AKB48 Love Songs: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Excuse, maybeAKB4822rank/position

[MV full] Iiwake Maybe / AKB48 [Official]

Among the songs where Atsuko Maeda served as center, this one ranks among the most popular, and many fans still say, “This is my number one favorite.” It’s especially beloved by other idols, too, and has been covered and sung more times than you could possibly count.

The song’s tagline is “Maybe… I really do like you,” a warm phrase that embraces all the feelings of love found in the lyrics.

Lines like “I realized this feeling is love, but I still can’t say it” still make your heart flutter even now.

It’s a legendary track that supported AKB48’s early days and cheered on unrequited love.

Definitely give it a listen!

Mermaid in FebruaryAKB4823rank/position

2gatsuno Mermaid

This AKB48 song paints a romantic scene that makes you want to head to the chilly seaside in lingering-February cold.

It’s memorable for lyrics that liken carefree frolicking by the winter ocean to a mermaid, turning even the cold spray of the waves into shared memories.

Performed as a unit song with Azuki Yagi on vocals at a theater show in December 2024, it was later included on the album “AKB48 ~studio recordings collection~ AKB48 18th Stage ‘Koko Kara da,’” released in December 2025.

This work is a bittersweet love song that captures feelings of affection so strong they make even selfish behavior seem adorable.

It’s the perfect track for gazing out at the quiet winter sea and sinking into a sentimental mood.

tsundere!AKB4824rank/position

Tsundere! (Team A)

When it comes to songs that capture a realistic view of love from a girl who can’t be honest about her feelings, “Tsundere!” comes to mind.

It’s a track used in the theater performance “Team A 5th Stage: Renai Kinshi Jourei (No Dating Rule)” by the nationally beloved idol group AKB48.

The passionate sound highlighted by brass band tones pairs perfectly with their cute vocals.

The song portrays a girl who ends up acting prickly toward the person she likes, and her bravado is irresistibly heart-fluttering.

Be sure to pay attention to the lyrics sprinkled with adorable true feelings as you listen.

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mutō

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Mari-ko from aboveAKB4825rank/position

Mari-ko from above

The enlarged jacket photo of Mariko Shinoda, taking the center position for the first time, really made a strong impression, didn’t it? The song “Ue Kara Mariko” expresses the carefree nature of an older girlfriend right from the start.

It’s portrayed from the perspective of a younger boyfriend who can’t tell whether she’s serious or joking and feels bewildered—a bit unique and comical.

Still, that sense of enjoying a thrilling romance with a pounding heart makes it an irresistible track for age-gap couples, don’t you think?

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hiyori

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Feathers of the UniformAKB4826rank/position

[MV full] The Wings of the Uniform / AKB48 [Official]

You can almost picture that bittersweet scene of a secret crush: watching you run across the schoolyard from the classroom window.

This song, which sings of the hope and heartache of sprouting invisible wings on your uniformed back and taking flight toward the future, will make listeners’ hearts skip a beat.

Included on the single “Kibouteki Refrain Type D,” released in November 2014, this track is a special one for Team 8—their very first music video was made for it! When graduation approaches and you feel anxious about becoming an adult, doesn’t this song gently nudge you forward with a reassuring “It’s going to be okay”?

Late-blooming cherry blossomsAKB4827rank/position

Nagorizakura

This is a spring number imbued with a bittersweetness that tightens your chest in the season of partings.

It’s a song released in 2026 by the nationally beloved idol group AKB48, with 19th-generation member Momoka Ito serving as center.

The lyrics, depicting the pangs of fleeting youth and a love that scatters as delicately as cherry blossoms, are truly stirring.

With its refreshing melody that resonates in the heart, this piece is perfect to listen to as graduation approaches, when you want to look back on memories with someone you love.

Surely every memory will remain gently in your heart.

Only you felt like autumn.AKB4828rank/position

[MV] Only You Felt Like Autumn Short ver. / AKB48 [Official]

AKB48’s “Only You Felt Like Autumn” is a song that will undoubtedly make you empathize with a protagonist who longs for someone out of reach.

Have you ever experienced that rush of panic when the person you secretly liked looks more mature after some time apart? It’s like that sudden jolt you feel seeing classmates after summer break.

This song also conveys the bittersweet feeling of being left behind as your crush keeps moving ahead.

Highly recommended for anyone with an unrequited love!

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Yoimachi Jēn

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