EPO’s fifth single.
After gaining attention as a Shiseido cosmetics campaign jingle, it went on to be used in seven other companies’ commercials, and nearly 40 years after its release, it was even featured in a 2022 McDonald’s ad! The song’s enduring popularity as a commercial tune is astounding.
Are you managing to spend your days joyfully, laughing lightly like in this song?
