Thrilling to Cool Showa-Era Tunes! Classic Songs from Female Singers and Artists of the Showa Period
Showa-era songs are now loved by the younger generation too.
Many people probably think they’re “cool,” don’t they?
No wonder—there were so many timeless hits by female stars radiating overwhelming charisma, like Momoe Yamaguchi and Akina Nakamori.
Beyond their outstanding vocal ability, you can’t help but be drawn to their astonishing allure.
From Showa kayō and enka to rock and city pop, and more.
This is a playlist featuring cool Showa-era tracks across genres!
- Cool songs from the Showa era. Masterpieces from Showa that shine with sensuality, passion, and rugged charm.
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- [Nostalgic Hits] Smash Hits with the Showa Generation! Classic and Popular Songs Sung by Female Vocalists
- [Classic Showa Kayō Hits] The captivating Showa-era pop songs beloved even by younger generations
- [Revisited] A roundup of popular and classic Showa-era songs that are trending now [2026]
- Nostalgic yet fresh!? Classic masterpieces of Japanese rock from the 1970s and 1980s
- A classic Showa-era kayōkyoku song sung by a female vocalist. A nostalgic tune passed down through the years.
- Popular Showa-era pop. Timeless hit songs.
- Heart-touching, tear-jerking masterpieces from the Showa era
- An iconic song by a female artist that Gen Z can get hyped about with their peers
- When you can’t decide what to sing at karaoke: Easy-to-sing classic hits from the Showa era
- Timeless classics only! Showa-era hit songs perfect for acoustic sing-alongs
- Songs by Showa-era idols that you’ll want to listen to now, in the Reiwa era!
[Feel the Thrill of Cool Showa-Era Tunes!] Classic Showa Songs by Female Singers/Artists (31–40)
You Are the One Who Rings That BellWada Akiko
There’s even an anecdote that Horipro’s president, Takeo Hori, approached lyricist Yū Aku with the wish to create “a song that could win the Japan Record Award’s Vocal Performance Award.” And in the end, it actually won that very award—proof of the incredible energy of everyone involved.
The song has since become one of Akiko Wada’s signature numbers.
She sometimes performs it with an orchestra, and her vocal power as a singer—never overshadowed by the orchestra—is simply stunning.
And of course, Yū Aku’s lyrics, chronicling the times and loneliness, are exceptional.
TAXISuzuki Kiyomi
Here’s a song from the end of the Showa era, made in 1987.
Seimi Suzuki—also known as the sister of Masayuki Suzuki—is, I think, a singer with a soulful voice and a coolness that transcends gender.
The song she sings, “TAXI,” only mentions a taxi in the opening lyrics; after that, it depicts a woman going to see the man she separated from.
What makes this song so cool, in my view, is how it expresses the possibility of interaction between a man and a woman after a breakup.
Being able to stay connected post-breakup feels like something uniquely associated with Seimi Suzuki.
Love is overŌyō Fifi
The singer who performed this song, Ouyang Fei Fei, is a Taiwanese artist.
Her singing and visuals are cool, but isn’t the real coolness of this song in its lyrics? The way the lyrics present a breakup to a man in a weaker position—while saying he’s not disliked—is strikingly novel and stands out among Showa-era songs.
Perhaps these lyrics work precisely because they’re sung by a cool, independent woman like her.
From around the end of the Showa era, when these lyrics were born, I feel like portrayals of strong women and weak men began to appear more and more.
In conclusion
We’ve packed in a tight showcase of cool Showa-era songs sung by women. Did you find any you liked? For those who listened to them in real time back then, I’m sure nostalgic memories came flooding back, and for first-time listeners, I hope they felt a fresh jolt of excitement. I also thought that unique sense of thrill you get from Showa music was really cool!