Enka Karaoke Popularity Rankings [2025]

I'm appearing under my former name.Akira Kobayashi64rank/position

I'm appearing under my former name.

A signature song by Akira Kobayashi, released in 1975, which became a long-selling hit with over two million copies sold over more than two years.

It remains a classic that is still sung today.

Because of its bright timbre it can feel high in key, but it’s actually not that high.

Once you memorize the first chorus, the rest is mostly repetition of the same melody, making it easy to practice.

Try to clearly differentiate the volume and emotional intensity between the verse and the chorus.

If you sustain the long notes well and master the slightly wider melodic intervals, a high score won’t be just a dream.

I won’t let you go tonight.Rumiko Koyanagi & Yukio Hashi65rank/position

I Won’t Let You Go Tonight / Rumiko Koyanagi & Yukio Hashi

The enka-style duet “Konya wa Hanasanai” is a lively song with a pop Latin rhythm.

It’s perfect for a fun duet with someone you love.

Released in July 1983 as Yukio Hashi’s 149th single, it’s a stylish track that still feels fresh when sung at karaoke today.

A street corner in loveKeisuke Yamauchi66rank/position

Keisuke Yamauchi “Koisuru Machikado” Music Video

This is Keisuke Yamauchi’s 2008 hit song about romances between men and women unfolding in bars across bustling districts like Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.

Although he’s from Fukuoka Prefecture, his career has an interesting twist in that his popularity first took off from Hokkaido.

The song doesn’t demand a particularly wide vocal range, nor does it feature extremely high or low notes.

The classic path to improvement is to grasp the melody and sing so the lyrics come across clearly and crisply.

If you sing while taking a bird’s-eye view of the song’s world—approaching it with the mindset of a narrator—you’ll likely be able to perform without overloading it with emotion, in just the right way.

Crimson ButterflyKeisuke Yamauchi67rank/position

Keisuke Yamauchi “Crimson Butterfly” [YouTube Edit]

This is a song that portrays a fleeting yet burning love, like a butterfly dancing lightly in the air.

It is a track by enka singer Keisuke Yamauchi, known for hits such as “Furenko,” released as a single in February 2024.

The song expresses the inner conflict that comes from love and the resolve to risk everything and leap into the arms of the beloved, drawing listeners into its dramatic world.

If you fully embody the song’s protagonist as you sing, it’s sure to move those who listen!

Premonition of PartingMiyuki Yamamoto68rank/position

Club Thump / Billy BGM channel

Miyuki Yamamoto, an enka singer, delivers an emotionally rich rendition of Wakare no Yokan, a beautiful melody line that evokes a subtle sense of melancholy.

If your relationship has gone on for a while and you’ve started to neglect things a bit, try singing it in front of him and surprise him.

The original song, familiar in Japan, was released by Teresa Teng in June 1987.

A solitary journey to MichinokuJoji Yamamoto69rank/position

Joji Yamamoto “Michinoku Solo Journey” Music Video (full ver.)

A signature work by Joji Yamamoto whose lyrical lyrics and beautiful melody move the heart.

Depicting a parting and a new journey with a loved one, this piece is a masterpiece that even newcomers to enka can fully appreciate.

Released in August 1980 and selling over one million copies, the song led to Yamamoto’s first appearance at the 32nd NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen the following year.

Overall, the pitch is relatively low and easy to sing, highlighting the charm of the middle to lower registers.

When attempting it at karaoke, savor the lyrics that evoke the scenery of the Tohoku region and try to convey a world rich with the sentiment of travel.

You don't have to go back.Aya Shimazu70rank/position

Is It Okay If I Don’t Go Home?

This song was released in 2004 as Aya Shimazu’s 36th single.

The title “Kairanchayoka” means “You don’t have to come home” in the Kumamoto dialect, and the lyrics are written entirely in that dialect.

It originated as a song called “Ikitarayoka,” written and composed in 1995 by folk singer Hideki Sekijima, inspired by his own parents.

Battan Arakawa later recorded it under the changed title “Kairanchayoka.” There is an anecdote that Aya Shimazu liked the song so much that she asked for permission to sing it.