[Ages 60s] Popular Japanese Music / J-POP Rankings [By Generation]

Robinsonsupittsu36rank/position

Spitz / Robinson

With its translucent melody and poetic lyrics, this classic song captures the bittersweetness of spring and snapshots of youth.

While carrying loneliness and solitude, the lyrics overflow with a tenderness that cherishes everything that exists, soaking into the heart.

Released in April 1995, it became a massive hit, selling over 1.62 million copies.

It was used as an insert song for the drama “Hakusen Nagashi” and won an Excellence Award at the 37th Japan Record Awards.

It’s a recommended song for times when you want to look back on nostalgic memories or reevaluate your relationship with someone important.

The Maiden with Flaxen HairShimatani Hitomi37rank/position

Hitomi Shimatani / "A Maiden with Flaxen Hair" [OFFICIAL MV FULL SIZE]

Released by Hitomi Shimatani in May 2002, this song is a celebrated piece that portrays a refreshing romance.

It expresses a young girl’s feelings of love through dreamlike imagery, beautifully harmonizing with scenes of landscape and nature.

The lyrics, imbued with youth and purity, are complemented by her clear, translucent vocals, capturing the brilliance of innocent love in full.

Featured in a commercial for Kao Essential Damage Care Shampoo, it became a major hit, peaking at No.

4 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

With its broad, expansive melody and an elegant tone that sways like hair in the wind, it carries a familiar charm that invites everyone to hum along.

Blue Light Yokohamaishida ayumi38rank/position

Blue Light Yokohama

A signature song by Ayumi Ishida that became a major hit in December 1968.

Its elegant, sophisticated melody and lyrics themed around the blue lights that color Yokohama’s nightscape blend beautifully.

The city’s stunning harbor night view overlaps with a fleeting love reflected within it, creating a unique atmosphere.

Written by lyricist Jun Hashimoto, who was influenced by Cannes in France and Picasso’s paintings, the piece brought a fresh breeze to Japanese popular music at the time.

It set an astonishing record by surpassing one million copies in ten days and won the Composition Award at the Japan Record Awards.

Beloved in South Korea as well, it has long been a karaoke staple.

With its relaxed tempo and singable style, it’s a song you’ll want to perform from the heart while picturing the enchanting night views of the port city.

Crossing Amagi PassIshikawa Sayuri39rank/position

Crossing Amagi Pass

A single that tells the story of a woman’s heartrending love as she makes her way to Amagi Pass on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture.

As she passes through dark tunnels and winds along switchback roads, her shifting emotions—upon noticing signs of infidelity—are depicted with the force of a waterfall, at times fierce, at times delicate.

Released in July 1986 as Sayuri Ishikawa’s 45th single, the song later became one of her signature numbers, performed many times on the NHK New Year’s song contest Kouhaku Uta Gassen.

In 2008, it also drew attention when Major League Baseball player Ichiro adopted it as his walk-up music.

Possessing a power that seems to give a gentle push when one stands at a crossroads in life, this work endures as a standard that almost everyone has heard at least once, continuing to resonate closely with many people even today.

Parting at 22kaze40rank/position

Kaze – Farewell at 22 (Official Audio)

With a folk-like, simple chord progression and a conversational melody, this is a song you can sing without straining your voice.

Emotion matters more than technique, and even if you’re not confident at singing, a calm tone unique to men in their 60s can convey plenty of charm, making it a safe choice to try at karaoke.

Also, since few people sing folk songs, performing it in a relaxed, listening-focused way will gently touch listeners’ hearts.

When you sing, don’t belt—deliver it as if you’re speaking to match the song’s mood.

Because a spoken style uses more breath, practicing with humming and lip rolls beforehand will make it easier to produce your voice.

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bullseyeYamamoto Rinda41rank/position

Linda Yamamoto – Shot at the Target (Official Audio)

Linda Yamamoto’s song has a bright, energetic vibe that’s perfect for moving your body to its rhythmic beat.

It’s also fun to enjoy the lyrics’ world and storytelling while coming up with your own choreography.

Released in February 1973, the song became a big hit, reaching No.

14 on the Oricon charts.

It’s well loved as a baseball cheer song and is still known as a staple at high school baseball games more than 50 years later.

It’s great for dancing solo, and also recommended for enjoying together as a group.

Getting your body moving will lift your spirits and help you refresh both body and mind.

Please give me wingsakai tori42rank/position

Red Bird “Please Give Me Wings” 1971

A moving classic that sings of young people’s pure desire for freedom and the wish to live true to oneself.

The beautiful harmonies by Akai Tori are striking, and the blend of lyrics by Mito Yamagami and melody by Kunihiko Murai is superb.

Released in February 1971 as the B-side to “Takeda no Komoriuta,” it was also included on the album Takeda no Komoriuta released in July of the same year.

Since 1997, it has been used as a cheer song for Japan’s national soccer team and was also chosen as the theme song for the film Whisper of the Heart.

This song teaches the importance of holding onto dreams and hopes from childhood while continuing to move toward them.

It’s a recommended track for when you want to release pent-up feelings or take a new step forward.