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 year-end season. A look back at the year through music [Almost the end of the year!] (31–40)
City of StardustGosuperāzu
Stardust City is the 21st single released in 2002 by the vocal group The Gospellers.
Set against a clear winter night sky over a year-end cityscape, it tenderly captures the feelings of reflecting on the past and looking ahead, resonating deeply with listeners.
It’s a song that showcases the signature vocal prowess for which The Gospellers are renowned.
New Year’s DayELLEGARDEN
Included as the B-side to ELLEGARDEN’s signature song “Jitterbug” on the single is “New Year’s Day.” It’s a track imbued with the message that “life ends in the blink of an eye,” depicting memories of a certain New Year’s Eve.
With ELLEGARDEN’s trademark powerful punk sound, it’s definitely a number you can rock out to.
The band has fans across a wide range of ages, making it a perfect choice for karaoke!
A HAPPY NEW YEAR -Happy New Year-Matsutōya Yumi
With its somewhat wistful, lonely sound, Yumi Matsutoya’s “A HAPPY NEW YEAR” is perfect for the year’s end.
It’s a track from her 1981 album “Let’s Meet Last Night,” featuring a memorable, continuous piano arpeggio phrase.
The song was also used in the film “Take Me Out to the Snowland.” It’s a love song filled with the hope of “May you have a good year” and the desire to spend the coming year with you.
After a run of high-energy songs at karaoke, how about dialing it back with the gently melancholy “A HAPPY NEW YEAR”?
My Dear FeetSazan Ōrusutāzu
This song was included on Southern All Stars’ debut album, Atsui Munasawagi, released in 1978.
The single cut from the album, Katteni Sindbad, became a major hit.
The title Itoshi no Feat is a nod to Little Feat, the American band that Keisuke Kuwata publicly said he liked.
The song expresses the loneliness of spending the year-end and New Year holidays alone.
Together…MAX
Released in November 1999, MAX’s 15th single is a mid-tempo ballad that delicately portrays the warmth you feel in the cold winter air.
Having raced through their career with Eurobeat, here they offer a song that gently seeps into the heart, with softly layered harmonies and an embracing string arrangement.
Simple words sketch scenes of walking under streetlights with white breath hanging in the air, and a quiet resolve as two people draw close together, evoking the solitude of a winter city interwoven with the desire to be with someone special.
The song was featured in a Nikon commercial and as an ending theme on Nippon TV, and was performed on the year-end Kōhaku Uta Gassen in 1999.
Amid the bustle of the season’s end, it’s a track that reminds you of the preciousness of time spent with the ones you love.
Classic songs that evoke the year’s end. Looking back on the year through music [Almost time to say goodbye to this year!] (41–50)
Winter Phantasm ManiaKyūso Nekokami
The glittering festivity overflowing in the city in December, and the loneliness and impatience everyone carries behind it.
This song by Kyuso Nekokami captures those conflicting emotions with a driving, melodic punk sound.
Included as the ninth track on their December 2017 album “New Wave,” it portrays a protagonist wandering through a winter city, humorously yet poignantly pushing forward through the happiness-filled atmosphere around them.
In Seiya Yamasaki’s lyrics, there’s a blend of self-deprecating irony toward not quite riding the end-of-year high, and the strength to keep running with a smile anyway—something that’s instantly relatable.
It’s a track that gently stays by the side of anyone who, under the dazzling illuminations, looks back on the year with complicated feelings.
Blues of the StarsYoshii Kazuya
When you look up at the night sky at the end of the year, don’t you feel the stars shining just the same as ever? This song from Kazuya Yoshii’s 2011 single “LOVE & PEACE” gently keeps you company in that quiet moment.
As it layers thoughts upon the stars glittering in the night, it portrays the feeling of quietly reflecting on the days gone by and on yourself over the past year.
With a sound woven from guitar and keys that carry a bluesy resonance, it values depth that sinks into the heart over flashiness, resonating comfortably when you want to step away from the bustle of the year’s end and take a deep breath.
No matter what kind of year it’s been, if you feel like looking up at the sky to take stock of your path, give this song a listen.