[Summer Classics] When it comes to summer, it’s got to be this song! A roundup from timeless staples to the latest hit tracks.
When you hear “summer songs,” what tracks come to mind? Is it a hit from your youth, a classic you hear somewhere every year once summer arrives, or the latest chart-topper? In this article, we’ll introduce timeless summer-song masterpieces that instantly bring the season to mind.
From tracks that amp up your energy to songs that take you back to a page of your youth, it’s a lineup that captures many shades of “summer.” With your favorite summer tunes, let’s power through the hot season!
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[Summer Classics] When it comes to summer, it’s this song! A roundup from timeless staples to the latest hit tracks (21–30)
Shadows of SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE
As the end of summer draws near, a sudden mix of loneliness and a racing heart wells up inside.
Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s song gently scoops up those hard-to-put-into-words feelings.
The bittersweetness toward a passing season and the faint summer-infused crush that you almost want to blame on the heat resonate in your chest atop a crystal-clear melody.
This track was selected as the CM song for Kirin’s Gogo-no-Kocha, featuring Ren Meguro from Snow Man.
Released in August 2025 as their 20th digital single, it’s packed with both the sparkle and the wistfulness of summers spent with friends.
Use it as the BGM for a short video compiling your fun summer memories, and it’s sure to instantly heighten the emotional vibe.
Samama Festival!Mrs. GREEN APPLE
This is Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s second major-label single, released in June 2016.
Its irresistibly bright sound and effervescent melody, themed around summer festivals, resound like a starting gun announcing the arrival of summer.
The lyrics vividly conjure up scenes of friends cutting loose under the sun, forgetting their inhibitions, and savoring a fleeting season to the fullest.
In addition to being featured as the 2016 commercial song for Nippon Engineering College, the release was celebrated with a live show limited to 100 attendees.
Put it on during a drive or barbecue with friends, and it’s sure to set the stage for the perfect start to summer.
[Summer Classics] When it comes to summer, it’s this song! A roundup from timeless staples to the latest hit tracks (31–40)
A midsummer passing showerUtada Hikaru
Marking Hikaru Utada’s return to activity after six years, this song uses a sudden summer rain as its motif to portray feelings for a lost loved one.
It appears on the album Fantôme, released in September 2016, and was also chosen as the theme for NTV’s NEWS ZERO.
The lyrics, filled with deep love for her late mother and a profound sense of loss, are sure to resonate strongly with listeners.
It’s a song that offers comfort to those who have experienced a sudden farewell or who are thinking of someone dear.
Best enjoyed quietly by the window on a summer evening.
HANABIMr.Children
This is a work released in September 2008, chosen as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Code Blue: Doctor Heli Kinkyū Kyūmei.” It was later included on the album “SUPERMARKET FANTASY.” While grappling with one’s sense of self-worth, it portrays the strength of people who keep reaching out for fragile hopes.
Like lights that bloom and fade in the summer night sky, it evokes the image of someone who refuses to give up, even on dreams that seem out of reach.
It’s a bittersweet yet powerful song filled with messages that can give you the strength to face forward again when you feel lost and come to a standstill in life.
summer squallarashi
This is a song by the nationally beloved group Arashi, written and composed by Yuzu’s Yujin Kitagawa.
It was chosen as the support song for the 2018 summer high school baseball season and as the theme for “Netto Koshien.” You can practically picture the single-minded dedication of those who stake everything on a fleeting summer, covered in dirt and sweat on the field.
Its refreshing, high-energy sound and straightforward message that pushes on those chasing their dreams will resonate in your heart.
It’s a powerful anthem not only for anyone devoted to their passion, but also for you who are thinking of taking a new step this summer.
Et cetera related to the seashorePUFFY
Released by PUFFY in 1997, “Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Etc.” is one of the quintessential summer songs of the ’90s.
With lyrics by the uniquely expressive Yosui Inoue and a catchy composition by Tamio Okuda, it evokes a bright, breezy atmosphere that feels like a day at the beach and hints at an escape from the everyday.
Reading the lyrics—描いているのは恋をしながらビーチで楽しく夏を過ごす様子—you can’t help but feel your own summer memories resurface.
It’s perfect not only as a soundtrack for a summer drive, but also for having a lively, fun time with friends at karaoke.
King of SummerKinKi Kids
From the opening chant, this cheerful KinKi Kids number whisks you straight into summer mode.
It bursts with energetic charm that blows your worries away as brightly as the sun.
Grounded in Latin pop, the horn section and steel pans carry a tropical breeze and create an irresistible groove.
Released in June 2000, it captured many hearts as the theme song for the drama “Summer Snow,” starring Tsuyoshi Domoto.
It drew fresh attention again in 2023 as a McDonald’s commercial song.
It’s truly a track that cranks up that “I want to revel in summer!” feeling to the max.