Popular Cheer Songs [Japanese Music Ranking]
We’re excited to present the latest top 100 ranking of Japanese motivational support songs, introduced all at once in order of most views!
There are moments when you need to fire up your team—or yourself—like during club or society matches, important exams or meetings, or when taking on a new challenge.
There are plenty of songs that will give you courage in those times, so be sure to give them a listen.
The playlist is updated weekly.
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- [For those doing their best] A collection of motivational cheer songs
- [Exams, Club Activities, Dreams] Encouragement songs recommended for teens: Tracks to listen to when you want to do your best
- Recommended cheer songs for elementary school students: popular tracks to listen to when you want a boost
- [Today's Cheer Song] To everyone giving it your all! A gem of an inspiring anthem that resonates with the heart
- Recommended cheer-up songs for middle schoolers: Classic Japanese hits that will empower student life
- A collection of uplifting songs: positive tracks to support you
- Recommended cheer-up songs for high school students: tracks that will motivate you to do your best on entrance exams and club activities when you listen to them.
- [Summer Cheer Song] A motivational anthem dedicated to those giving their all in sports or studying for exams
- [Cheering Songs] Japanese tracks to listen to when you’re troubled, lost, or feeling anxious
- Power songs that fill you with energy just by listening. Recommended classics and popular tracks.
- Encouraging songs: timeless masterpieces that resonate with the heart, recommended popular tracks
Popular Cheer Songs [Japanese Music Ranking] (41–50)
Girls don’t cry.katahira rina41rank/position
It portrays a romance that begins despite knowing it won’t work out, with feelings for the other person impossible to suppress.
Before you realize it, you’re already in a one-sided love.
Even so, you just can’t stop loving them.
Listening to the earnest determination to keep smiling and stay true to oneself is inspiring and gives you courage.
Dear, boyHump Back42rank/position
The major debut single by Hump Back, a three-piece rock band from Osaka, is a passionate cheer for people who feel anxiety or frustration about chasing their dreams.
The question posed right from the start reminds you of the self who once burned with passion and helps you regain the courage to face reality.
Released in June 2018, the track was used as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s Bazurizumu 02 and as a commercial song for Shinken Zemi’s high school course.
Its lyrics, which view detours and failures as nourishment for growth, will give a push to anyone standing at a crossroads in life.
When you want to move forward despite the struggles of youth, the straightforward rock sound of this song is sure to resonate with your heart.
So, you are not alone.Little Glee Monster43rank/position
Little Glee Monster’s “Dakara, Hitori Janai” (“So, You’re Not Alone”) is a song you can have fun singing and dancing to with friends.
Released in May 2017, it was used as the ending theme for season 2 of the anime My Hero Academia.
The music video, filmed at Universal Studios Japan, features characters like Snoopy and Elmo, making it a delightfully exciting watch.
If you have a friend feeling down after a setback in studies or club activities, why not share this song with them? Pass the mic around at karaoke and sing together—your worries will melt away!
Our TomorrowElefanto Kashimashi44rank/position
This is a masterpiece imbued with a powerful, emotionally resonant rock sound and a vision of walking toward the future alongside friends.
The friendship and bonds portrayed in the music video, along with the courage to step into a new tomorrow, gently support anyone seeking strength for their heart.
Released in November 2007 by Elephant Kashimashi, led by Hiroji Miyamoto, the song was used in a commercial for House Foods’ Ukon no Chikara and came to be loved by a wide audience.
It’s a track you’ll want to listen to when standing at a crossroads in life, when renewing your resolve, or when you need hope for the future.
With its robust melody, it fills you with the courage to move forward—an uplifting song that warms the heart.
OH！SHISHAMO45rank/position
SHISHAMO is a three-piece rock band whose down-to-earth, relatable lyrics—especially among women—have earned them strong support.
Their 9th single “OH!,” chosen as the song for Lotte’s “Sou” commercial, bursts with exhilarating, fast-paced energy that brings back memories of youth.
Rather than celebrating a cool facade, the lyrics highlight the value of charging forward with everything you’ve got, which may soothe the hearts of those chasing their dreams in real time.
It’s a powerful cheer song that we especially want people to hear when they’re worn out from trying so hard, or when they’re facing an important game or a big study session.
Velvet Poemback number46rank/position
Velvet no Uta by back number was written as the theme song for the film Akira to Akira.
This piece is a motivational song that carries the message of wanting people to keep living without giving in, even when they face unreasonable hardships in society.
Its lyrics, which urge listeners to value themselves, are likely to bring hope to those who are on the verge of despair due to illness.
When you find yourself feeling negative, give it a listen.
The powerful vocals and grand sound are sure to lift your spirits.
Tomorrow as wellSHISHAMO47rank/position
A rock number that cheers on our everyday efforts through its weekend heroes.
It was included on the 2017 album “SHISHAMO 4” and became widely known as the CM song for NTT Docomo’s “Docomo Student Discount.” That same year, the band performed it on the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen for their first-ever appearance, generating major buzz.
The song frankly depicts the strength to keep running forward even when things are so tough you want to cry, along with gratitude for those who support you.
Inspired by watching a Kawasaki Frontale match, it’s also loved as a fight song—perfect for anyone looking to get fired up at sports events or live shows.
It stands as one of the band’s signature classics.
one’s true feelingssumika48rank/position
A song by sumika that directly expresses a universal inner conflict—“Maybe I should give up, but I really don’t want to!”—that everyone has felt at least once.
It was written as the official support song for the 99th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
The dramatic arrangement woven by piano and band is striking, building from a quiet, introspective verse into a chorus where resolve crystallizes, stirring the heart.
More than just a typical cheer-up anthem, its appeal lies in portraying the determination to move forward only after first acknowledging one’s own weaknesses.
It’s perfect for high school students standing at the milestone of graduation, about to take a new step, reminding them of the immense importance of friends who strive alongside them.
That’s important.Daiji MAN Burazāzu Bando49rank/position
A powerful, encouraging song that lifts your spirits when times are tough or you feel like giving up.
Its lyrics preach the importance of not giving up, and the strong yet approachable melody resonates deeply.
With the warmth of a friend giving you a gentle push forward, this song has become a source of support for many.
Released by Daiji MAN Brothers Band in August 1991, the track was used as the ending theme for “Sports Frontier” and also served as the theme song for “Hō-chan no Yamada Katsutenai Television.” It topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks and became a massive hit, selling an impressive 1.8 million copies.
When you find yourself troubled or at a standstill in life, listening to this song will surely give you the courage to move forward.
Small RevolutionSUPER BEAVER50rank/position
This song powerfully sings of the small acts of courage hidden in everyday life and the desire for self-transformation.
Included on the album “Ongaku,” it was released in February 2024 as an insert song for the TV Asahi drama “MARS: Zero no Kakumei.” With an emotional rock style characteristic of SUPER BEAVER, its melody and sound quietly yet fervently urge us to give voice to our inner feelings and reevaluate who we are.
It was also featured in TBS’s special music program “Ongaku no Hi 2024” for a mass sing-along project, where it was performed together with many viewers.
It’s a song that gently gives you a push when you feel life is hard or lonely, or when you want to take a step toward tomorrow.