Yankee Songs: A Collection of Tracks about Delinquents, Rebels, and Mischief
When you think of “yankees” and “tsuppari” (delinquent youth), a lot of images come to mind—motorbikes, fights, tokkofuku (special long jackets), and more.
From the past to the present, it’s a theme that often appears in dramas, movies, and manga, packed with cool elements like friendship, manly spirit, and clumsy kindness.
In this article, we’ll be introducing plenty of songs themed around these yankees and tsuppari! We’ll be featuring not only Showa-era tracks but also more recent releases.
Now, let’s dive in and start listening!
- Classic songs about fights. Recommended popular tracks
- A Must-See for Those in Their 20s: A Collection of Youthful Songs That Bring Back School Days
- Coming-of-age songs for your 50s: heart-thumping × heartwarming classics and popular tracks [2026]
- Also great for karaoke with friends! Youthful songs that hype up the Reiwa era
- [2026 Edition] Youth Anthems for Your 40s! A Roundup of Popular Heart-Pounding × Heartwarming Songs
- An anthem for your 30s. Beloved and popular songs that are both heart-pumping and heart-fluttering.
- A classic track: a timeless anthem of youth punk that defined an era. A nostalgic youth song.
- A collection of iconic, cool Showa-era kayōkyoku classics sung by male vocalists
- [2026] Get Everyone Pumped! Fun and Funny Songs That Kill at Drinking Parties
- Hype to the max! Party songs recommended for the Yutori generation
- Packed with everything from friendship to romance! Youth anthems recommended for Gen Z
- Perfect for karaoke or background music! Energetic songs recommended for men of the Yutori generation
- From emotional tracks to exhilarating tunes! Heisei-era youth songs
Yankee songs: A collection of tunes about delinquents, rebels, and rascals (31–40)
Purple Highwayku-ru-su
Speaking of Cools, they are an indispensable presence in any discussion of Japanese music history, having continued their activities from their formation in the 1970s through to the 2020s.
Originally formed as a motorcycle team after Hiroshi Tachi and Koichi Iwaki met, they shot to fame when they served as a cheering squad at the breakup concert of Carol, led by Eikichi Yazawa.
They later made an official debut as a music group, releasing Purple Highway as their first single.
The sound, influenced by upbeat, oldies-style American rock, credits Eikichi Yazawa as the composer.
The lyrics by Hiroshi Tachi—fitting for a group with motorcycle-team roots—are straightforward and great.
The Ten CommandmentsNakamori Akina
In an era when cute-character idols were all the rage, she forged her own path with a cool expression and firmly projected vocals, which even earned her popularity among delinquents at the time.
This song is a perfect fit precisely because it’s Akina Nakamori.
The piercing gaze and elbow-like choreography are spot on, too.
Ride On Dreams ~Theme of the Street Racers~Gakuro
This song was chosen as the theme for the anime “Shonan Bakusozoku: The Riders Left Behind,” which portrays the story of delinquent students tearing down the road on their bikes.
It’s a classic rock number with a nostalgic Showa-era vibe that makes you feel sentimental as you listen.
The refreshing, positive lyrics are irresistible, too.
And with this driving rhythm, doesn’t it have just the right sense of speed for a road trip soundtrack? It’s a wonderful song that will make adults recall their youth—you might even find yourself back in that moment in time.
Shakotan BoogieCassys
This song was used as the theme for the live-action film released in 1987, based on Michiharu Kusunoki’s manga.
It was performed by the legendary band Cassys.
The song is about “shakotan,” lowering a car’s ride height, and its lyrics are a barrage of puns using car model names, reminiscent of Akira Kobayashi’s “Jidosha Sho Uta” (The Automobile Show Song).
Listening to the charming lyrics, you can’t help but be delighted as the names of the popular cars of the time keep popping into your ears.
Be-Bop ParadiseBībāppu Shōnen Shōjo Gasshōdan
When it comes to works that sparked a social phenomenon during the heyday of the 1980s delinquent (tsuppari) boom, it has to be Be-Bop High School! The film adaptation of Kazuhiro Kiuchi’s manga was also a massive hit, propelling its leads, Toru Nakamura and Kojiro Shimizu, into instant stardom.
This song is an insert track from the second film, Be-Bop High School: Koko Yotaro Elegy.
It’s performed by Toru Nakamura, Kojiro Shimizu, and Masumi Miyazaki, who played Junko Mihara-yama in the film, and the sprinkled-in spoken lines add a great touch.
Lyrics and composition are by Takashi Toshimi, and the track stands as a Showa-era kayou number that epitomizes both the delinquent culture of the time and the Be-Bop craze!
Yankee songs. A collection of tough/delinquent/rowdy tracks (41–50)
SCHOOL OUTBOØWY
Here is the first album by the rock band BOØWY.
Both the sound and the songs are quite different from BOØWY at their peak, which is fascinating.
It’s said that when they debuted, their agency suggested the name “Gunma Bōi” (meaning “Gunma Violence”), so they might have had a delinquent-band image.
Incidentally, Kyosuke Himuro wrote the lyrics for this song, but after receiving a letter from someone who said they related to the song and dropped out of school because of it, he realized the impact he could have on people’s lives and supposedly stopped writing lyrics thereafter.
aphida mu a ki i
An intense track that fuses an avant-garde punk rock sound with a soulful vocal performance.
Featured on Anarchy’s best-of album “Anarchy Vol.
1,” this song stands out for its lyrics brimming with defiance toward society and its powerful guitar riffs.
Through the image of being chased by the “aburamushi” — slang for the police — it urges listeners to break free from existing values and norms and to carve out their own path.
A perfect song for when you need to fire yourself up.