Graduation Songs for Those in Their 30s: Nostalgic Classics That Rekindle Emotions & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today

spring melancholyMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Spring Melancholy

A pop tune spun the day after graduation that portrays springtime partings and reunions.

Motoki Omori, the vocalist of Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, beautifully captures the uniquely adolescent mix of emotions in memories with friends.

While wrestling with pale longings and ideals, the melody overflows with feelings for someone, and it was also featured as the theme song for Suntory’s “Craft Boss” commercial.

At times tinged with melancholy yet full of hope, the sound gently nudges those poised to take a new step forward with the arrival of spring.

graduation tripNMB48

graduation trip

Released in March 2015, this NMB48 song is a heartwarming piece that cherishes bonds with friends and shared memories.

It portrays scenes of looking out at the passing landscape from a train while reflecting on the time spent together, accompanied by gentle piano tones.

Blending the hopeful glow of a faintly lit future with the bittersweet feeling of setting off on separate paths, the track achieves a harmonious balance.

It was included as a coupling track for “Don’t look back!” and is also featured on the album “Namba Ai ~Ima, Omou Koto~.” It is sure to resonate with those bidding farewell to graduating friends or parting from someone special.

SAKURA GoodbyeSCANDAL

SCANDAL “SAKURA Goodbye” / Sakura Goodbye – Music Video

A number that became one of SCANDAL’s signature early works, beautifully capturing both the bittersweetness and freshness that accompany graduation scenes.

Its message, told from a true-to-life perspective, carries a power that evokes universal empathy.

The song had existed since the band’s formation and drew attention when it was used as the ending theme for Fuji TV’s variety show “Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!” Its up-tempo rock sound and the sense of parting—and anticipation for a new journey—set against the season of cherry blossoms are sure to resonate as spring arrives.

It can be called a gem of a pop tune that colors a page of youth, perfect for listening to at life’s important milestones.

bookmarkkuriipuhaipe

CreepHyp - “Bookmark” (MUSIC VIDEO)

A song depicting the feelings of spring, included on the album “Nakitakunaru hodo Ureshii Hibi ni,” released in September 2018.

It was written specifically for the campaign “FM802 × TSUTAYA ACCESS!” jointly organized by FM802 and TSUTAYA, and is notable for CreepHyp’s distinctive rock sound.

With great care, it portrays the delicate emotions of someone trying to move forward while holding past memories close to their heart, unfolding a story of parting and rebirth alongside scenes of cherry blossoms.

Blending an emotional melody with Seikaikan Ozaki’s uniquely expressive vocals, this work is sure to resonate deeply with anyone experiencing a springtime farewell.

It’s a song to help organize your heart—one we hope everyone standing at the threshold between an ending and a beginning will listen to.

CheersNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Cheers

This is one of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s signature works, carrying a warm message of blessing to celebrate new beginnings.

Loved by many as an anthem cheering on those stepping onto life’s big stage, it’s a heartwarming piano folk ballad that gently stands by you and gives you the courage to move forward.

Released in September 1980, the song was born from the feeling of congratulating a friend on their wedding, then re-recorded in 1988 and became a major hit.

It also became familiar as the theme song for Kirin Lager Beer commercials in the 1990s.

It’s a powerful song of encouragement that stays close when you or your friends are at life’s milestones or starting anew, and when you need a lift yourself.

my graduationSPEED

SPEED / my graduation -Music Video-

There’s a song that resonates in the heart when we reach the milestone of graduation.

One of them is SPEED’s “my graduation.” Its piano melody stirs gentle emotions while also carrying a strength that gives us the courage to take a step forward.

While expressing the pain and bittersweetness of heartbreak, the song also paints a picture of a bright future, making it deeply tied to many people’s memories of graduation.

SPEED’s passionate vocals shake listeners to the core and deliver a message perfectly suited to a new beginning called graduation.

Graduationgagaga supi

Gagaga SP “Graduation ~Ore-sama Tensai Igyō-shū ver.~”

Gagaga SP’s “Sotsugyo” (Graduation) is their major-label debut single released in 2002, combining the raw power and poignancy of punk rock that evokes the heat of youth.

Kozak Maeda’s raspy voice and the song’s driving, fast-paced melody strike a chord, and it was especially popular among students during graduation season.

The lyrics, which depict parting from someone you love as well as anxieties and hopes for the future, still resonate deeply with those experiencing these feelings now, as well as with people in their 30s who look back nostalgically on those days.

A song that vividly colored a moment of youth, it remains a staple worthy of being sung at karaoke even today.