[High School Students] Popular Songs Ranking by Generation [2026]

DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE43rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE "Darling" Official Music Video

An encouraging anthem that gently stays by your side and gives you a push forward, dedicated to everyone who feels anxiety and uncertainty in the midst of youth.

With Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s signature emotional, catchy melodies and lyrics rich with messages that boost self-esteem, it resonates deeply.

Released in January 2025, the song was written for NHK General’s special program “Mrs.

GREEN APPLE 18-sai Matsuri” and featured a special performance alongside 1,000 members of the 18-year-old generation.

Play it as the finale of a sports day or school athletic festival, and you’re sure to end on a moving, memorable note!

Kaiju no Hanabuta (Monster’s Flower Song)Vaundy44rank/position

Monster’s Flower Song / Vaundy [Simple Choreography for Lower and Middle Elementary Grades]

Vaundy’s “Kaiju no Hanauta” features a strikingly bright melody, and the way the chorus opens up like a widening landscape makes it a song that lifts your spirits.

Dancing to a track that puts you in a positive mood can make moving your body even more enjoyable.

Because it’s such an upbeat song, I recommend incorporating bouncy movements to match it, and being mindful of expressing a sense of fun in your facial expressions.

Imagining how the scenery suddenly expands in the chorus, using movements that spread your arms wide is also a key point for conveying the song’s world.

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kappamaki

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COSMOSMimas45rank/position

[Choral Piece] COSMOS / One Singer per Part [Astonishing Quality with a Small Ensemble]

This is a piece composed by Mimasu, the keyboardist of the musical unit Aquamarine.

It’s a choral song popular among elementary and junior high school students, but perhaps it’s high school students—who are a bit more mature—who can truly bring out the full, soaring beauty of the harmonies in the chorus.

Both humans and the stars at the heart of this song each have a single life, and one day they will reach the end of their lifespan.

The song carries the message of burning bright and living earnestly until that final moment.

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SAKI

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Let’s give it a tryWANIMA46rank/position

Yattemiyou

An energetic track that covers a nursery rhyme everyone’s heard at least once, given a bold rock arrangement in true WANIMA style.

Even when you’re feeling sluggish before starting to study, the song’s exhilarating drive will naturally boost your motivation.

Its positive message—urging you to try first without fearing failure—will give powerful encouragement to anyone tackling entrance exams or test prep.

Released as a digital single in January 2017, it also created a buzz as the theme song for au’s “Santaro” commercial series.

Give it a listen when you want to face your weaker subjects with a positive mindset.

We againSG47rank/position

Us, Again – SG (Official Lyric Video)

During the season of graduation and choosing future paths, SG’s song is one that gently supports high school students who feel anxious.

It captures the preciousness of ordinary days spent with friends, the resolve to pursue our own paths, and the hope of meeting again.

Listening to it gives you the courage to feel, “Even if we’re apart, I’m not alone.” Released in April 2021, the song resonated on social media, and it drew attention again when a brass band version was featured from November 2024 in Calorie Mate’s exam-support commercial.

It’s a warm song that reminds us that parting isn’t an ending, but the start of what comes next.

InfernoMrs. GREEN APPLE48rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Inferno

This song, used as the opening theme for the anime Fire Force, conveys a sense of speed from the very first drum beats and a feeling that something is about to begin.

In events where momentum is crucial—like cavalry battles—it will surely boost athletes’ motivation with a “Let’s go!” spirit.

In fact, the song encapsulates both transience and passion, asking what meaning we find in a life that will one day end and how we live with that awareness.

It’s an ideal track for spending your school days—a youth that will inevitably come to an end—with burning intensity.

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kojifumi

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A Naked Heartaimyon49rank/position

Aimyon – Naked Heart [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

This is Aimyon’s 10th single, released in June 2020.

Because it’s a song by Aimyon, who is known for her strong vocal ability, aiming for a high score at karaoke makes it a bit challenging.

However, the tempo of this song is medium to slow, making it easier to keep the rhythm and relatively easier to sing.

Aimyon herself expresses the song by switching exquisitely between chest voice and falsetto, which is a fairly advanced technique.

If you’re not confident, it might be better not to imitate that and instead lower the key when you sing—this could be the trick to getting a high score.

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Kei Takahata

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