Kiyoshiro Imawano’s Most Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Hide-and-seekImawano Kiyoshirō29rank/position

Hide and Seek (Kiyoshiro Imawano & Char)

This is a bittersweet love song co-written with guitarist Char.

Interweaving lines from a children’s song, Kiyoshiro Imawano’s uniquely gentle lyrics strike straight to the heart.

Featured on a film soundtrack, the track was released on RC Succession’s 1983 live album “THE KING OF LIVE.” You can almost picture Kiyoshiro Imawano—nicknamed the King of Rock—commanding the stage with overwhelming presence.

Rooted in soul and blues, the rock sound powerfully conveys the feeling of longing for someone dear.

It’s a song I’d recommend not only to those wrestling with love, but also to anyone who has yet to experience Kiyoshiro Imawano’s music.

Working PeopleImawano Kiyoshirō30rank/position

Hataraku Hitobito

With its repetitive rhythm, humorous chants, and distinctive groove, this is one of Kiyoshiro’s hidden gems that cheerfully portrays the melancholy of labor! The track was included on the 12-inch “DANGER II,” released under the name DANGER in July 1985.

It’s also known for being performed when he appeared on the Japanese broadcast of Live Aid on Fuji TV at the time.

The style, which sings about the repetition of working days with plenty of irony, pairs with a sound that fuses blaring horns, jazz, and rock to create a highly addictive effect.

This work, which elevates social satire into pop, is a song I especially want those overwhelmed by their daily jobs to hear.

Don’t overthink it—if you sway your body and hum along, you’ll mysteriously feel energized.

Frank loveImawano Kiyoshirō31rank/position

Blunt Love – Kiyoshiro Imawano & 2•3’s

This is a song by 2・3’s (pronounced “Niizans”), the first band Kiyoshiro formed after RC Succession broke up.

Kiyoshiro said that the band had a bad reputation among his existing fans, and quite a few of them drifted away.

The lineup of 2・3’s included Kenji Oshima, who later became the drummer of THE HIGH-LOWS and has been active as a producer for Fumiya Fujii.

phantomImawano Kiyoshirō32rank/position

Kiyoshiro Imawano - Phantom

This is a song I loved from an old laserdisc of Kiyoshiro’s solo live performance, where he did a great acoustic rendition.

The flashy outfit and the many flowers on his head were incredible.

The lyrics are uniquely Kiyoshiro as well.

The performance was memorable, especially at the end when most of the floral headpiece had come off.

I shall be releasedImawano Kiyoshirō33rank/position

I shall be released ; RC Succession ①

These are songs preserved in the live recordings from the time when the record company RC Succession was with ordered the album to be withdrawn from sale; they’re parody versions of Bob Dylan songs.

People say that when Bob Dylan is covered in Japanese, it ends up sounding just like Takuro Yoshida, but when Kiyoshiro sings it, it sounds like a Kiyoshiro song.

Song of HealingImawano Kiyoshirō34rank/position

Song of Healing

It was included on the single CD for the song JUMP.

At the time of its release, it was used in a TV commercial, and Kiyoshiro also appeared in it.

It was also when the term “iyashi-kei” (healing type) began to be used frequently, so I think it was a very timely song.

Sunshine LoveImawano Kiyoshirō35rank/position

Sunshine Love

A pre-release single from the album “Rainbow Cafe,” which was released in 1998 after moving from Toshiba EMI, where she had been for about 14 years, to Polydor.

She was very active in the media at the time, so this is a song she often performed on television.