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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1980s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Song Rankings [2026] (31–40)
Surf Paradise, Ski ParadiseMatsutōya Yumi31rank/position
Known by the nickname “Yuming,” singer-songwriter Yumi Matsutoya has released numerous hit songs, from her own original works to tracks she’s written for others.
Her song “Surf Tengoku, Ski Tengoku,” included on her 10th album SURF & SNOW, was used as the theme song for the film Take Me Out to the Snowland.
Its lyrics, which heighten the anticipation of winter’s snowy landscapes, set hearts dancing alongside an urban ensemble.
Despite never being released as a single, it has become a staple winter song and stands as a representative number of the 1980s.
Sugarcane fieldMoriyama Ryoko32rank/position
Known as a classic that colors the Showa-era pop scene, this piece carries lyrics that weave sorrow over war and a wish for peace, resonating with many hearts.
The melody, sung over the gentle tones of an acoustic guitar, evokes deep emotion.
First recorded in 1969 on the album “Ryoko Moriyama College Folk Album No.
2,” it has been cherished ever since.
Performed as a solo with guitar, it would surely become a song that deeply touches listeners.
Graduation PhotoArai Yumi33rank/position
A song widely known as a classic graduation tune that looks back on one’s youth.
It’s included on Yumi Arai’s third album, COBALT HOUR, and was released in June 1975.
Its wistful melody and lyrics that reminisce about student days evoke a timeless sense of poignancy.
Centered on the themes of one’s past and present self and relationships with loved ones, the lyrics are said to bring fresh resonance when heard in adulthood.
It’s a number to listen to when you find yourself layering the passage of time since graduation over who you are now, as memories of a tender first love overlap with your youth.
No reply needed.Arai Yumi34rank/position
This is the debut song released under the name Yumi Arai by the brilliantly talented musician who, as Yumi Matsutoya—known as Yuming—left an indelible mark on the history of Japanese pop.
Although this video is a performance from much later, the legend began with this very song.
She and TIP ON DUOImai Miki35rank/position
Miki Imai’s fourth single, “Kanojo to TIP ON DUO.” Released in 1988, this track was used as the Shiseido autumn campaign song that year, so those familiar with the ’80s probably heard it often in TV commercials.
While the melody is pop, the lyrics are moving: beneath the tough front of “I won’t think about him anymore!” you can feel the powerful sentiment of “I still love him.” It’s a quintessential ’80s song that people will want to revisit from their youth—and one that younger listeners should hear as well.
The Beginning of TimeOhnuki Taeko36rank/position
From Sugar Babe to the present day, Taeko Onuki—an extraordinary artist who has consistently presented a singular worldview with her distinctive voice—seems to have fully shaped that character mainly in the 1980s.
This track is included on her first solo album, and you can still sense a certain freshness in it.
Friday ChinatownYasuha37rank/position
I still see her on TV a lot even now, but to be frank, she’s the only one who inherited her father’s talent for performing in front of people.
I can’t believe she was able to produce such an amazing song right from her debut…
Is she not doing music anymore?
Not For SaleTanimura Yumi38rank/position
This person is also a long-running singer-songwriter who has continued their musical activities for many years.
I always thought their natural, down-to-earth way of speaking on the radio was distinctive, but it turns out that in the ’80s they were decked out in full-on bubble-era fashion.
It reminds me of the saying, “Every person has a history.”
Sun, God, BoyNoda Mikiko39rank/position
Why the lyrics were written with Greek mythology as a motif remains a mystery.
Still, it has been crafted into a delightfully laid-back idol pop song, showcasing the superb taste of Moonriders’ craftsman Keiichi Suzuki.
Speaking of which, Mikiko Noda is said to hold a wine sommelier qualification as well.
April Fools in DecemberEPO40rank/position
It’s a bittersweet ballad where the festive sparkle of a winter city at Christmastime overlaps with the sorrow of a love’s end—an irony that cuts deep.
The song by EPO was released as a single in November 1985 and included on the album “PUMP! PUMP!” With lyrics and composition by EPO herself and arrangement by Hiroshi Sato, its sophisticated sound blends AOR balladry with city pop.
The lyrics are striking for how they overlay the pain of heartbreak—realizing the person you believed was your only one was not—onto a title that deliberately invokes a “day of lies.” A self-cover version was released in 1993, and a completely re-arranged re-recording in 1999, keeping the song loved for many years.
It’s a track that quietly stays by your side when you feel a little distant from the dazzling Christmas scene.