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Southern All Stars Ballad Songs: Popular Song Ranking [2026]

When it comes to Japanese summer rock, Southern All Stars immediately come to mind.

That’s how deeply they’ve permeated the scene.

A veteran five-piece southern rock band consisting of Keisuke Kuwata on vocals and guitar, Kazuyuki Sekiguchi on bass, Hiroshi Matsuda on drums, Yuko Hara on keyboards and vocals, and Hideyuki Nozawa on percussion.

This time, we’ll be taking a closer look at them.

Based on genuine feedback from fans submitted to our site so far, we researched their most popular songs.

Among those, we’ll present the most highly acclaimed tracks in a ranking format.

Enjoy!

Southern All Stars Ballad Songs: Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (1–10)

Two People in a Fading CitySazan Ōrusutāzu8rank/position

This is a gently melancholic song that evokes a twilight cityscape and seeps into the heart.

It’s included on the album “THANK YOU SO MUCH,” released in March 2025 by Southern All Stars, the rock band that has led the Japanese music scene for many years.

The lyrics portray a man and woman in a delicate, not-quite-lovers relationship, with only time slipping by—a sense of helplessness conveyed through Keisuke Kuwata’s tenacious, resonant vocals.

The track also serves as the theme song for the film “Sunflower on the Board,” enveloping the story in a lingering afterglow.

I especially recommend it to anyone seeking a ballad that quietly stays by your side at the end of the day when you’re alone, or when you’re carrying feelings that are hard to put into words.

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Oh, Girl (The Sad Screen of My Heart)Sazan Ōrusutāzu9rank/position

OH, GIRL (Sad Screen of the Heart) [2024 Remaster]
Oh, Girl (The Sad Screen of My Heart)Sazan Ōrusutāzu

A gem of a ballad crafted by Southern All Stars.

It portrays, from a third-person perspective, a woman who single-mindedly continues to long for someone she can no longer meet.

The metaphor in the lyrics—that her sweet yet painful emotions are projected onto a screen—is truly superb.

This piece is included on the classic album “Southern All Stars,” released in January 1990, and was later featured on the best-of collection “Ballad 3: the album of LOVE.” Keisuke Kuwata’s wistful vocals and melody link exquisitely with the lonely, autumnal atmosphere, making it a masterpiece.

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Sakura, flutterSazan Ōrusutāzu10rank/position

Southern All Stars – Sakura, Hirari [Official Visualizer]
Sakura, flutterSazan Ōrusutāzu

The new song by Southern All Stars features a heartwarming melody that evokes the arrival of spring.

With cherry blossoms as its motif, it carries a message of hope and renewal, and it’s truly wonderful.

Released as a lead single from the album “THANK YOU SO MUCH” on January 1, 2025, the track coincided with the first anniversary of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Keisuke Kuwata’s warm vocals are accompanied by an acoustic guitar that feels like a spring breeze.

It’s a moving song you’ll want to hear during graduation and school entrance season.

I hope elementary school students will listen to it, too.

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Southern All Stars Ballad Songs: Popular Songs Ranking [2026] (11–20)

Christmas Love (After the Tears, White Snow Falls)Sazan Ōrusutāzu11rank/position

Christmas Love (After the Tears, White Snow Falls) – Southern All Stars – COVER
Christmas Love (After the Tears, White Snow Falls)Sazan Ōrusutāzu

It’s a Christmas ballad released in 1993.

While Southern All Stars are often associated with upbeat summer tunes, this song is a gentle, shimmering piece that conveys the cheerful spirit of Christmas.

That said, in contrast to the overall image the music evokes, the lyrics poignantly portray an unrequited love.

The depth and sincerity of the protagonist’s feelings are so powerful that simply listening is enough to move your heart.

Hane Keisuke
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Shonan SeptemberSazan Ōrusutāzu12rank/position

Southern All Stars are often associated with summer, but they also have plenty of masterpieces perfect for autumn listening.

This track is a bittersweet, AOR-style ballad set in Shonan.

Included on the album “Sakura,” released in October 1998, its distinctly ’90s sound stirs a sense of nostalgia.

The lyrics depict memories of a bygone love—not just a beautiful recollection, but an honest portrayal of desires and humiliation, which makes it all the more poignant.

It’s the perfect number for those moments when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood by the seaside, with the clamor of summer fading into the distance.

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NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAINSazan Ōrusutāzu13rank/position

It’s a track included on the album “Kirei,” released in September 1983.

As the title—meaning something like “I Won’t Fall in Love Anymore”—suggests, it portrays a bittersweet heartbreak.

The lyrics, written from the perspective of the man in a couple who broke up after he realized her feelings had drifted away, are easy for many to relate to.

Between the lines, you can still sense that he hasn’t completely let go of his feelings for her.

The song was featured in 2025 in UNIQLO’s HEATTECH commercial, “A Pleasant Morning.”

Hane Keisuke
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