Summer song medley. Timeless and popular tracks that color the summer.
What kind of songs do you feel like listening to when summer comes?
Everyone might have their own answer—whether it’s upbeat, bright tracks that get you pumped, or sentimental ballads filled with the unique wistfulness of summer.
On the other hand, many people might feel there are just too many summer songs to choose from!
So in this article, we’ll introduce a carefully curated summer song medley selected by our editorial team.
We’ve gathered a generous selection of timeless gems, so be sure to give them a listen!
- Classic “summer songs” you’ll want to listen to in summer. Timeless J-pop summertime anthems perfect for summer guys and summer girls.
- A collection of summer-like songs: tracks that go perfectly with summer, like the sea and the sky.
- [Summer Classics] When it comes to summer, it’s got to be this song! A roundup from timeless staples to the latest hit tracks.
- [Summer Love Songs] Hot and Heart-wrenching! Carefully Selected Summer Tunes of Love That Set Your Heart Ablaze
- Love songs you want to listen to in summer. Love songs that color the summer.
- [Summer Songs] Summer tracks recommended for teens: A roundup of the latest and classic hits
- Songs of Summer from the Showa Era: A comprehensive introduction, from nostalgic Japanese hits to timeless favorites still popular today
- Reiwa-era summer songs: A roundup of new staple tracks that color the hot summer
- [2026] A summer song that tightens your chest with bittersweet feelings. A classic summer tune that touches the heart.
- Songs to Enjoy in Summer! Classic Hits Special (Showa & Heisei)
- Ballads to Listen to in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs That Embrace Bittersweet Longing
- [Masterpieces to Enjoy During Summer Vacation] A collection of summer songs bursting with summer vibes
- [Summer Songs] Stylish Japanese Hits: A Collection of Masterpieces That Bring a Refreshing Breeze
Summer song medley. Classic and popular songs that color the summer (41–50)
The Summer When You Were ThereMr.Children
This is Mr.
Children’s very first single, known for its refreshing guitar sound.
It blends the melancholy of late summer with faint memories of young love, making listeners’ hearts ache in the sweetest way.
It’s as if the melody itself carries the purity of youth and nostalgia for days gone by.
Released in August 1992, the song was featured again in 2017 as the theme for NTT Docomo’s 25th anniversary commercial, etching itself into many hearts once more.
Play it on a summer drive or by the seaside at dusk, and you’ll be wrapped in a feeling that’s bittersweet yet warm.
It’s also perfect for when you want to bask in the sweet-and-sour memories of youth.
sea glassSaucy Dog
It’s a song by Saucy Dog that evokes sparkling summer scenes and the sweet-and-sour memories of young love.
Sung over a driving, exhilarating sound, it captures the charm and fragility of a wonderful romance, and the fleeting brilliance of youth that will never return.
It’s sure to deliver a bittersweet yet heartwarming emotion to listeners.
Released as a digital single in July 2020, the track was also included on the mini-album “Take Me” in September of the same year.
The music video, produced in collaboration with Honda’s youth support project “Honda×Music: Wanna Ride a Bike? MUSIC FES.,” expresses the dynamism of youth racing forward on a motorcycle.
Whether you’re feeling the wind on a summer drive or suddenly reminiscing about your school days, listening to this song may bring back the flutter of those moments.
Season in the SunTUBE
This is TUBE’s quintessential summer anthem, packed with the faint wistfulness that comes as summer draws to a close and the radiant, sun-like energy that still blazes on.
Vivid scenes of the endless blue sea and bittersweet young love unfold in your mind, instantly transporting you to summer the moment you press play.
Released in April 1986 as the band’s third single, it was also included on that year’s album THE SEASON IN THE SUN.
You might recognize it from Kirin Beer and Suntory commercials.
Peaking at No.
6 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, this track is sure to set your heart ablaze whenever you feel like reminiscing about days of youth gone by!
SUMMER SONGYUI
A refreshing summer tune by YUI that captures the moment two people suddenly grow closer under the shimmering sun.
It sings of a special time when their hearts truly connect—perhaps only for the summer, but real all the same.
Just listening makes your heart skip a beat.
The sparkling melody brings back one happy summer memory after another.
Released in July 2008, this single became YUI’s third number-one hit on the Oricon weekly chart.
You can also find it on the album “HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN.” As you look back on a fun summer and listen to it with someone special, it’s sure to strengthen your bond.
Even the faint sadness that comes at summer’s end will be turned into warm memories.
TSUNAMISazan Ōrusutāzu
Like waves that surge and recede, this is one of Southern All Stars’ signature songs, painting an overwhelming swell of emotion you can’t control.
The lyrics, which layer the deep sorrow of heartbreak and a sense of helplessness over the irresistible force of nature, have touched countless hearts.
Beginning quietly with a piano melody and then enveloping you in grand strings as the feelings rise, the song was released in January 2000.
Embraced as the theme for the TV show segment “Mirai Nikki III” on “UNNAN no Hontoko!”, it became a work remembered both in records and in memories, winning the Grand Prize at the 42nd Japan Record Awards that same year.
On nights when you’re weighed down by unbearable sadness, listen to this song—surely it will stay close to your heart.
Summer is comingDaikoku Maki
With the crisp, catchy rhythm of timbales that seems to herald the arrival of summer, this is a standout track by Maki Ohguro.
Released in April 1994, the song is also included on the album “Eien no Yume ni Mukatte.” Its charm lies in the straightforward lyrics that capture the slightly stubborn feelings of a protagonist who can’t quite be honest despite the expectations around marriage.
It also reached living rooms nationwide as the opening theme for COUNT DOWN TV and as a Sapporo Beer commercial song.
It’s a perfect pick to amp up a summer drive and to give courage to anyone who wants to move forward at their own pace.
BLUE BIRDHamasaki Ayumi
It’s a dazzlingly refreshing track that evokes a boundless blue sky and white sandy beaches.
It portrays the hope that awaits beyond hardship and the strong bond that lets you soar into the future with someone dear.
This work is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 40th single, released in June 2006, and it debuted at No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It’s also well known as the song used in the Zespri Gold Kiwi commercial, and it’s included on the album “Secret” as well as the summer best-of compilation “A SUMMER BEST.” Listen to it on a summer drive or while soaking up the sun at the beach, and your spirits are sure to soar.
When you’re ready to take a new step forward, this song will surely give you courage.
Why not listen to it with someone special and talk about your hopes for the future?