Karaoke Crowd-Pleasers: Women’s Ranking [2025]

LOVE MachineMorning Musume43rank/position

Morning Musume. 'LOVE Machine' (MV)

At the end of the 1990s, when J-pop was shining at its brightest, this number by Morning Musume swept Japan into a frenzy.

It’s an irresistibly upbeat dance tune that makes your body move just by listening, and it’s no exaggeration to say it gave immeasurable energy to Japan at the time.

The friendly melodies crafted by Tsunku♂ and the gorgeous, funky sound produced by Dance☆Man continue to set our hearts dancing across generations.

Released in September 1999 as their seventh single, the song became a defining track for the group, setting a huge record with total sales of about 1.

64 million copies.

It was even featured in an NHK drama, making it a national anthem that people of all ages can hum along to.

Belt it out at karaoke with friends from your generation, and that excitement from back then will come rushing back—perfect for creating the best memories.

I'm glad I met you.Kyoko Koizumi44rank/position

Kyoko Koizumi – I'm Glad I Met You (Official Video)

Kyoko Koizumi, an idol who was hugely active from the late ’80s through the ’90s.

Her song “Anata ni Aete Yokatta” was released in 1992, and from around this track she began putting out increasingly original, distinctive songs.

This work emphasizes catchiness, featuring a very singable vocal line throughout.

In particular, the range—mid1 G# to hi B—is quite narrow for a female song, so as long as you adjust the key, it should be easy for singers of any voice type to perform.

yellow yellow happyPocket Biscuits45rank/position

Pocket Biscuits 'Yellow Yellow Happy'

An uplifting pop tune that wholeheartedly affirms one’s own life and sings of love for someone special.

Released in September 1996, this song is known as one of Pocket Biscuits’ signature works.

Created by a unit born from the Nippon TV variety show “Ucchan Nanchan no Urinari!!,” it became a massive hit, selling over a million copies.

Its bright, positive lyrics and catchy melody are guaranteed to liven up any karaoke session.

It’s the perfect track for those moments when you want to pause amid the daily rush of work and chores and reaffirm your love for yourself and the people around you.

Valentine KissSayuri Kokusho46rank/position

Sayuri Kokusho (Kokusho Sayuri) – Valentine Kiss

This is the solo debut song of Sayuri Kokusho, a member of the idol group Onyanko Club, which became a social phenomenon in the 1980s.

She was also famous for the introduction, “Membership number one!” They were idols who felt close and unlike anything anyone had seen before—giving a faint hope of “Maybe I could be an idol too!” But that was the brilliant strategy of the famous producer Yasushi Akimoto.

Even now, every year on February 14, you can still hear her cute singing voice playing somewhere.

Thank youIkimonogakari47rank/position

Ikimonogakari 'Arigatou' Music Video

Since the late 2000s, Ikimonogakari has boasted top-tier sales and popularity in the J-pop scene, enjoying exceptional name recognition across all ages.

Their songs span a wide variety of genres, yet the melodies—anchored by simple, classic chord progressions—are incredibly pleasant and universally appealing.

It’s impressive how they consistently release “good songs” that don’t alienate any listeners.

Released in 2010, “Arigatou” served as the theme song for the NHK morning drama Gegege no Nyobo and is one of Ikimonogakari’s signature tracks, highly popular at karaoke.

While the chorus reaches slightly higher notes, it stays within a range manageable in chest voice, and there aren’t any large interval jumps, making it very singable and a strong candidate for a high karaoke score.

The Theory of HappinessRingo Sheena48rank/position

Sheena Ringo – The Theory of Happiness

Shiina Ringo’s signature song “Koufukuron” (“The Theory of Happiness”).

Unlike her current style, this was a hit from the period when she was singing fairly mainstream pop.

It’s an upbeat track, but the melodies in the A and B sections are deliberately dropped by a semitone to create a sense of unease.

As a result, even though it’s bright pop, it somehow comes across with a bit of a punk edge.

Osaka LoverDREAMS COME TRUE49rank/position

DREAMS COME TRUE – "Osaka LOVER"

It was released in 2007 as DREAMS COME TRUE’s 38th single.

The song was written specifically for Universal Studios Japan’s attraction “Hollywood Dream – The Ride,” and its lyrics center on a woman in a long-distance relationship.

The Osaka dialect used in the lyrics makes the song especially cute.