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

I can’t put it into wordsofukōsu22rank/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 Couragekimaguren23rank/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.

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Hane Keisuke

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MEGA SHAKE IT!Kyūso Nekokami24rank/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.25rank/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.

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Hane Keisuke

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It’s not me unless it’s meGesu no Kiwami Otome.26rank/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 FilmsKobukuro27rank/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 threadKobukuro28rank/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.