Interesting Japanese songs recommended for men in their 60s

Thank you so, so much for your hard work.The Drifters

Inugami Circus-dan “Truly, Truly, Thank You for Your Hard Work” (MV)

Among the Drifters’ songs, this one has catchy wordplay and phrases with a brisk tempo, making it a popular track.

Many of the Drifters’ songs are arrangements of existing tunes, and perhaps they were just very good at arranging.

They were quite fond of military songs, and it’s not widely known that they have many tracks related to that genre.

Even Dorifu Daibakushō is a parody of a military song.

Love Bonchi SheetThe Bonchi

W0486 The Bonchi “Koi no Bonchi Sheet”

Back during the manzai comedy boom, the comedians at the center of it often sang as well.

Among those songs, this one was a real hit, ranking quite high on shows like The Best Ten at the time.

It’s a fun track that weaves in material from The Bonchi, featuring Mr.

Yamamoto and Mr.

Kawasaki.

The second song, Radio, didn’t catch on because it was too dark.

After all, it’s comedy—so it needs to be upbeat.

Scallop Rock 'n' RollRikiya Yasuoka

Rikiya Yasuoka — Scallop Rock ’n’ Roll

This is a song that was created as the theme for Hotate-man, a character that happened to be born spontaneously from our group, The Drifters/Hyōkin-zoku.

Not only that, but the song itself had a great, catchy groove, so it ended up becoming a much bigger hit than expected.

Higashimurayama OndoKen Shimura

Ken Shimura, The Drifters, Higashimurayama Ondo

Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that when Ken Shimura first joined The Drifters as a replacement for Chū Arai, he didn’t get any laughs at all.

The piece that broke through that slump was the “Higashimurayama Ondo.” The anecdote about him being commended by Higashimurayama City is well known.

Sūdara-bushiHitoshi Ueki

Hitoshi Ueki “Sūdara-bushi” ANALOG RECORD MUSIC

A song by Hitoshi Ueki known as an iconic masterpiece of the Showa era.

It’s irresistibly catchy—you’ll find yourself humming along.

Released in August 1961, it became a huge hit, ranking 16th on the year-end charts that year and 20th the following year.

In 1984, it was also used in an Asahi Beer commercial, bringing it to an even wider audience.

With lyrics that humorously portray everyday mishaps—like drinking too much or losing at the races—it’s something anyone can relate to.

Sing it while sharing drinks with friends, and it’s sure to liven up the atmosphere in no time!

Mexican Rock of LoveYukio Hashi

Sukapontas: Mexican Rock of Love (feat. Yukio Hashi)

Perhaps this could be called a signature comic song by the veteran Yukio Hashi, known for his distinctive voice and singing style.

I think it would be reasonably amusing even if an ordinary person sang it, but because Yukio Hashi is the one performing it, there’s a subtly pleasant sense of incongruity—and that, I feel, is where the humor lies.

Heroic!! JiraiyaKazuo Funaki

KAIKETSU!! Jiraiya — Kazuo Funaki

This is a song that the one and only Kazuo Funaki asked Mr.

Chuumei Watanabe to write, saying he wanted a hero-style song he could use on his own stage.

Speaking of Mr.

Chuumei Watanabe, he’s a legendary composer of hero songs for robot anime like Mazinger Z and sentai series like Gorenger.

Hence, it ended up sounding completely like an anisong.