Recommended Summer Songs for People in Their 70s: A Collection of Nostalgic Summer Tunes [2026]

Pineapple Princesstashiro midori

Pineapple Princess - Midori Tashiro

How about lending an ear to that bright tune that beckons you to a tropical paradise? As the lively sound of the ukulele begins to flow, it’s as if the sweet-and-tart scent of pineapple gently spreads through your heart.

Listen closely to the singing, and you can picture the scene of the protagonist dancing with joy on a sun-sparkling island.

Sung by Midori Tashiro in 1961, this song is a cover of American singer Annette’s number and was extremely popular in Japan at the time.

Give it a listen, and you may forget the summer heat and feel refreshed.

For older listeners, it will surely bring back happy memories of their youth and brighten their hearts.

Young SeasonZa Pīnattsu

Young Season

This is a classic whose cool, refreshing harmony woven by twin sisters gently seeps into the heart.

It’s also known for lyrics penned by Rokusūke Ei, which vividly capture the dazzling brightness of youth and the delicate stirrings of love that sway with the changing seasons.

Released as a record in January 1963, the song reached a wide audience as the theme for a hugely popular NHK TV drama and a Toho film.

For those who watched the drama with rapt attention, the moment the intro plays, the scenes of that time surely come rushing back in vivid detail.

With a slightly sophisticated, jazz-tinged sound, it’s the perfect track to savor on a summer afternoon, alongside your most cherished memories.

Sunflower Pathcherisshu

Sunflower Path, 1972

The intro, where the simple tones of the recorder and accordion overlap, vividly brings to mind dazzling scenes of summer days.

This piece feels like a snapshot of a bittersweet youth—walking down a sunlit path lined with sunflowers alongside someone dear.

Released in May 1972 as Cherish’s third single, it became a major hit, selling around 550,000 copies in total.

Many listeners must have felt their hearts flutter to the pure vocals that often played on the radio.

It’s a classic you’ll want to savor on an afternoon when you wish to bask in the cherished memories of days gone by.

Coffee RumbaNishida Sachiko

Coffee Rumba — Sachiko Nishida

When you hear a lively rhythm, many of you probably feel your heart lift a little.

This song, sung by Sachiko Nishida, who comes from a jazz background, has an irresistibly passionate, tropical atmosphere.

The exotic lyrics convey the thrill of romance carried on the aroma of coffee.

Released in August 1961 as the B-side to “Desire Blues,” this cover song later proved so popular that it was reissued as the A-side, and it was the piece Nishida performed when she made her first appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen that same year.

Give it a listen in the afternoon, and it might put you in a wonderful mood!

Lady of the SeashoreFunaki Kazuo

Lady of the Seashore

It’s a song by Kazuo Funaki with a light, Hawaiian-style rhythm that feels as pleasant as a sunlit seaside scene springing to mind.

With his clear and sincere voice, he sings of the sweet and slightly bittersweet feelings of youthful love for an admired woman.

Released as a single in July 1965, the track drew attention at the time as an innovative rhythm-kayo number.

It continues to be loved to this day, included on classics like the album “A-side Collection 1963–2006.” If you listen to it together during a summer outing, the bustle of the seaside resorts you once visited and memories with someone special may vividly come back to life.

Summer has come!kyandīzu

Candies “Summer Has Come!”

It’s a dazzling summer tune whose three-part harmonies blow away the sweltering heat.

Released in May 1976 as Candies’ 10th single, it followed their massive hit “Haru Ichiban.” The sparkling vocals of Ran, Miki, and Sue capture the protagonist’s excitement at the arrival of summer and the flutter of a budding romance.

This classic also boasts a shining achievement: it won the Golden Star Award at the 5th Tokyo Music Festival.

Why not listen to this song, brimming with the sparkle of youth, and lose yourself in memories of summers past?

Spirit Boat (Shoro Nagashi)gureepu

Shoro Nagashi (2016 Remaster)

That intro, where a melancholy yet beautiful violin melody intertwines with the plucked tones of a guitar, evokes a solemn summer night, doesn’t it? This song by the folk duo Grape, released in April 1974, features Masashi Sada singing with deep emotion about profound grief over the loss of a loved one and a prayer for their repose.

The piece won the Lyrics Award at the 16th Japan Record Awards and is also known for gaining popularity through radio airplay.

On a summer night when you find yourself thinking of someone you can no longer meet, why not listen closely? It will surely kindle a warm, nostalgic glow in your heart.