A classic that evokes the year’s end. Looking back on the year through music [Just a little left of this year!]
What kind of year has it been for you?
This year felt long yet short, and at last it’s time to wrap it up!
Year-end always comes with all sorts of events, and music is essential for getting into the spirit, right?
So in this article, we’ve picked out plenty of songs that are perfect for the end of the year.
From songs about the year’s end to winter tunes, we’ve gathered popular tracks across generations—so you’re sure to find the perfect song for you!
Whether you’re someone who says, “This year was great,” or someone who feels, “This year was so-so,” we’ve got a full lineup of year-end songs we hope you’ll listen to.
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Classic songs that evoke the end of the year. Looking back on the year through music [Just a little left this year!] (21–30)
broad daylightKing Gnu
A song written specifically as the theme for the NTV drama “Incense.” It portrays the feelings of wanting to become a clean slate after unintentionally hurting someone and of wishing to be gently embraced to escape a painful past.
It’s a song that lets you entrust the hardships of the past year to the snow piling up at year’s end and turn them into nourishment for the year to come.
A town where it snowsyunikōn
Yuming’s winter classic “Yuki ga Furu Machi” by Unicorn, the rock band led by Tamio Okuda.
It’s the kind of number you want to listen to as the chill deepens day by day, from Christmas to the year’s end! Even though it captures the hustle and bustle of New Year’s Eve, the laid-back, easygoing Unicorn sound is striking.
Listening to this song makes you feel like heading back to your hometown for the first time in a while! It’s a perfect track to recommend to anyone who knows Tamio Okuda but hasn’t listened to Unicorn.
That gentle girlsupittsu
The theme song for the NHK morning drama series “Natsuzora.” This piece was born from the realization that “even when the season is summer, you can’t help but think of the long winter that led up to it,” overlapping with the interpretation of Natsuzora as “a summer sky that everyone long awaited after enduring a harsh winter.” It’s a song you can listen to while feeling both appreciation for having made it through the year and anticipation for the year to come.
New Year’s Evethe pillows
A hidden gem by the pillows, a rock band popular in Japan and abroad, is “New Year’s Eve.” It’s a song whose simple band sound really sinks into your heart! The romance didn’t have a happy ending, yet there’s something about the pleasantly soothing sound that makes you feel you can accept it.
It’s perfect for listening while wishing for a good year ahead! Whether you listen with a partner, friends, or family, it’s a classic that will calm the heart.
If you haven’t heard it yet, definitely give it a listen.
Two Red Starskinmokusei
Kinmokusei’s “Futari no Akaboshi” paints a heartrending scene where two people have no choice but to part.
Released in 2002, the song became the band’s biggest hit and earned them a spot on that year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.
Even though fate dictates that the two lovers must separate, the lyrics convey a desire to resist that destiny, however faintly.
As the New Year approaches, some may be bringing their relationships to an end.
If that’s you, listen to this song to process the ache and step into the new year with a lighter heart.
Heart color ~a song for the wonderful year~Fukuyama Masaharu
Looking back on the past year, I’m reminded of those busy days filled with laughter and tears.
At year’s end, feelings of regret over unfinished things mix with the hope that “next year for sure!” That’s when I want you to listen to Masaharu Fukuyama’s “Kokoro Color 〜a song for the wonderful year〜.” It encourages a positive outlook, letting us embrace our ever-fluctuating emotions—our ups and downs—as the vibrant colors of the heart.
Let’s enjoy those changes of heart and do our best again in the coming year!
New Year’s Eve SongRemioromen
Keeping the title exactly as is, “New Year’s Eve Song,” sung by Remioromen.
This track is included on their fifth album, Kachōfūgetsu, released in 2010.
It’s a love song that, while capturing the somewhat wistful feeling of New Year’s Eve, portrays a very happy couple.
There isn’t a particular plot, dramatic ups and downs, or flashy lyrics—just a leisurely everyday life—but that’s precisely what hits home and makes you feel these are irreplaceable days.
