Popular Autumn Songs Ranking [2026]

red-yellow fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans)Fujifaburikku1rank/position

Fujifabric – Red-Yellow Osmanthus

That flutter in the chest at dusk in autumn, stirred by the elusive scent of fragrant olive drifting from who knows where.

Released in September 2004 as the autumn installment of Fuji Fabric’s Four Seasons series, this song delicately captures the moment when an invisible thing like a scent awakens memory.

From the opening guitar arpeggios, a lyrical mood wafts in as if the very air of autumn had been turned into sound, unfolding a lyrical world where impatience with the passage of time intersects with resignation toward fading memories.

Masahiko Shimura’s expressive power in portraying the subtle wavering of a heart that can’t fully give in to sentimentality is breathtaking.

Also included on their major-label debut album “Fujifabric,” it’s cherished as a staple that gets airplay on the radio every fall.

It’s a track you’ll want to savor on a long autumn night, recalling your walk home from school days.

Maplesupittsu2rank/position

Spitz / Kaede

It’s a classic song about parting with someone dear, and it’s also famous for having been covered by many artists.

It’s a single released by the rock band Spitz in July 1998 from the album “Fake Fur.” The somewhat nostalgic tones of piano and guitar resonate in the heart, and Masamune Kusano’s vocals, which beautifully express longing and loneliness, seem to convey a sense of helplessness.

The piece portrays not only the sorrow of farewell but also a forward-looking resolve to hold those memories close and keep moving on, revealing something new with every listen.

It’s no wonder it has colored so many works across generations, such as the drama “silent.” It’s also a great choice to sing slowly and thoughtfully at karaoke while soaking in the autumn mood.

crescent moonayaka3rank/position

Ayaka – Crescent Moon

Even when we’re apart, our hearts are connected.

This is Ayaka’s ballad that paints such a bittersweet yet warm feeling.

Released in 2006 as her fourth single, it was featured in an au “LISMO” commercial and used as the theme song for NHK General TV’s “Mirai Kansoku Tsunagaru TV @Human.” While carrying the loneliness of a long-distance relationship where you can’t meet, the song portrays thinking of each other by looking up at the same sky.

That pure bond is sung with tender care.

On a long autumn night, it’s a song that makes you want to gaze at the moon outside your window and think of someone dear.

It’s perfect for quietly remembering friends from your school days or a lover far away.

Ms. SeptemberRADWIMPS4rank/position

September San

This song is included on RADWIMPS’s major-label debut album, “RADWIMPS 3 – The one we forgot to bring to the desert island –,” released in 2006.

The date indicated in the title, September 3, is the anniversary of their first-ever one-man live show.

The lyrics capture the bittersweet feelings that arise in the quiet fade-out of summer as it gives way to autumn, along with the resolve to take a step forward from there.

Yojiro Noda’s poetic and abstract choice of words evokes each listener’s own memories and emotions.

The gentle melancholy woven into the simple band sound is soothing, making it a track you’ll want to sink into on a long autumn night.

Hum it along with memories of your school days, and the feelings from back then will come rushing back.

Like tonight’s moonElefanto Kashimashi5rank/position

Like the Moon Tonight / Elephant Kashimashi

A song I want you to listen to on an autumn night filled with melancholy and loneliness is a signature track by Elephant Kashimashi.

It’s a rock number that, while holding the emptiness and solitude felt in everyday life, gives you a push to start walking toward tomorrow again.

Hiroji Miyamoto’s soul-stirring vocals brilliantly capture the struggle against an uncooperative reality and a burning resolve for the future.

Released in July 1997 as their 15th single, the song was also used as the theme for the drama “Because the Night Shines with the Moon.” When you’re feeling sentimental or on the verge of breaking, I think you’ll find strength in the power of this track.

fragrant oliveorenji supainikurabu6rank/position

ORANGE SPiCE CLUB 'Kinmokusei' Music Video

The sweet scent of fragrant olive that heralds the arrival of autumn.

Capturing a fluttering first love awakened by that aroma, this song is a youthful love anthem by ORANGE SPINY CLUB.

Written and composed by guitarist Naoto Suzuki, it was included on the mini-album “Irat(s)uku Toki wa Itsudatte,” released in January 2020.

Set against everyday scenes like sloping streets and crossroads, budding feelings of romance are expressed in friendly, conversational words, as if confiding in a friend.

Give it a listen on an autumn night when you want to bask in the sweet-tart glow and bittersweet ache of love, or when you want to revisit the youth of days gone by.

Starlight ParadeSEKAI NO OWARI7rank/position

SEKAI NO OWARI “Starlight Parade” Music Video

An early masterpiece packed with the charm of SEKAI NO OWARI, whose enchanting fantasy world is so appealing.

Released as a single in July 2012, it was featured in a Toyota “Ractis” commercial.

The sound feels like stardust raining from the night sky, and the romantic lyrics make you feel as if you’re being whisked away to a wonderful world.

The words that prompt awareness of the precious things lost to the march of civilization are also deeply moving and resonant.

For a fleeting moment, it might be nice to gaze at the stars and let your thoughts drift.