Recommended breakup songs for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

Your BalladMasayuki Sera & Twist

“Your Ballad” by Masanori Sera & Twist, 1977

It’s a Grand Prix–winning song from the Yamaha Popular Song Contest, which was a gateway to success for artists at the time.

Amid a field dominated by folk and New Music, it was the first rock-style song to win.

Its over-the-top performance and rough-edged vibe made it a huge hit.

Cotton HandkerchiefHiromi Ohta

Cotton Handkerchief (with lyrics) - Song by Hiromi Ohta

It’s a classic song that depicts a man’s changing feelings as he gradually grows accustomed to the city, eventually telling his lover back in the countryside that he can’t return and saying goodbye.

For its time, the lyrics were groundbreaking, and it became a smash hit almost instantly.

That said, younger people might hardly know the song anymore.

makeupJunko Sakurada

Junko Sakurada, Makeup

During this period, in an effort to shift away from her idol image, Junko Sakurada performed songs written by Miyuki Nakajima—such as “Oikakete Yokohama” and “Shiawase Shibai”—and turned them into solid hits.

In that context, I felt that “Keshō” didn’t quite suit Sakurada, who had been a cute idol, but the fact that she was able to carry the song showed her steadily improving vocal ability.

Wanting to be beautiful just for tonight, wanting to make him regret it—these are thoughts that inevitably cross the mind of a woman who has had her heart broken.

Do whatever the hell you want.Kenji Sawada

Kenji Sawada – Do As You Please (1977 TMF)

Julie, or Kenji Sawada, who shifted from the Group Sounds era to a solo career and churned out hit after hit, was meticulous not only about his costumes but also his performances.

In ‘Katte ni Shiyagare,’ he stylishly tossed his hat into the audience; in ‘LOVE Dakishimetai,’ he wrapped one hand with a blood-stained bandage; and in ‘TOKIO,’ he even sang with a parachute on his back.

I felt that might have been going a bit too far, though.

Julie brilliantly delivers a one-man show portraying a man trying to make a cool, dramatic exit.

LetterSaori Yuki

Letter by Saori Yuki

Singing with a beautiful melody and a beautiful voice, this remarkable person—whose career may have begun as a children’s song singer—made a record debut at 17 and has been singing for over half a century.

In the past, they also thrived as a comedian, appearing as a married couple with Chosuke Ikariya on the popular Drifters TV show.

Effeminate; overly sentimental; being clingy/whiny (context-dependent)Golden Bomber

Effeminate / Golden Bomber – Music Video

It’s a bona fide heartbreak song.

But no matter how many times you listen, it never gets old.

I think it’s an eternal classic of breakup songs.

It’s a track where everyone can dance the chorus choreography together and wash away the pain.

Even though it’s a breakup song, it still gets you hyped.