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 Women Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (31–40)
White Winterfuki no tō31rank/position
Set against the shifting season from late autumn into winter, this work gently sings of the bittersweet ache of a love now past.
Released in September 1974 as Fuki no Tō’s debut single, it reached No.
14 on the Oricon weekly chart and sold approximately 185,000 copies.
Rooted in a simple acoustic guitar arrangement, the interwoven harmonies of the duo’s voices delicately portray the deepening loneliness of autumn and the arrival of a white winter.
Its unadorned, pure folk sound quietly evokes nostalgia for lost time, making it a timeless classic.
Perfect for nights when you reminisce about a former love, or for lingering by the window as the snow falls.
Farewell SongNakajima Miyuki32rank/position
This is Miyuki Nakajima’s fifth single, released in 1977.
It’s the song that sparked her breakthrough as a singer, and even now—nearly 40 years after its release—you may feel that you’ve heard it at least once when you listen to it.
As the title suggests, it’s a somewhat heavy song, but the melody is so catchy that you can’t help humming along.
Lullaby of the Thistle MaidenNakajima Miyuki33rank/position
This is Miyuki Nakajima’s debut song, whose lyrical worldview is captivating and quite different from her image as the “queen of heartbreak songs.” Released in 1975, the piece is characterized by a poignant melody set to a waltz in triple time.
The thistle, blooming bravely despite its thorns, might represent someone fragile and easily hurt—or perhaps a projection of her own heart.
Although titled “Lullaby,” some listeners may feel it sounds like a quiet monologue meant to gently comfort oneself on a lonely night.
It’s remarkable how the fully formed storytelling—hard to believe it’s a debut—seamlessly matches the unique lyrical world that draws listeners in.
clownNakajima Miyuki34rank/position
This is a masterpiece by Miyuki Nakajima, whose melancholy waltz melody seeps deep into the heart.
Released in September 1979 as part of the single “Revival,” the song portrays a protagonist bound by unforgettable memories of love, trying to dull the pain with alcohol.
The way they hide their true sorrow and carry themselves with composure makes them seem like a lonely clown.
The piece is also known as a song provided to actor Jinhachi Nezu and has been covered by artists such as Naoko Ken.
It’s a track that quietly stays by the side of a solitary heart on nights when one cannot take a step forward from memories of the past.
Between the Sky and YouNakajima Miyuki35rank/position
Singer-songwriter Miyuki Nakajima holds the remarkable record of topping the singles chart across four decades, from the 1970s through the 2000s.
Her 31st single, Between the Sky and You, released as a double A-side with Fight!, became a million-selling hit as the theme song for the TV drama A Homeless Kid, which sparked a major social phenomenon.
The sentimental lyrics, woven through her trademark powerful vocals, instantly bring scenes from the drama to mind as you listen.
It’s an emotional number that’s sure to draw attention at karaoke, especially with people from that generation.
Stranger – Theme of the Silk RoadKUBOTA Saki36rank/position
An intro with an Oriental phrase that leaves a strong impression.
As the subtitle “Theme of the Silk Road” suggests, the melody line evoking the Middle East was a shock at the time.
This exotic image is said to have been inspired by producer Masatoshi Sakai’s barefoot journey through the South Pacific.
The arrangement, which changes dramatically between the so-called A and B sections, also feels fresh.
It creates the atmosphere of wandering on a camel through an endless desert, and even now you can enjoy the sensation of embarking on a mysterious journey when you listen to it.
ShihoriGorin Mayumi37rank/position
From a single photograph tucked into a half-read book, one quietly looks back on a past love… This is a heart-piercing ballad that paints such a poignant scene.
Written and composed by singer-songwriter Mayumi Itsuwa, this hidden gem appears on her album “Nokoribi,” released in December 1978.
It isn’t a flashy single, but it has remained beloved by fans across time—so much so that a rare live recording was included for the first time on her 2022 best-of album.
The contrast between the gentle spring sunlight and the depiction of parting as someone leaves the room is both beautiful and sorrowful.
Rather than forcing ourselves to forget the past, we tuck it softly into our hearts and move forward.
On a graduation-season evening, why not listen to it alone?
girlGorin Mayumi38rank/position
Possessing a quiet and delicate atmosphere, this song was released in 1972 as Mayumi Itsuwa’s debut.
Through the image of a girl standing on a winter veranda, it portrays a mindset that quietly watches the changing seasons and the passage of time.
The poetic lyrics are striking, as they bring to the surface the subtle relationship between the girl’s inner world and the outer world amid the stillness of midwinter.
Combined with Itsuwa’s crystal-clear vocals, it has become a classic that gently moves the listener’s heart.
It’s a song you’ll want to hear on a winter night, alone with your thoughts.
Sometimes, old storiesKatō Tokiko39rank/position
This is a ballad for adults that brings back fond memories the moment you hear it.
Created by Tokiko Kato, known as a singer-songwriter, it was included on the album “MY STORY/Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo,” released in September 1986, and was issued as a single the following year.
You may also know it as the ending theme of the 1992 film Porco Rosso.
Set to a beautiful waltz of piano and strings, the song looks back on youthful dreams and setbacks, and conversations with friends.
If you play it at a wedding—on the day of a new beginning—during a moment of gratitude to the parents who raised you, the venue is sure to be filled with warm tears.
Why not choose this classic, which conveys both the weight of life and a sense of hope, for your most meaningful moments?
Song of Circumnavigating Lake BiwaKatō Tokiko40rank/position
It is a local song from Shiga Prefecture that became a big hit when Tokiko Kato sang it in 1971.
Considered one of Japan’s representative student songs, it is said to date back to 1917 (Taisho 6).
The song is about Lake Biwa and its surrounding area, and it is said to have been handed down as the student song of the Third Higher School, the predecessor of Kyoto University.
Given that it became a major hit decades later, there is no doubt it is a remarkable piece.