Popular ballads. Band ranking [2026]

HarukaLACCO TOWER71rank/position

LACCO TOWER “Haruka” TV anime “Dragon Ball Super” ending theme song

This is a friendship song by the five-member rock band LACCO TOWER, included as the title track on their 2017 full album “Haruka.” It was used as an ending theme for the TV anime Dragon Ball Super.

The bittersweet lyrics really resonate with the heart.

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Araki Jakkan

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A Little Love SongMONGOL80072rank/position

MONGOL800 / A Small Love Song

The classic song “Chiisana Koi no Uta” is still loved by many people today.

Although it’s an older track released in 2001, it’s a curious song that continues to be highly popular among younger generations.

I think many current junior high school students also know this song.

The opening part sits very low in the register, so many people may feel it’s difficult.

However, that low delivery is primarily a vocal choice to make it sound good; if you’re aiming for a high score in karaoke, songs like this one with lots of low notes can actually be easier to sing.

Find the key that suits you and give it a try.

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Ryo

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Fly, My WingsMili73rank/position

Mili – Fly, My Wings [Limbus Company]

Mili is a five-member music group that calls itself a “world-standard music production collective,” known for providing songs to various media since their formation.

Their single Fly, My Wings, featured as an insert song in the PC/smartphone RPG Limbus Company, soothes the heart with its translucent vocals and piano tones.

The lyric’s story—about being unable to give up one’s true dream no matter what one has gained—reminds us of what truly matters, things we tend to forget in our daily lives.

It’s a beautiful number whose choral, hymn-like harmonies in the final section are also deeply moving.

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Hoshino Takashi

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I got a boyfriend/girlfriend.My Hair is Bad74rank/position

My Hair is Bad – I Got a Girlfriend (Official Music Video)

How would you feel upon learning that someone you once shared a deep connection with has found a new partner? My Hair is Bad’s 2016 album “woman’s” features a song that delicately captures exactly that complex state of mind.

Even though you’re supposed to have moved on and found a new lover, you can’t shake the lingering attachment to the one you can’t forget.

Spending time with your current partner—who’s the complete opposite type—only makes the quiet ache of your feelings for the former one smolder in the back of your heart.

Released as the album reached a peak position of No.

5 on the Oricon charts, the track’s music video also drew significant attention.

It’s a song that will deeply resonate with anyone who thought they’d stepped into a new love but still finds themselves tethered to the past, or who has felt a rush of complicated emotions upon seeing an ex looking happy.

Hello again ~ a place that’s been around since long ago ~My Little Lover75rank/position

My Little Lover "Hello, Again ~A Place That’s Been There Since Long Ago~

When it comes to ballads you want to listen to at the turn of the seasons, this song by My Little Lover is the one.

Released as a single in August 1995, it was chosen as the opening theme for the TV drama “Endless Summer.” The lyrics, imbued with nostalgia for a place that’s existed since long ago and a poignant sense of time gone by, resonate deeply.

Set to acoustic tones and a warm melody, it portrays the complex feelings of a protagonist who has left their hometown.

The song was a major hit, reaching No.

1 on the Oricon charts and No.

6 on the year-end ranking.

It’s a track you’ll want to play on long autumn nights as you look back on memories with someone special.

The way homeOAU76rank/position

OAU “Kaerimichi” Opening theme of TV Tokyo’s Drama 24 series “What Did You Eat Yesterday?”

It makes me feel nostalgic.

It’s a song by the acoustic band OAU, short for OVERGROUND ACOUSTIC UNDERGROUND.

It was released as a single in 2019.

The gentle timbre of the instruments is soothing.

It’s the kind of song you somehow want to listen to on a summer evening.

It was used as the opening theme for the drama “What Did You Eat Yesterday?”

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Araki Jakkan

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HarukaSCANDAL77rank/position

SCANDAL “Haruka” / Haruka ‐ Music Video

Released in 2011 as their 10th single, it was used as the theme song for the film “Tōfu Kozō” and featured across numerous media.

The song is dedicated to a friend who is moving far away, expressing clumsy, heartfelt emotions.

Its uplifting lyrics inspire a bright, positive feeling.