Popular Enka. Latest Rankings [2026]

Like the flow of a riverMisora Hibari43rank/position

Like the flow of a river

This work is the final single released during the lifetime of the legendary songstress Hibari Misora, and among her monumental discography that has long sung to the hearts of the Japanese people, it is a particularly renowned masterpiece among masterpieces.

Hibari’s vocal performance, which flawlessly delivers the life philosophy penned by Yasushi Akimoto and the beautiful melody composed by Masao Hirao, continues to move many people today.

Released in January 1989, it was also performed at that year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Even beginners can enjoy singing it comfortably at karaoke by feeling the wonderful melody that naturally draws you in!

America BridgeYamakawa Yutaka44rank/position

America Bashi

Among Yutaka Yamakawa’s songs, “America-bashi” stands out for its particularly catchy melody.

As the title hints with “America” in it, the piece is generously infused with pop elements.

While the vocal line strongly evokes the flavor of Showa-era kayōkyoku, the interlude features an accordion that conjures up French jazz.

True to classic Showa pop, the song is characterized by a gentle, relatively even vocal line with few dramatic rises and falls.

Though expressive nuance is required, the scarcity of open vowels relative to the melody allows you to set up a solid pause before each entrance.

If you find breath control or the distinctive kobushi ornamentation of enka challenging, consider adding this song to your repertoire.

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Kiyoshi’s Zundoko SongHikawa Kiyoshi45rank/position

Kiyoshi Hikawa / Kiyoshi no Zundoko-bushi [Official]

Kiyoshi Hikawa, a figure who sent shockwaves through the enka world.

Though an idol-type enka singer, he possesses solid vocal prowess and has influenced many as an artist who combines skill with catchiness.

“Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi” is one of his hit numbers.

While this song spans a fairly wide range—mid1 C to hi B—the pitch shifts in the kobushi (melodic ornaments) are kept to at most two notes, making the overall difficulty as enka relatively low.

If you have a reasonably wide vocal range, you should be able to sing it without trouble.

It’s immensely popular among madams, so consider adding it to your repertoire.

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Hanjirō of the Hakone Eight RiHikawa Kiyoshi46rank/position

Kiyoshi Hikawa / Hanzirō of Hakone Hachiri [Official]

The debut song of the prince of the enka world is a traveling ballad that seeps into the listener’s heart.

You can almost picture Hanjiro in his mawashi-gappa outfit making his way along the Hakone mountain path.

Many younger listeners have probably heard the memorable phrase from the chorus, and it’s the kind of line that makes you want to hum along.

Released in February 2000 and used in a Taisho Pharmaceutical commercial, this piece is recommended even for newcomers to enka.

That said, many of Kiyoshi Hikawa’s songs are technically challenging, and this one is no exception.

For starters, enjoy the lyrical world and melody, and practice repeatedly so you can sing it better little by little!

Fleeting LoveKouzai Kaori47rank/position

Hagureso

A work that remains highly popular among fans as an early-career masterpiece, “Ryūren-sō.” Typically, enka singers tend to take on more technically demanding songs as they enter the later stages of their careers, but Kaori Kozai has taken the opposite path, performing increasingly catchy songs centered on pop in her later years.

As this is an early piece, it features a structure that is more characteristically enka compared to her current repertoire.

While it contains a fair number of kobushi (ornamental vocal turns) and has clear dynamic shading, there are no kobushi that span more than three scale steps, so it is by no means extremely difficult.

Anyone reasonably accustomed to singing enka should be able to handle it without issue.

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Osaka ShigureMiyako Harumi48rank/position

Osaka Shigure

Harumi Miyako is an enka singer known for her powerful vocals, often referred to as the “Harumi-bushi,” which leave a strong impression.

If you’re familiar with enka, you’ve surely heard of her.

While her songs are generally considered to be quite challenging, there are also some catchy ones among them.

One I especially recommend is Osaka Shigure.

Compared to her typical style, which features growling, shout-like vibrato, this song uses more high-pitched kobushi (ornamental turns), so it doesn’t demand as much sheer power.

At the same time, the melody itself is bright, making it both easy to sing and a crowd-pleaser.

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pinwheelYoshi Ikuzo49rank/position

[Full MV] IKUZO YOSHI “Kazeguruma” [Official]

Kazuo Yoshii’s masterpiece “Kazeguruma,” released in 2024, opens with an electric guitar that’s very characteristic of enka.

From there, the voltage settles as it moves into the A-melody.

As you can hear, however, this piece reflects strong pop elements rather than being pure enka.

The chorus in particular evokes 1970s and ’80s folk rock.

Naturally, there are fewer instances of kobushi (ornamental vocal turns), making this one of the easiest songs to sing in Yoshii’s catalog.

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