Ryuichi Sakamoto Popular Song Ranking [2026]

andataSakamoto Ryuichi41rank/position

Ryuichi Sakamoto – andata

This is a piece whose piano timbre, like being in a quiet church, gently accompanies moments when you want to focus deeply.

It opens Ryuichi Sakamoto’s album “async,” released in March 2017 by the world-renowned musician.

As suggested by its title, which in Italian means “that which has gone away,” the solemn resonance that evokes an awareness of endings is striking.

It was also used in the documentary film “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda,” so many of you may remember it.

Simple yet spacious in sound, it strips away unnecessary thoughts and helps you immerse yourself in the task at hand.

It’s perfect for late-night study when you want to calm your mind, or as a companion to creative work.

Why not quietly lend an ear to the beautiful melody left to us by a great musician?

choral no.1Sakamoto Ryuichi42rank/position

choral no. 1

This is a beautiful miniature whose chords, like a quiet prayer, envelop the heart deeply.

Included on the acclaimed album “BTTB,” released in November 1998, this piece was composed as preparation for an opera the following year.

Its greatest appeal lies in the solemn, crystalline resonance that seems to render a choral hymn with a single piano.

With minimal artificial processing and a recording that preserves the rich reverberation of a concert hall, you can fully savor the lingering tones and even the spaces between sounds.

Within its brief span of roughly two and a half minutes, a finely honed world unfolds.

Please give it a listen when you wish to reflect quietly or calm your mind.

fullmoonSakamoto Ryuichi43rank/position

Ryuichi Sakamoto – “fullmoon” (from “async”)

Professor Ryuichi Sakamoto needs no introduction—he is one of Japan’s greatest musicians, celebrated worldwide.

The reason I chose to feature Sakamoto’s work under the theme of contemporary music is that, while he mastered the fundamentals of music theory and created many magnificent songs within those formats, he also awakened to contemporary music in his teens and continued composing without being bound by existing forms or rules.

The track fullmoon appears on async, his first original solo album in eight years, released in 2017, and it features vocals.

It’s also intriguing that the lyrics quote text from the novel The Sheltering Sky, for which Sakamoto composed the film score.

The album as a whole carries the concept of a “soundtrack to an imaginary Andrei Tarkovsky film,” making it a work that strongly evokes cinematic imagery.

Try to set aside as many preconceptions about music as possible, and approach it with an open mind.

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KOH-1

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kokoSakamoto Ryuichi44rank/position

koko

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 2008 track “koko” was released as a single on his first independent label, commmons.

He reportedly considered naming the song “Kokoro” at first, but ultimately settled on “koko” because the original title felt a bit embarrassing—an anecdote that leaves an impression.

The CD containing this work was recorded and produced as a “carbon offset CD,” incorporating carbon offset initiatives as part of greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Sakamoto’s forward-looking spirit and bold willingness to take on new challenges continues to inspire courage in all of us.

lorenz and watsonSakamoto Ryuichi45rank/position

lorenz and watson (2018 Remaster)

We would like to introduce a gem of a solo piano piece that symbolizes a return to the roots of the piano.

It was included as the fourth track on the first pressing of the acclaimed 1998 album “BTTB,” and it remains enduringly popular today.

There is an anecdote that it “came to mind while idly playing the piano,” and you can sense a Satie-like concision and dry humor.

The right-hand melody appears and vanishes like a monologue, while the chord progressions in the left hand and inner voices subtly shift their meanings—tickling the intellect with playful ingenuity.

Offering both calm and a slightly enigmatic harmonic shimmer, this work is perfect for those who want to step away from the bustle of daily life and spend a quiet moment gently facing their inner self.

nostalgiaSakamoto Ryuichi46rank/position

nostalgia

A beautifully intricate piano piece that conveys a sense of momentum within stillness.

It was first used in November 2008 as the commercial song for Samsung Electronics’ “SoftBank 930SC OMNIA,” and was later included on the album “out of noise,” released in March 2009.

The track continues to enjoy enduring support.

Characterized by repeated keystrokes and transparent harmonies, it has the allure of expressing the layering of memory and time through sound itself.

With restrained emotion and a delicate design that extends to its reverberations and silences, the more you listen, the more each grain of sound seeps deeply into your heart.

It’s a piece I highly recommend to anyone who wants to briefly forget the clamor of everyday life and spend some quiet time facing their inner self.

self portraitSakamoto Ryuichi47rank/position

self portrait (Playing The Piano 2009 Japan)

Self Portrait, created by Ryuichi Sakamoto, is an instrumental track released as a promotional video for the album Ongaku Zukan (Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia).

For this album, Sakamoto spent two years jotting down his musical ideas like sketches, resulting in a diverse collection of works.

Incorporating elements of synth-pop, the track also garnered attention for its star-studded collaborations with artists such as Tatsuro Yamashita and Yukihiro Takahashi.

Reflecting Sakamoto’s introspective musicality and experimental approach, the piece is also striking when performed as a piano solo.

Its refreshing melody is perfect for moments of quiet contemplation.

sonatineSakamoto Ryuichi48rank/position

sonatine (2018 Remaster)

A masterpiece that symbolizes a return to origins, BTTB was created entirely with newly written pieces.

Released in November 1998 and followed by a 20th-anniversary edition in 2018, the album’s second track is a warm solo piano work.

Its crystalline harmonies and elegant melodic lines evoke the music of Ravel, the great master of French modernism.

There is even an anecdote that the performer intentionally left in slight mis-touches to express a human breath and gentle fluctuation within an otherwise perfectly balanced framework.

This piece can be regarded as a highly refined miniature that distills elegance and contemporary intellect into a brief span of time.

It is a work I strongly recommend to those who wish to step away from the bustle of everyday life and savor, at leisure, a quietly penetrating, beautiful resonance.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence – Piano Solo FeatureSakamoto Ryuichi49rank/position

Ryuichi Sakamoto – Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

When it comes to piano solo pieces I want to play, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Merry Christmas, Mr.

Lawrence” is indispensable.

Its melody, centered on the five-note pentatonic scale, is achingly beautiful—a true classic.

I imagine many people started learning piano after hearing “Merry Christmas, Mr.

Lawrence.” Composed as the main theme for the 1983 film of the same name, it won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Film Music.

It is one of Sakamoto’s most well-known pieces and is included in numerous piano method books.

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Hamada Takuya

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Railroad Worker (piano version)Sakamoto Ryuichi50rank/position

POPPOYA (piano Version)

This is a piece whose quiet, beautiful melody strikes the heart, evoking scenes of snowy landscapes and station buildings.

Included on the classic album “Ura BTTB,” released in May 1999, this work is a piano solo reimagining of the theme song from the film “Railroad Man (Poppoya),” which won numerous awards at the 23rd Japan Academy Prize.

By deliberately removing the vocal line, the core of the melody—its wistfulness and warmth—stands out even more, which is what makes this piece so wonderful.

Through the resonance of its chords and the use of silence, emotions such as farewell and a sense of loss are carefully portrayed.

It’s also one of the unique appeals of the piano that performers can easily layer their own memories and feelings onto the music.

I highly recommend this masterpiece to anyone seeking a work that allows them to step away from the busyness of daily life and quietly face their own heart.