Nursery Rhyme Popular Song Rankings [2025]

LokiMikito-P15rank/position

Mikito-P "Roki" MV

Released in 2018, this track swiftly carved its name into Vocaloid history on the strength of its momentum.

In a duet format woven by Mikito-P and Kagamine Rin, four-on-the-floor dance rock explodes.

The lyrics, which depict the behind-the-scenes of the music scene and an artist’s inner struggles, leave a strong impression, conjuring the image of young people striving to move forward while grappling with the difficulties of self-expression.

It ranked 22nd overall in JOYSOUND’s 2019 annual karaoke rankings and is included on the album DAISAN WAVE.

Get a group together at karaoke and belt it out like you’re thrashing electric guitars—guaranteed to hype up the room! It’s a number I’d also recommend to fans of rockin’ alternative “rockin’on”-style sounds.

KanadeSukima Switch16rank/position

Sukima Switch – “Kanade” Music Video : SUKIMASWITCH / KANADE Music Video

Released in 2004, this second single is an indispensable classic ballad when talking about Sukima Switch.

It was featured as an insert song in the film “Rough” and as a TV drama theme, and in 2006 it was also chosen as the ending theme for the final day of “Nettou Koshien.” The lyrics, depicting a moment of parting, convey the protagonist’s aching attempt to send their feelings to the one who is leaving, along with a wish to remain connected in their hearts.

When you reach a turning point in life—graduation, a job change, and so on—listening to this song will bring back memories from that time, and the tears will naturally start to flow.

With its gentle tempo and piano tones that soak into the heart, it’s a profoundly moving track.

Hated by LifeIori Kanzaki17rank/position

Hated by Life Itself / Hatsune Miku

This is a signature song of the Vocaloid scene that sets views on life and death and conflicts with society to an intense rock sound.

Released by Kanzaki Iori in 2017 using Hatsune Miku, it has surpassed 100 million total plays.

From the very beginning, the driving rhythm and lyrics that feel like an outpouring of the contradictory emotions deep within are overwhelming.

It depicts doubts about living and the struggles within relationships with others, striking deeply at the listener’s heart.

It also garnered attention when Mafumafu performed it on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen.

It’s included in the rhythm game Project Sekai, so many people may have discovered it through the game.

It’s a masterpiece that makes you project your own life onto it and want to sing it with raw emotion at karaoke.

LemonKenshi Yonezu18rank/position

Kenshi Yonezu – Lemon

This song portrays feelings for a loved one who has been lost, likening them to the bitterness of a lemon.

Its lyrics, where the pain of never meeting again intersects with the warm memories that still remain in the heart, strike listeners deeply.

Kenshi Yonezu created it based on his own experience of losing his grandfather, and that earnest emotion permeates the entire piece.

Released in March 2018 as the theme song for the drama “Unnatural,” it spent a total of seven weeks at No.

1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

At the 69th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, he performed it via live broadcast from his hometown in Tokushima Prefecture, moving many viewers to tears.

It is a quiet companion for those who have lost someone precious or who wish to face the farewells that inevitably come someday.

HAPPYBUMP OF CHICKEN19rank/position

BUMP OF CHICKEN『HAPPY』

This song features the phrase “Happy Birthday” in its lyrics, but when you read them closely, you’ll find it’s packed with words that can also be taken as a cheer for life.

It’s the kind of song that gives you the courage to take one more step when you’re troubled and feel like giving up.

Like other songs by BUMP OF CHICKEN, one of the reasons it’s easy to sing is its relatively narrow range—just a little over one octave.

On top of that, the tempo is relaxed and the melody progresses gently, so even those who aren’t confident in their singing will find it easy to try.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE20rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

Vividly depicting the bittersweetness and hope of youth, this work was released in April 2024 as the opening theme for the TV Tokyo anime “Oblivion Battery.

” As symbolized by its title, which carries the flower-language meanings of “first love” and “memories of youth,” the song sings of the importance of loving yourself, scars and all.

Its lyrics, which give you the courage to look forward even amid imperfect days, are delivered over Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s signature guitar rock sound.

It won the 66th Japan Record Award, and its streaming play count surpassed 300 million in record time.

This is a track you’ll want to hear when you’re struggling with the gap between dreams or ideals and reality, and need a gentle push forward.

Blue and SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE21rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Blue and Summer

It’s a sparkling number that conjures up a piercing blue sky and dazzling sunshine.

The protagonist, who had always felt a bit cool toward summer, begins to take center stage in their own story as a new romance starts.

It vividly captures a single scene of youth like that.

It’s not just bright; the fleeting pangs of sadness and the anxieties about the future that arise in certain moments are portrayed as well, which is why it resonates so deeply.

This track was released in August 2018 and was written as the theme song for the film “Ao-Natsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-Nichi” (Blue Summer: 30 Days I Fell in Love with You).

Use it as background music for casual times with friends or for a drive, and your summer memories are sure to become many times more vivid.