Best Songs and Popular Tracks by Male Singer-Songwriters: 2026 Rankings

White LoversKuwata Keisuke71rank/position

Keisuke Kuwata – Shiroi Koibito-tachi (Short ver.)

A heartwarming ballad that delicately paints winter scenes, transforming the bittersweet memory of a lost love into a feeling of blessing.

While looking back on a past romance, it carries a positive message about cherishing the love that was shared, resonating through Keisuke Kuwata’s warm, soulful vocals.

Released in October 2001 as his seventh single, this gem won the Gold Prize at the 43rd Japan Record Awards that same year.

Also featured in Coca-Cola’s “No Reason” campaign commercial, the song won the hearts of listeners across generations.

It’s the perfect soundtrack for spending unhurried time with someone special in a relaxed lounge, or for quietly gazing at a winter nightscape alone with a glass in hand.

cherry blossomMoriyama Naotaro72rank/position

Sakura

This song, a massive hit in 2003, is a masterpiece that depicts parting and reunion through the beauty and transience of cherry blossoms.

Naotaro Moriyama’s clear vocals and the simple, piano-centered arrangement resonate deeply with listeners.

The lyrics, which liken cherry blossoms scattering at the very moment they are in full bloom to the turning points of life, evoke both the poignancy of a departure and a forward-looking hope.

Chosen as the ending theme for the MBS/TBS program “Sekai Ururun Taizai-ki,” it sold over one million copies.

In 2019, it was revived with a new arrangement as the theme song for the drama “同期のサクラ” (Synchrony’s Sakura), and it continues to be loved across generations.

Sung at a graduation ceremony—one of life’s important milestones—it will etch memories with friends and a resolve for the future even more deeply.

If being alive is painfulMoriyama Naotaro73rank/position

Naotaro Moriyama – If Being Alive Is Painful

This song, with lyrics that startle you for a moment right at the beginning, actually brims with hope.

Many people have been moved by the message delivered through Naotaro Moriyama’s distinctive voice.

When you’re going through a tough time and listen to this track, you can cry your eyes out, sink to the bottom, and once you’ve let yourself fall all the way, you’ll feel ready to start walking again—the weight on your heart lifts a little.

If something happens that makes you feel, “I’ll never bounce back…,” try entrusting your heart to this song.

Its lyrics, full of kindness and compassion, will wrap around your wounded heart.

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Hane Keisuke

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To all living thingsMoriyama Naotaro74rank/position

Naotaro Moriyama – To All Living Beings

It’s the theme song for the 2004 drama “Beloved You.” It’s a grand piece centered on life and the meaning of living, and the opening chorus really resonates in your chest.

The protagonist in the song doesn’t seem to be the good person their loved one imagines; they appear to have both an angel’s face and a devil’s face.

Having ceased to be human, what will the protagonist do? The lyrics make you want to know what happens next.

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en

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The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro75rank/position

Naotaro Moriyama – Natsuno Owari

“The End of Summer,” the third single by Naotaro Moriyama, released in 2003.

From the intro, his high, cleansing vocals shine, and the song carries a subtle sense of nostalgia.

Every line of the lyrics is imbued with beautiful language, evoking uniquely Japanese scenery and scenes.

It also brings forth that particular melancholy and wistfulness found at summer’s end, welling up from within.

It calls to mind those slightly cooler days when you can hear the insects begin to sing.

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utatane

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I won’t fall in love anymore.Makihara Noriyuki76rank/position

[Official] Noriyuki Makihara “I Won’t Fall in Love Again” (Music Video) [5th Single] (1992) Noriyuki Makihara / Mou Koi Nante Shinai

A gem-like ballad that delicately portrays the pain of heartbreak and the hope of taking a new step forward.

Noriyuki Makihara’s gentle vocals tenderly envelop the protagonist’s complex feelings as they struggle to accept a breakup with their lover.

While carefully depicting the loneliness and confusion felt in everyday life, it also resonates with the positive resolve hidden behind the words “I won’t fall in love anymore.” Released in May 1992, the song was used as the theme for the drama “After the Children Are Asleep,” reaching No.

2 on the weekly Oricon chart and No.

7 for the year.

It’s a song that stands as emotional support, accompanying you through the healing process of a broken heart.

Far, far awayMakihara Noriyuki77rank/position

Toku Toku (2012 Remaster)

A timeless hit by Noriyuki Makihara that strikes deep in the hearts of those living away from their hometowns.

The lyrics, filled with the resolve to build a new life in a new city to fulfill one’s dreams and a warm message for friends far away, will gently give listeners a push forward.

In fact, this piece wasn’t a single; it was a track included on the album “Kimi wa Boku no Takaramono,” released in June 1992.

Later, when Makihara’s self-cover was used as an NTT East Japan commercial song in 2006, it became a beloved standard known to even more people.

It’s an essential springtime cheer song with a warm power that makes the heart feel close even across great distances.