GLAY Ballad Songs: Popular Song Ranking [2026]

pure soulGLAY8rank/position

【GLAY】pure soul

Although I can live an ordinary life, I feel something is missing, and when I receive kindness from someone, it reminds me of the love I received from my parents.

I’ve heard these lyrics were written by TAKURO with his own mother in mind.

The bright, refreshing melody is pleasant, isn’t it? It was also used as the campaign song for TDK’s MiniDisc XA Series.

SakurabitoGLAY9rank/position

GLAY / Sakurabito

It’s a heartfelt ballad filled with the feelings of people who live alongside the cherry blossoms.

It carefully portrays the choices and struggles of those who leave their hometown and those who remain.

Written by GLAY for a Fukushima reconstruction support project, the song was included on the bonus CD of the album “MUSIC LIFE,” released in November 2014.

It was later chosen as the ending theme for the information program “Joho Live Miyaneya.” At a concert in February 2015, the four members performed an acoustic version by themselves, said to have played it with their thoughts turned toward Tohoku.

As spring arrives and you begin life in a new environment, why not listen to this song and draw some courage from it?

SPECIAL THANKSGLAY10rank/position

GLAY / SPECIAL THANKS

A signature ballad by GLAY, a band that represents Japan’s rock scene.

As the title suggests, it’s a grand piece that sings of “special thanks” to a loved one, featuring a melody that blends into the slightly melancholic air of autumn.

Released in August 2000, the single became a million-seller and was used as the theme song for the film “Mirai Nikki.” It was also included—by fan vote—on the acclaimed compilation “DRIVE-GLAY complete BEST,” making it a quintessential GLAY number.

Just a little longer until graduationGLAY11rank/position

Just a little longer until graduation

A mid-tempo ballad from GLAY, the four-piece rock band from Hakodate, Hokkaido, that gently seeps into the heart.

Based on TAKURO’s own experiences, the lyrics delicately capture the bittersweet everyday atmosphere that precedes parting—distinct from the exhilaration of a graduation ceremony.

Originally released to the world in February 2002 as the B-side to the single “Way of Difference,” the song was later included on the album “UNITY ROOTS & FAMILY, AWAY.” While the title track became a major hit as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Ainori, this song has also enjoyed enduring popularity among fans.

If you know the unique loneliness that settles in the season before graduation, it’s sure to move you.

Why not revisit it slowly, letting it wash over you as you dwell on memories from that time?