Songs for summer: Popular Artist Rankings [2026]

clear skiesOrangestar1rank/position

Orangestar – Clear Skies (feat. IA) Official Video

A track by music producer Orangestar, who also works under the alias Mikanboshi-P.

Its striking guitar arpeggios evoke the summer sky, making it a clear, refreshing number.

The lyrics, steeped in bittersweet memories, and the pop, exhilarating sound are irresistibly catchy—so much so that you forget it’s a Vocaloid song and find yourself immersed in its world.

What’s more, the key change in the latter half and the speedy guitar solo in the outro give it both a breezy feel and plenty of substance, making it a truly compelling summer tune.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Girl RayMikito P2rank/position

Mikito-P “Shoujo Rei” MV

Contrasting the freshness of summer, this one song strikes the heart with a poignant story.

Crafted by Mikito-P, it rides on a beautiful melody to sing of precarious emotions and tragedy, as well as the protagonist’s possessiveness and regret.

Mikito-P has said the piece was inspired by the drama “A Human Failure: Suppose I Were to Die” (“Ningen Shikkaku ~ Tatoeba Boku ga Shindara”), and the use of acoustic guitar draws from the show’s featured song “A Hazy Shade of Winter.” It’s perfect for moments when you want to sink into a bittersweet mood on a summer day, or if you love music rich in storytelling.

The contrast between the beautiful melody and the lyrics will surely pull you in.

Give it a listen!

Blue and SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE3rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Blue and Summer

It’s a sparkling number that conjures up a piercing blue sky and dazzling sunshine.

The protagonist, who had always felt a bit cool toward summer, begins to take center stage in their own story as a new romance starts.

It vividly captures a single scene of youth like that.

It’s not just bright; the fleeting pangs of sadness and the anxieties about the future that arise in certain moments are portrayed as well, which is why it resonates so deeply.

This track was released in August 2018 and was written as the theme song for the film “Ao-Natsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-Nichi” (Blue Summer: 30 Days I Fell in Love with You).

Use it as background music for casual times with friends or for a drive, and your summer memories are sure to become many times more vivid.

Dawn and Firefliesn-buna4rank/position

Dawn and Fireflies / n-buna

Ahead of autumn, if you’re unsure how to move forward and feel troubled about the path ahead, I recommend “Yoake to Hotaru” by n-buna.

It’s a track included on his 2015 solo album “Flowers, Candy and the Last Train,” released by the guitarist and composer of Yorushika.

Sung with the same kind of poetic expression found in Yorushika’s music, the song depicts someone hesitantly searching for a way forward yet gradually discovering a light toward the future.

It’s a bittersweet piece that still manages to evoke hope.

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SAKI

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Season in the SunTUBE5rank/position

Tube Season in the sun

The third single overall by TUBE, the four-piece rock band still known today as a byword for summer.

Released in April 1986, it became a major turning point for the band.

Composer Tetsuro Oda is said to have infused it with his own longing for the sea, and the result is an exhilarating number.

Its lyrics, which depict the bittersweet feeling of lamenting the passing summer under the dazzling sun, and its uplifting melody can still set your heart ablaze even now.

It’s perfect not only for summer drives but also for those slightly sentimental moments at dusk.

For those who heard it in real time, it’s an immortal summer song you can’t help but hum along to.

fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi6rank/position

DAOKO × Kenshi Yonezu 'Uchiage Hanabi' MUSIC VIDEO

This is a duet released in August 2017 by DAOKO and Kenshi Yonezu.

It was written as the theme song for the animated film “Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?” and became a major topic of conversation.

DAOKO’s translucent voice and Kenshi Yonezu’s expressive vocals intertwine exquisitely, beautifully portraying the fleeting nature of fireworks that bloom and vanish in the night sky.

Beginning with a piano melody and unfolding into a dramatic chorus that feels like your view suddenly opens up, it perfectly captures the essence of a summer night.

It’s an ideal song for times when you want to feel the joy of moments spent with friends and the bittersweetness of passing seasons.

Why not listen quietly as you look back on your summer memories?

All of the YouthFujifaburikku7rank/position

Fujifabric – Youth of Everything

When it comes to Fujifabric’s signature songs, many people would probably name “Wakamono no Subete.” Released as a single in November 2007, it has been featured in numerous tie-ins, including as the opening theme for NTV’s “Oto Moe!” and in a LINE Mobile commercial.

Inspired by the fireworks of Yamanashi Prefecture—hometown of Masahiko Shimura, who wrote and composed the song—this piece delicately portrays the end of youth, the unease of changing everyday life, and hope for the future.

Its lyrical melody, imbued with the bittersweet air of twilight, perfectly matches images of fireworks bursting at summer’s end.

It’s a classic you’ll want to choose as background music when you want to create an emotional, nostalgic atmosphere.