[2026] Classic Western songs to listen to on Tanabata: love songs about stars and the Milky Way

Counting StarsOneRepublic

OneRepublic – Counting Stars

Since releasing their debut album in 2007, OneRepublic—an American band known for wielding catchy, approachable melodies—has continued to produce songs loved by people of all ages.

The track introduced here is one of their signature hits, released as a single from their third studio album, Native, in 2013.

It’s a model pop song: a superb piece that captivates with its solid band ensemble, striking keyboard phrases, and an irresistible sing-along melody.

Looking at the lyrics, you can’t help but be struck by sharp lines like “let’s count stars instead of money.”

I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)Icona pop

Icona Pop – I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

This is a song by the Swedish electropop duo Icona Pop, released in 2012 and featuring Charli XCX.

Carried by powerful synths, it channels the sense of liberation and defiance that follows a breakup.

The lyrics include the term “Milky Way,” creating an intriguing blend of cosmic romance and down-to-earth emotion.

It became a global hit, reaching No.

2 in Sweden, No.

7 in the United States, and No.

1 in the United Kingdom, and it was also featured in the HBO series Girls.

With its energetic, rebellious message, it’s a perfect track for anyone who’s been hurt in love and wants to reclaim their sense of self.

Milky WayNeil Young & Crazy Horse

Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Milky Way (Official Audio)

As the title, which means the Milky Way, suggests, this is a majestic six-minute ballad imbued with cosmic stillness and beauty.

Released in August as the lead single from the album Colorado, which Neil Young from Canada and Crazy Horse put out in October 2019, the track drew major attention as their first reunion work in seven years.

Recorded at the “Studio in the Clouds” in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, the song features an ethereal guitar solo that seems to echo beneath the starry sky, and poetic lyrics themed around the passage of time and love that resonate deeply.

Listen to it while gazing up at the Milky Way on Tanabata night, and it will overlap with the tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi, making it all the more romantic.

Walking On The Milky WayOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Walking On The Milky Way

This song, with the grand title “Walking on the Milky Way,” is a synth-pop masterpiece released in 1996 by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, a leading force in the UK electronic music scene.

As Andy McCluskey himself has called it one of his finest works, it brilliantly fuses an expansive, string-laden sound with elements of baroque pop.

Included on the album Universal, it reached No.

17 on the UK Singles Chart, yet at the time it suffered the misfortune of being rejected by BBC Radio 1 for being “not trendy.” Even so, the performance with a full orchestra on BBC’s Top of the Pops remains legendary.

Wrapped in a cosmic sense of scale and a beautiful melody, it’s the perfect track to listen to while gazing up at the Tanabata night sky.

Milky WaySyd Barrett

Syd Barrett – Milky way

Speaking of Syd Barrett from Cambridge, England, he’s known as a founding member of the legendary band Pink Floyd, but the body of work he left during his solo career after departing the band in 1968 is not to be overlooked.

This track, included on the album Opel released in October 1988, is one of the previously unreleased recordings from June 1970 at Abbey Road Studios, produced by his former bandmate David Gilmour.

While it has elements of psychedelic folk, it carries a more introspective, dreamlike atmosphere, where Barrett’s delicate guitar work and distinctive vocal style meld to draw listeners into a fantastical sonic world.

As a song themed around the Milky Way, it’s a perfect pick for the night of Tanabata.