Ranking of Commercial Songs and Popular Tracks by Male Japanese Artists [2026]

I can’t put it into wordsofukōsu21rank/position

Kotoba Ni Dekinai

A gemlike ballad that gives voice to the ineffable emotions faced at love’s end.

Included on Off Course’s album “over,” released in December 1981, and later issued as their 23rd single in February 1982, this song gently portrays the subtle shifts of feeling that emerge through parting from someone dear.

The “la la la” that threads through the chorus is a striking phrase that reminds us how, at times, it can express the heart more eloquently than words.

Used in a Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance commercial, it has surely lingered in many listeners’ memories.

It’s a song that stands beside you through life’s many moments, embracing the complex emotions we feel—cherishing someone important, tenderness, and a sense of loss.

IT’S MY Couragekimaguren22rank/position

Kimaguren / IT'S MY Courage (Short ver.)

In the Benesse Shinken Zemi Junior High Course commercial featuring Risa Hosoya, she is portrayed pushing herself to take one more step toward passing the entrance exam for her chosen school.

After murmuring, “If I try a little harder, I can get into that high school…,” she is shown studying diligently.

The background music is ‘IT’S MY Yuuki,’ released by Kimaguren in 2011.

With “serious effort” as its theme, the lyrics encourage giving your all for your dreams, and—as the title suggests—it’s a cheer song that makes courage well up from within.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hane Keisuke

Report a problem

MEGA SHAKE IT!Kyūso Nekokami23rank/position

Kyusonekokami - “MEGA SHAKE IT!” MUSIC VIDEO

They gained attention after being featured in a commercial for an energy drink.

Kyuso Nekokami, known for their distinctive lyrics and melodies, delivers a very pop, mood-lifting track.

It’s the kind of song that naturally brings a smile to your face when you hear it on a low-energy day.

Romance overflowsGesu no Kiwami Otome.24rank/position

Gesu no Kiwami Otome - Romance Is Abundant

This clip shows Mitsuki Takahata reading manga on her bed at home via Mecha Comic.

Playing on the title of Gesu no Kiwami Otome’s song “Romance ga Arimaru,” which she hums and then becomes the BGM, the ad highlights the platform’s abundance of titles.

It’s a commercial that effectively conveys Mecha Comic’s appeal: you can enjoy a huge variety of works in a relaxed state.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hane Keisuke

Report a problem

It’s not me unless it’s meGesu no Kiwami Otome.25rank/position

Gesu no Kiwami Otome “Watashi Igai Watashi Janai no”

It was released in 2015 as Gesu no Kiwami Otome.’s second single.

The song was used in Coca-Cola’s “Name Bottle Campaign” commercial, and since it became the CM song for Coca-Cola, a 500ml Coca-Cola bottle appears near the end of the music video.

The track is also well known as the song that propelled Gesu no Kiwami Otome.

to nationwide fame.

Million FilmsKobukuro26rank/position

Kobukuro “Million Films”

A heartwarming love song that captures happy moments in everyday life.

It gently depicts scenes everyone has experienced at least once, such as city streets at dusk and lovers gazing at each other while waiting at a traffic light.

Since its release in October 2004, it has been featured as NTT West’s telegram image song and in a Calbee potato chips commercial, and in 2006 it was also used as the theme song for a TV Asahi drama.

It was included on the album ALL SINGLES BEST and has become one of Kobukuro’s signature songs.

A perfect track for wedding profile videos and commemorating special anniversaries.

Even those who find it hard to express their feelings to someone important may be able to convey them through this song.

the red threadKobukuro27rank/position

Red Thread – Kobukuro (Full)

It was included on Kobukuro’s 16th single, “Toki no Ashioto,” released in 2008.

The song was used in a Nippon Life commercial, and it also drew attention because Yui Aragaki—who covered the song—appears in the music video.

It’s a celebrated ballad that gives courage in love, affirming that the red thread of fate surely exists.

weathercockKobukuro28rank/position

Kobukuro LIVE TOUR ’08 Kazamidori (Weathercock)

It’s a song included on Kobukuro’s 14th single, “Tsubomi,” released in 2007.

Right after its release, it was used in a Shinken Zemi university acceptance announcement commercial.

Thanks to the huge success of “Tsubomi,” this track also gained attention and, despite being a B-side, has become very popular among fans.

It’s a song that gives you the strength to look forward.

BatonKobukuro29rank/position

Kobukuro “Baton” Image Movie

Kobukuro’s “Baton,” chosen as the image song for Ono Pharmaceutical’s 300th-anniversary TV commercial, is a grand composition.

Centered on the theme of a life baton passed down through generations, it’s a moving tearjerker that sings of views on life and death, the meaning of living, and hope for the future.

The piano and vocals are exquisite.

Effeminate; overly sentimental; being clingy/whiny (context-dependent)Gōruden Bonbā30rank/position

Effeminate / Golden Bomber – Music Video

It was released in 2009 as Golden Bomber’s seventh single.

A parody version titled “Nemutakute” was used in a commercial for House Foods’ “Mega Shaki,” and it became explosively popular in karaoke.

As one of Golden Bomber’s signature songs, it was performed at NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen for four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015.