Songs to listen to in autumn: Ranking of popular Japanese bands [2026]
Since it’s the season of autumn music, how about lending an ear this year to artists you don’t usually listen to?
We’ve selected songs from Japanese bands that are perfect for fall, so you’re sure to find one or two that strike a chord.
Let’s make it a season full of diverse interests!
- [Autumn Songs] Songs of autumn. Classic tracks and popular favorites you’ll want to listen to in the fall.
- Popular Autumn Songs Ranking [2026]
- [2026] Songs to listen to in November: masterpieces of late autumn, autumn songs.
- [Autumn Classics] Japanese Songs to Listen to and Sing in October: A Curated Selection of Beloved, Heartfelt Hits
- [2026] Recommended for teens! A roundup of J-pop autumn songs perfect for fall
- [Reiwa Autumn Songs] Seasonal Melodies That Resonate with the Heart | A Curated Selection of Masterpieces to Enjoy in Autumn!
- From bittersweet tracks to party anthems: fall songs recommended for Gen Z
- [2026] A lineup of next-generation artists! Autumn songs we want people in their 20s to hear
- Songs to Listen to in September: Popular J-POP Tracks That Capture the End of Summer and Early Autumn
- Emotional songs that resonate in a sentimental autumn. A collection of autumn tunes.
- Timeless songs that go perfectly with autumn leaves. Autumn tunes ideal for beautiful scenery and drives.
- [High School Students] Popular Songs Ranking by Generation [2026]
- A Guide to Classic Autumn Songs to Sing at Karaoke in October
Songs to Listen to in Autumn: Popular Japanese Band Rankings [2026] (61–70)
NonfictionSaucy Dog64rank/position
Saucy Dog is a three-piece rock band known for relatable lyrics and emotive vocals.
Released digitally in January 2022, this track candidly expresses a heart swaying between ideals and reality.
The opening dives straight in without an intro, and the driving beat exceeding 200 BPM seems to amplify the protagonist’s impatience.
With lyrics portraying the melancholy of comparing yourself to others in the season scented with fragrant olive, it’s likely to resonate with many people in their twenties.
The song was chosen as the theme for the WOWOW original drama “Ryunosuke Kamiki’s Day Off” and is included on their 6th mini-album, “Sunny Bottle.” It’s a rock tune that accompanies a sentimental autumn—one to play when you’re struggling with being yourself.
SeptemberAndrop65rank/position
A somehow nostalgic sound that suits the autumn air—a coming-of-age song delivered by androp.
The emotionally charged ensemble reminiscent of 1990s power pop feels so good, doesn’t it? The lyrics sing of the frustrating love of youth—the desire to get closer but being unable to—stirring the heart in tandem with Takahito Uchisawa’s sweet, heartrending vocals.
Released in September 2022, the song is also included on the EP “fab,” which came out the same year.
The music video uses live footage from Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, further enhancing the song’s nostalgic atmosphere.
It’s a lyrical number perfect for the autumn season—one that gently accompanies you on the way home from a school festival or sports day, when you’re feeling just a little bit lonely.
Festival preparationsgagaga supi66rank/position
Speaking of autumn, school festivals really heat up, don’t they? And speaking of youth!—there’s the Kobe punk rock band Gagaga SP and their single released in 2004.
If you’ve ever fallen in love because of a school event, this one will hit especially hard.
It brings back that special rush and those bittersweet feelings, and it really gets you.
A fleeting yet fiery track where fury and sentimentality coexist.
Only being able to meet in certain places or at certain times is truly heartbreaking, isn’t it… The lyrics even toy with the thought that it might have been better never to have met at all—there’s a touch of loneliness there that’s painfully relatable.
Summer MemoriesKetsumeishi67rank/position
This song by Ketsumeishi is a quintessential summer anthem, isn’t it? But don’t you think listening to it in September stirs up a different feeling? The fun of summer passes in the blink of an eye.
With the hint of autumn in the air, you can close your eyes and feel all those memories while listening to this track! You might even get a little sentimental riding along with the rap’s rhythm… Their definitive summer song—highly recommended for early autumn!
October’s (2025 mix)Harukamirai68rank/position
How about a slightly bittersweet song that conjures up scenes of a crimson sunset sky and a flowing river? This work by Harukamirai, a rock band from Hachioji, portrays the determination to live powerfully “here and now,” even while carrying uncertainty and frustration about the future.
The contradictory emotions of youth—feeling more constrained the more you seek freedom—surge into your chest atop a melody that makes you want to hum along.
The track was included on the November 2017 mini-album “Hoshikuzu no Uta” and was later rebuilt with a new sound.
On a contemplative walk home, or on a night when you wish someone would sing just for you, listening to it might gently stay by your side.
Liar MoonYorushika69rank/position
A delicate ballad by Yorushika, where the piano’s quiet melody and vocalist suis’s gentle voice seep into the heart.
Released in June 2020, this song served as the ending theme for the animated film “A Whisker Away,” adding a tender afterglow to the story.
It portrays the protagonist’s profound loneliness and sense of loss as they continue to wait, even as the memory of “you” grows faint.
Layering poetic words, it expresses an unquenchable thirst of the heart.
On an autumn night, why not gaze quietly at the beautiful moon alone and let your thoughts drift to days gone by?
Beyond a thousand nightsAqua Timez70rank/position
This song was chosen as the theme for the anime Bleach: Memories of Nobody.
It’s one of the signature tracks by the rock band Aqua Timez and was released in 2006 as their second single.
It’s a pure love song that sings, “Among all the truths I found in the life I’ve walked, there is just one: I love you—and I want to tell you that.” The overwhelming sincerity of the feelings for the other person will loosen your tear ducts.
It feels perfectly suited to autumn, a season that, oddly enough, deepens our sense of loneliness.
