Top Japanese Music / J-POP Rankings by Generation: 30s
We’re excited to present the latest top 100 rankings of Japanese music/J-POP for listeners in their 30s, listed in order of most plays!
People in their 30s are often seen as entering adulthood—but what songs are they listening to most?
The playlist is updated weekly.
[30s] Popular Japanese Music / J-POP Rankings [By Generation] (1–10)
AM11:00HY1rank/position
HY is a mixed-genre band from Okinawa Prefecture, known for hits like their signature song “366 Days.” “AM11:00,” included on their 2003 release Street Story, is a summer tune with a melodious sound that strikes a chord.
Many people in their 30s may have heard it at karaoke or on a drive date.
Its warm band sound unfolds at a medium tempo and leaves a strong impression.
You can enjoy vibrant choral work that includes rap and male-female vocals.
It’s a song that evokes nostalgia, bringing to mind friends and lovers from that time.
astronomical observationBUMP OF CHICKEN2rank/position
A true masterpiece among masterpieces, with a raw guitar sound and a heart-stirring melody that shine with timeless brilliance—as if the restless rush of youth were rendered directly into sound! Even in the 2020s, BUMP OF CHICKEN’s early signature song “Tentai Kansoku” remains immensely popular and is a karaoke staple.
Motoo Fujiwara’s vocals, still tinged with the youthful blue of his early twenties at the time, are moving no matter when you listen, and overall the pitch sits on the lower side, making it approachable even for those who struggle with high notes.
The pitch movement is somewhat dramatic, and the A-melody in particular demands quite low notes, so try to consciously bring out a sultry nuance like Fujiwara’s without letting it become too flat.
frecklesJUDY AND MARY3rank/position
A classic by JUDY AND MARY that colors the days of youth.
Its appeal lies in the high-velocity, up-tempo melody and catchy lyrics about the strength to overcome heartbreak.
Released in February 1996, this song is also known as the theme song for the anime Rurouni Kenshin.
It was included on the album THE POWER SOURCE and achieved an astonishing 2.8 million in sales.
YUKI’s distinctive vocals leave a strong impression, and at around three minutes long, it’s easy to sing along to.
Highly recommended for women who want to appeal to men who love rock.
This song might be the spark that gets you both excited talking about rock music!
Precious thingsroodo obu mejyaa4rank/position
This is a track that could be called the very origin of Road of Major, a rock band formed from a TV show concept! Released in September 2002 as their indie debut single, it set a remarkable record by entering the Oricon Top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks despite having no tie-in.
It has continued to be loved over the years, later even being used in a car commercial in Taiwan.
With its exhilarating, fast-paced sound and lyrics that depict an unshakable bond with irreplaceable friends, it’s a song that makes your heart burn every time you hear it.
Also included on the classic album “ROAD OF MAJOR,” this track is perfect for throwing your arms around your friends at karaoke and singing together as you each set off on different paths after graduation.
Its melody, where overflowing passion coexists with a touch of bittersweetness, vividly brings back the shining memories of youth.
Butter-FlyWada Kōji5rank/position
The game “Digimon” still enjoys enduring popularity today.
At first, the series had a strong image as a Bandai handheld electronic game, but its popularity really took off after it was adapted into an anime.
Koji Wada’s “Butter-Fly” is known as the theme song for the anime “Digimon Adventure,” and it is still remembered as a classic anime song.
One of the charms of this piece is its lively, quintessentially anime-style melody.
Its straightforward and exhilarating tune—something not often heard in recent anime songs—likely captured the hearts of men in their 30s who were kids at the time.
A Little Love SongMONGOL8006rank/position
It’s a coming-of-age love song that’s been adored across generations since its release on September 16, 2001.
The overall vocal range of the song is A#2 to G#4, and anyone who’s tried singing it has probably felt how wide the lower range is.
If you’re not used to singing low notes, your voice can get muffled and it becomes hard to sing.
In fact, when you’re not accustomed to a certain part of your range—whether low or high—you use more breath than you think.
You need to inhale with diaphragmatic breathing, and you also need to fully exhale the breath you’ve taken in.
Many people surprisingly don’t exhale completely, so for low notes, project your voice forward slowly and make sure to breathe out fully.
If you can nail the low notes in the A melody, you can suddenly aim for a high score!
SaudadePorunogurafiti7rank/position
For PornoGraffitti, their early masterpiece that marked their first No.
1 on the Oricon charts and their first million-seller was Saudade, released in 2000! It boldly incorporates the Latin-flavored sound that has become virtually synonymous with them today, and the song has earned cross-generational popularity—so much so that they performed it on THE FIRST TAKE in 2021, generating a huge buzz.
It’s also a karaoke favorite, and you’ll notice when you actually try singing it that the combination of Latin music and Japanese kayōkyoku works amazingly well and makes it very easy to sing.
Practice while paying attention to the slightly rapid-fire parts and the key change in the latter half!