Classic songs about roads. Recommended popular tracks.
This is a playlist of songs with roads as the theme.
It’s fascinating to compare how artists from different eras and genres portray the road—whether it’s the way there, the way back, an uncharted path, or a highway.
Even when it’s the same “road,” each artist expresses it differently.
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Classic songs about the road. Recommended popular tracks (71–80)
Chuo FreewayMatsutōya Yumi
It’s the perfect song to listen to on a road trip.
It’s a classic by Yumi Matsutoya from when she was still single.
This song, inspired by the Chuo Expressway, became a hot topic because its lyrics depict the real scenery you see from a car window.
A freeway is a “road of freedom.” With a song like this, you feel like you could drive on forever.
Surfing JohnnyKuwata Keisuke
A masterpiece has been born—a love story set on a summer seashore, tracing encounters, partings, and the path to renewal.
Riding on a lively rock sound, Keisuke Kuwata’s lyrical vocals resonate deeply.
Overflowing passion, heartrending farewells, and the courage to find love again after loneliness are all woven together with a refreshing melody.
Released in July 2001, the song was also featured in a Japan Coca-Cola campaign and became a million seller.
It was included on the album “TOP OF THE POPS,” drawing a major response.
It’s a perfect track for those yearning for the arrival of the season of love, as they feel the fresh ocean breeze.
Chuo FreewayArai Yumi
A timeless Yuming classic that still feels fresh today.
At the time of its release, the sound was exceptionally stylish.
It’s a piece that conjures images of the scenery along today’s straight Central Expressway—places like the Chofu Air Base and Fuchu Racecourse—and the cars driving along it right before your eyes.
It’s included on the 1976 album The 14th Moon.
Iconic songs about roads. Recommended popular tracks (81–90)
road; way; path; street; route; Tao (in philosophy)EXILE
Michi by EXILE is also famous as a classic graduation song.
Released on February 14, 2007, it is EXILE’s 23rd single.
Set to a beautiful melody, it sings about the preciousness of the irreplaceable time spent with friends.
We all have experiences where encounters with many people have changed us in some way.
There may have been times when we clashed, but this song reminds us that it is precisely because of all those experiences that we are who we are today.
Shiretoko Ryojo (Shiretoko Travel Sentiment)Katō Tokiko
Set in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko, this is a so-called regional song.
Hisaya Morishige—an iconic Showa-era figure who wore many hats as a nationally beloved actor, singer, and comedian—wrote both the lyrics and music, and performed it himself at the 13th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
The song gained nationwide recognition when singer Tokiko Kato covered it.
Remarkably, it held the No.
1 spot on the Oricon charts for seven consecutive weeks in 1971, sparking a Shiretoko boom at the time as a synergistic effect.
As a hit in the kayōkyoku genre, it stands out as one of the rare and representative masterpieces in triple meter.
In addition to Morishige’s original version, many artists have covered it, so I recommend checking out various renditions!
EurekaHoshino Gen
Gen Hoshino offers a heartwarming song about self-renewal and the courage to look forward.
While drawing on jazz and soul, it supports that first step into the unknown with his signature gentle melodies and deeply insightful lyrics.
Embracing the anxieties and doubts we all carry, its warm message resonates by staying close to the small joys and realizations of everyday life.
Released in January 2025, this powerful track was written as the theme song for the TBS Tuesday drama “Madoka, 26, I’m a Resident Doctor!” The music video, directed by photographer Kotori Kawashima, also highlights a relaxed, charming atmosphere with actor Taiga Nakano.
It’s an encouraging anthem that stands by anyone ready to take a new step or in need of courage to live.
The Path of the WindSuginami Jidō Gasshōdan
This piece is mostly used as background music, so I think few people have actually heard the lyrics.
The lyrics fit the melody very well, giving me the impression of a solitary signpost suddenly appearing in a dignified landscape.
Also, the timbre unique to choral music is beautiful.