![Yellow Magic Orchestra Popular Song Ranking [2026]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/Yxep-gS-Btg/maxresdefault.webp)
Yellow Magic Orchestra Popular Song Ranking [2026]
In Japan, YMO is said to have laid the foundation for techno music using electronic instruments such as synthesizers.
Their songs let you feel the nostalgia of vintage technopop while also offering a sense of freshness.
In this ranking, we introduce YMO tracks that have been frequently listened to since the start of this year, ordered by number of plays.
Whether you know them well or have never listened before, give them a try!
Yellow Magic Orchestra Popular Song Rankings [2026] (1–10)
RydeenYellow Magic Orchestra1rank/position
A masterpiece released by Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1980.
Although it’s an instrumental, its imaginative sound captivated listeners around the world and helped ignite Japan’s technopop boom.
You can feel YMO’s creativity everywhere—in the unique timbre of the A section, the horse-hoof sounds in the C section, and the sound effects.
The anecdote that the piece was born from a conversation around a kotatsu is also memorable.
The sound design using Haruomi Hosono’s Korg PS-3100 and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ARP Odyssey is superb.
Composed by Yukihiro Takahashi and arranged by all the members, it boasts exceptional polish.
It’s a quintessential YMO track that every music fan should hear at least once.
Why not let yourself dance to it around a campfire? It’s sure to become a wonderful memory.
I’m smitten with you.Yellow Magic Orchestra2rank/position
Yellow Magic Orchestra is a group that gained popularity for their innovative electronic music.
Their song “Kimi ni, Mune Kyun.” was composed from the perspective that, since they had been supplying hit numbers to idols at the time, “if we can keep cranking out idol hits, then in theory we could also become popular as middle-aged idols ourselves.” As a result, it features a catchy, somewhat cute melody.
With a narrow vocal range and a fairly even melodic contour, it’s also a very easy song to sing.
TechnopolisYellow Magic Orchestra3rank/position
It was Yellow Magic Orchestra’s (YMO) first single, released in October 1979.
I remember how striking the heavy use of synthesizers and the vocoder-treated vocals were when it came out.
I first heard the song on FM radio one morning when I was in junior high, was instantly captivated, and ran straight to the record store after school that day.
I imagine many people now in their late 40s and older as of 2022 have similar memories.
I believe it’s a Showa-era classic that introduced the existence and sound of the synthesizer to the general public!
TECHNOPOLISYellow Magic Orchestra4rank/position
A signature track by Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), who dominated the 1970s music scene with their innovative electronic sound.
Its futuristic cityscape, crafted with synthesizers and drum machines, captivated music fans worldwide as an early pioneer of technopop.
Included on the 1979 album Solid State Survivor, it reached No.
1 on Japan’s Oricon chart and became a major hit, selling over one million copies.
The futuristic musical style and lyrics themed around urban life reflected the era’s optimism about technology.
Foreshadowing the digital age, the song remains as compelling as ever today.
RaideenYellow Magic Orchestra5rank/position
Yellow Magic Orchestra is a musical unit that Japan proudly shares with the world.
Its keyboardist, Ryuichi Sakamoto, wrote Rydeen, inspired by the film Star Wars.
It’s been used in countless TV shows and movies, so even those who didn’t grow up with it have likely heard it.
The track also weaves in Japanese elements—like sampled sounds of galloping horses—which is a lovely touch.
Take this opportunity to revisit this danceable song that changed the course of Japanese music.
Day TripperYellow Magic Orchestra6rank/position
This work boldly reconstructs the Beatles’ 1965 classic as reimagined by YMO.
Included on the 1979 masterpiece Solid State Survivor, it features a groundbreaking fusion of Makoto Ayukawa’s guest guitar and an austere, mechanical synthesizer sound.
While preserving the raw energy of the original riff, Yukihiro Takahashi’s cool vocals lend an urban sheen, elevating it into a distinctly YMO technopop.
It also appears on the live album Public Pressure, underscoring its status as a key repertoire piece that captures the fervor of the time.
It’s a track I can recommend to a wide range of listeners, from rock fans to electronic music enthusiasts.
Cosmic SurfingYellow Magic Orchestra7rank/position
While keeping in mind that the obi strip on the record of the self-titled debut album—released in 1978—by YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra), Japan’s pride on the world stage, labeled it as “fusion,” I urge you to listen to the masterpiece Cosmic Surfing, composed by Haruomi Hosono.
Its distinctive, exotically tinged phrases, the freewheeling bursts of electronic sound, and the sonics that traverse the line between techno-pop and fusion can only be called revolutionary.
In fact, guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka played on it, which may be another reason the fusion element comes across.
What’s more, the original version of this track actually appeared on the omnibus album PACIFIC—also by Hosono and featuring Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuro Yamashita—and in live performances it’s played in a completely different form.
It isn’t pure fusion, but if you keep in mind the historical context in which this sound was discussed under the banner of fusion, you may well discover something new.
