Nostalgic yet new! Hit songs from the Showa era you’ll want to use as BGM
In recent years, Japanese city pop has been rediscovered worldwide, and revival hits have been emerging on social media like TikTok.
Classic songs that colored the Showa era are resonating with younger generations.
For those who lived through that era, songs that feel nostalgic might, conversely, feel fresh to listeners today.
This time, we’re introducing recommended tracks from the Showa period that are perfect as background music!
We’ve curated a list that people of all ages can enjoy, so be sure to check it out!
- Nothing but masterpieces! Hit songs from the Reiwa era that are perfect for background music
- Resonates across generations! Hit songs that colored the Heisei era, perfect as BGM
- Timeless classics only! Showa-era hit songs perfect for acoustic sing-alongs
- [Classic Showa Kayō Hits] The captivating Showa-era pop songs beloved even by younger generations
- So nostalgic it feels new? Showa retro classics that colored Japan’s period of rapid economic growth
- A classic from the good old days! A famous birthday song born in the Showa era.
- Hits that resonate across generations! Popular 1990s songs on TikTok
- A Showa-era song that had a revival hit on YouTube Shorts
- Evokes the charm of the good old days. Showa-era inspirational songs that are still loved today.
- Showa-era songs that went viral on TikTok / revival hit songs
- Popular Showa-era songs you can use in Instagram Stories
- Including global hits! 80s songs popular on TikTok
- Relive those feelings from back in the day! Youth anthems recommended for the Yutori generation
Nostalgic yet new! Hit songs born in the Showa era that we want you to use as BGM (11–20)
CheersNagabuchi Tsuyoshi
Known as a song often performed at life’s milestones such as weddings and graduation ceremonies, this work was released as the title track of the third album and became a hit with its re-recorded single version in 1988.
Its lyrics, filled with encouragement and congratulations for those embarking on a new stage in life, truly resonate with listeners.
With its relaxed tempo and simple melody, it’s an easy choice for karaoke as well.
It also holds the unusual distinction of topping The Best Ten for three consecutive weeks in 1988 without a single appearance, and can be considered one of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s signature songs.
Sometimes, a tale from long ago — from Porco RossoKatō Tokiko
This is a work written and composed by Tokiko Kato herself, whose warm yet faintly bittersweet worldview evokes a deep nostalgia for days of youth gone by.
As it searches for an unseen future, it conjures scenes of passionate conversations with friends—memories many listeners will find echoing their own.
The song was included on the album “MY STORY / Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo,” released in February 1987, and is also known as the ending theme of the 1992 film Porco Rosso.
The piano arrangement used in the film, with its striking timbre, gently lets you linger in the afterglow of the story.
With its calm melody, it’s also great to play as background music when you want to focus on work.
In conclusion
This time, we introduced some classic Showa-era songs that are perfect as background music—what did you think? From idol tunes to band tracks, they’re all pieces that capture the Showa vibe.
Since they’re famous songs everyone knows, they’re also great picks when you’re unsure what to sing at karaoke, so be sure to check them out.