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!
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Songs to Listen to in Autumn: Ranking of Popular Japanese Bands [2026] (21–30)
red-orangeACIDMAN22rank/position
This is the third major-label single by the three-piece rock band ACIDMAN, chosen as the opening theme for the music program COUNT DOWN TV in October 2002.
It is known as one of their early classics.
Its floating, ethereal melody and a dramatic arrangement that shifts from quiet to loud perfectly capture the melancholic mood of late autumn.
The poetically written worldview evokes scenes like twilight skies and streets lined with colorful trees.
It’s a lyrical rock tune you’ll want to keep listening to.
BELOVEDGLAY23rank/position
Among GLAY’s songs, “BELOVED” is one of their finest ballads.
It’s a mellow mid-tempo ballad, and vocalist TERU’s high, squeezed-out voice suits the autumn atmosphere perfectly.
GLAY, of course, made their major debut in 1994 and has been hugely popular ever since.
The album that includes this track became a million seller.
Swallowtail Butterfly ~Love Song~YEN TOWN BAND24rank/position
Released in 1996.
It’s a popular song that’s still used in commercials and the like.
From the intro, you’re drawn into the world of the song, and CHARA’s vocals completely capture your heart.
Its lonely, monochrome atmosphere is perfect for the fleeting autumn season.
Setting SunYorushika25rank/position
Yorushika is a two-person rock band that keeps detailed profiles private so that the creators don’t step in front of their work.
Their 13th digital-only single, “Shayō,” was written as the opening theme for the TV anime The Dangers in My Heart.
Its melancholy melody, brimming with an autumn atmosphere, is likely something many will want to listen to in October.
With a generally low key, it’s a sentimental pop tune that’s easy to sing at karaoke.
Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai26rank/position
Included on the 2019 album “A View on Lambda,” this song became emblematic of God Does Not Play Dice, reaching many hearts through social media.
Guided by a dreamlike intro, the lyrics overflow with feelings for someone you can no longer meet.
The world where the pain and warmth of an irreplaceable loss continue to linger overlaps perfectly with the air of late autumn.
The contrast between delicate piano and a weighty band sound—quiet and explosive—grips the listener’s heart and won’t let go.
It’s a song that stays with you on nights when you can’t help but think of someone, wrapping gently around that loneliness.
Sumire September LoveSHAZNA27rank/position
This song is SHAZNA’s second major-label single, counted among the “Big Four” of the visual kei scene.
Released in 1997, it debuted at No.
2 on the Oricon charts and was used as the ending theme for the debate variety show Beat Takeshi’s TV Tackle.
Blending a sweet, mellifluous vocal with a dreamy soundscape, the track portrays the bittersweet feelings of a September romance, capturing the hearts of many listeners.
Set against the backdrop of the city at dusk, it evokes the magical moment of falling in love—a sentimental pop tune perfect for the long autumn nights.
Serene and sweet autumn evening lyricismUNISON SQUARE GARDEN28rank/position
It’s a song that seems to turn the quiet, faintly sweet, sentimental air of an autumn dusk straight into sound.
Created by the three-piece rock band UNISON SQUARE GARDEN, it’s a lesser-known gem for the autumn season.
You can almost see scenes that gently capture the tenderness we feel for the passing seasons and the fleeting beauty of a single moment.
This track is included on the acclaimed album MODE MOOD MODE, released in January 2018 toward the end of the Heisei era.
Though it has no tie-ins, its lyrical melody and Kosuke Saito’s crystalline vocals reveal the band’s delicate side.
Listen to it on your way home as the days grow shorter, or alone on a slightly chilly night when you want to sink into your thoughts, and it will slowly seep into your heart.