Top 1980s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
We’ll introduce a ranking of popular songs by female singer-songwriters from the 1980s, including classic and hit tracks.
These songs were hits during Japan’s economic peak, the era known as the bubble.
Many are still frequently used as TV background music, so chances are you’ve heard most of them.
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Top 80s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (71–80)
Flying to IstanbulShōno Mayoyo71rank/position
This is a classic song that portrays the fragility of love, woven from an urbane melody rich with exotic flair and a polished vocal performance.
While symbolically expressing a brief encounter and parting, its exotic atmosphere resonates deeply.
It artfully depicts the feelings of a heartbroken woman through the motif of a journey to a foreign land, with Kyōhei Tsutsumi’s composition and Tetsuya Chiaki’s lyrics in superb harmony.
Released in April 1978 as Mayoyo Shōno’s fifth single, it won the Nakayama Shimpei Award at the 20th Japan Record Awards and also secured a spot in that year’s 29th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
This piece is recommended for those who wish to face the end of love with hope, and for those who cherish the feelings they keep close to their heart.
3-D Christmas cardMatsutōya Yumi72rank/position
When it comes to Yumi Matsutoya’s Christmas songs, this one stands out for its vivid, three-dimensional scene-setting.
Against a snowy backdrop, the protagonist dreams of an ideal Christmas spent with a loved one, expressed through Yumi’s uniquely poetic lyrics.
Featured on the album “ALARM à la mode,” released in November 1986, the track is characterized by its distinctly ’80s arrangement centered on synthesizers.
The city pop–inflected sound pairs with lyrics that evoke a three-dimensional visual beauty, as if leaping out of a Christmas card.
The imagery of winter’s beautiful natural scenery and the warmth of human connection conveys the magic of Christmas and the value of time spent with someone special.
It’s truly the perfect song when you want to elevate the Christmas mood.
BLIZZARDMatsutōya Yumi73rank/position
Singer-songwriter Yumi Matsutoya—affectionately known as “Yuming” and a constant driving force in Japan’s music scene.
This track from her 16th album, NO SIDE, is a classic winter song distinguished by its sharp synthesizer tones.
The sound brims with a sense of speed, as if gliding through a blizzard, while the lyrics, depicting a love on the verge, set listeners’ hearts ablaze.
Although originally an album track released in December 1984, it cemented its status as a winter standard when it was used as an insert song in the 1987 film “Take Me Out to Snowland” (Watashi o Ski ni Tsuretette).
Despite not being a single, it is highly popular; play it in the car on the way to the slopes or as a winter driving BGM, and the glittering scenery of that era will unfold before your eyes.
DANG DANGMatsutōya Yumi74rank/position
Yumi Matsutoya, beloved across generations.
One of the tracks included on her best-of album “Nihon no Koi to, Yuming to” is “DANG DANG.” It’s a song about a heartbroken woman who goes to the sea, portraying her sorrow in sync with the ocean’s waves.
Try listening while picturing that scene.
It’s also recommended as a song where you can fully enjoy her signature high-tone voice.
The section where the title phrase is repeated is especially addictive.
Kanna Route 8Matsutōya Yumi75rank/position
This is a song included on her 12th original album, “Shabon Oai Shimashou” (Let’s Meet Last Night), released in 1981.
It’s a staple of Yuming’s live shows—a medium-tempo city pop number with a cool, resonant bass.
Pay attention to the lyrics, whose focus on canna flowers in the median strip is a uniquely Yuming touch.
Stylish through and through, it’s a perfect summer track that feels incredibly liberating when you listen to it while driving.
The Refrain Is ScreamingMatsutōya Yumi76rank/position
A signature song by singer-songwriter Yumi Matsutoya that sings of the pain of heartbreak and lingering regret.
Included on the album “Delight Sight Light KISS,” released in November 1988, it became widely loved beyond Yuming’s core fans, even topping the cable broadcasting charts.
The lyrics, with their memorable, repeated questions, vividly capture the emptiness and remorse that follow a breakup.
Emotions depicted from both male and female perspectives give the song a universal theme that resonates with many.
It’s a moving classic recommended for anyone who has experienced a parting or is struggling with a relationship with someone important.
Christmas Waiting at the LodgeMatsutōya Yumi77rank/position
Set on a moonlit ski slope, this winter ballad portrays the poignant feelings of someone longing for a distant lover.
It opens Yumi Matsutoya’s 1978 album “Ryusenkei ’80” and was later featured as an insert song in the 1987 film “Take Me Out to the Snowland.” The song delicately depicts the protagonist, left behind at the lodge, letting their heart race after the echo of their lover’s voice, interwoven with images of snow and wind.
The heart slipping past windows and doors symbolizes the aching desire to bridge physical distance.
It’s a perfect song for a quiet Christmas night spent thinking of someone dear.