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

Morning of PartingPedoro & Kapurishasu61rank/position

Morning of Parting

Pedro & Capricious’s “Wakare no Asa” (Morning of Parting) was released in 1971 and is known as one of the group’s signature songs.

The original is “Was Ich Dir Sagen Will” by Austrian singer Udo Jürgens, to which Rei Nakanishi added Japanese lyrics for this version.

The sound leans strongly toward kayōkyoku, giving it a different vibe from the original, and over this powerful arrangement the sorrow of parting is sung.

Because the song conveys a kind of strength that tries to shake off loneliness, when it’s used in commercials it tends to create an impression of emphasizing the power to move forward.

Hungry PrideMakishimamu Za Horumon62rank/position

Maximum the Hormone 'Hungry Pride' music video nearly full ver.

This commercial powerfully conveys the bold flavor of Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O.

and the message that it fuels your energy.

It depicts that restless, frustrated feeling at night, and expresses how eating it in such moments becomes the drive to overcome challenges.

The song that further highlights the determined, confrontational mood shown in the visuals is Maximum the Hormone’s “Hungry Pride.” Its aggressive band sound is a major draw, and the arrangement—building in thickness step by step—delivers a strong sense of power.

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Premeditated revengeMakishimamu Za Horumon63rank/position

Maximum the Hormone 'Yoshu Fukushu' Music Video

It opens with the rugby club forming a huddle and shouting.

You’d think they’re firing themselves up for a match, but… they’re saying, “Man, I’m beat today!” and “Let’s blast away the fatigue with U.F.O.!” Surprisingly, this commercial actually depicts a post-practice scene.

After the huddle, it cuts to the rugby players slurping down U.F.O.

with gusto, and their voracious eating is overwhelming to watch.

For the BGM, “Yoshu Fukushu,” which has been used in past commercials, makes a return.

The calm midsection of the song is performed with original parody lyrics.

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Hane Keisuke

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Forewarning and Revenge (Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O. Parody Version)Makishimamu Za Horumon64rank/position

Maximum the Hormone 'Yoshu Fukushu' Music Video

This is a commercial that promotes the idea that the rich flavor of Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O.

can relieve fatigue, using a baseball team as the motif.

While it presents a unique world where the players line up and wolf down U.F.O., the way they eat with such absorption really conveys how delicious it is.

The song that further emphasizes the youthfulness and strength of the visuals is Maximum the Hormone’s “Yoshu Fukushu (Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O.

parody ver.).” The layered vocals within the gentle sound express youth, and the shift into a more powerful sound conveys energy.

The lyrics also highlight how tasty the sauce is—so good it makes you forget you’re tired.

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energy flowSakamoto Ryuichi65rank/position

Ryuichi Sakamoto — energy flow

This masterpiece features a delicate, transparent piano tone that gently soothes the heart.

The crystalline melody performed by Ryuichi Sakamoto caresses the listener’s soul like a breeze skimming across the surface of water.

Released in May 1999 as a theme for a Daiichi Sankyo pharmaceutical commercial, the piece—despite its simplicity—carries profound emotion in its sound, and achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first instrumental work to top the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

Its pleasant sense of weightlessness offers a moment of calm amid a busy day, supports focus, and makes a perfect companion for quiet reading, creating a soothing, restorative atmosphere.

Easy★RiderOkuda Tamio66rank/position

Tamio Okuda “Easy★Rider” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

With its refreshing melody and liberating lyrics, this is one of Tamio Okuda’s signature works that colors life’s most important moments.

The image of a journey, continuing to run freely down an endless road, harmonizes beautifully with the music’s sense of release.

Released in June 1996, the song reached No.

4 on the Oricon weekly chart and stayed on the charts for 16 weeks.

It drew attention as the theme for Nissan’s “Wingroad” commercial, and was also used in a McDonald’s Japan commercial in 2021.

Its sound evokes a pure impulse to set off without a destination, making it the perfect track when you want to step away from the everyday to see new scenery, or when you want to elevate the mood of a drive.

The wind is from the west.Okuda Tamio67rank/position

Tamio Okuda “The Wind Comes From the West”

This is the song used in Mazda’s commercial.

It’s a single released in 2013 by Tamio Okuda, written specifically for Mazda, the company from his hometown.

The music video depicts a story in which a crash test dummy used by Mazda gains self-awareness, and Okuda makes a brief cameo appearance.

With a fiery heartKobayashi Akira68rank/position

With a Fiery Heart ☆ Akira Kobayashi

The commercial song for Ajinomoto General Foods (AGF) “Maxim.” It was released as a single in 1985.

With its expansive, stirringly passionate vocals that linger in the ears, the song became a long-running hit.

Akira Kobayashi also appeared on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen with this song.

Until we meet againOzaki Kiyohiko69rank/position

Mata Au Himade

This is a Suntory commercial featuring the three members of Atarashii Chizu—Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori—encouraging the recycling of plastic bottles.

While sorting plastic bottle waste at home has been making progress, proper sorting when people are out and about is still lagging behind.

In response, the ad clearly explains how to recycle plastic bottles outside, set to a relaxed arrangement of the song “Mata Au Hi Made.” Why not try living a more sustainable everyday life so that today can become a wonderful memory?

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miyabi

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One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi70rank/position

Masayoshi Yamazaki – “One more time, One more chance” MUSIC VIDEO [4K Quality]

This is the song used to accentuate the calm atmosphere in the Suntory Maker’s Mark commercial, which portrays the unchanging deliciousness of the whiskey through a character played by Shun Oguri who is immortal.

The track is also famous as the theme song for the feature-length anime 5 Centimeters per Second, and it conveys a bittersweet sentiment over the sound of an acoustic guitar.

The lyrics honestly express memories of the past and the regrets tied to them, as well as the pain of wishing for “just one more time,” even while knowing it can never come true.

The part about instinctively looking for someone’s figure somewhere—a feeling many can relate to—also heightens the sense of poignancy.

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kappamaki

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