Graduation Songs for Those in Their 30s: Nostalgic Classics That Rekindle Emotions & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today
When graduation season arrives, you hear graduation songs everywhere.
There are massive hits from the Showa and Heisei eras, songs that have become beloved staples of the season across generations, and new tracks released each year to mark the time of farewells.
In this article, we’ll introduce songs that were hits when people in their 30s were graduating, or that were commonly used at graduation ceremonies.
Listening to the tracks you heard back then—songs you actually sang at the ceremony or that played as background music—might bring back those nostalgic, bittersweet feelings.
They’re also great picks for karaoke at class reunions.
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[Graduation Songs for Your 30s] Nostalgic Classics That Bring Back the Feels & Timeless Favorites Still Popular Today (31–40)
my graduationSPEED
There’s a song that resonates in the heart when we reach the milestone of graduation.
One of them is SPEED’s “my graduation.” Its piano melody stirs gentle emotions while also carrying a strength that gives us the courage to take a step forward.
While expressing the pain and bittersweetness of heartbreak, the song also paints a picture of a bright future, making it deeply tied to many people’s memories of graduation.
SPEED’s passionate vocals shake listeners to the core and deliver a message perfectly suited to a new beginning called graduation.
GraduationGagaga SP
Gagaga SP’s “Sotsugyo” (Graduation) is their major-label debut single released in 2002, combining the raw power and poignancy of punk rock that evokes the heat of youth.
Kozak Maeda’s raspy voice and the song’s driving, fast-paced melody strike a chord, and it was especially popular among students during graduation season.
The lyrics, which depict parting from someone you love as well as anxieties and hopes for the future, still resonate deeply with those experiencing these feelings now, as well as with people in their 30s who look back nostalgically on those days.
A song that vividly colored a moment of youth, it remains a staple worthy of being sung at karaoke even today.
Farewell, YouthChatmonchy
Chatmonchy’s “Saraba Seishun” is a perfect song for the sentimental mood of graduation season.
Behind the band’s bright, poppy image lies a wistful ballad.
Its lyrics, which sing of the bittersweet memories of youth, hold a special resonance for those in their thirties.
In 2007, it was featured in a Recruit commercial, coloring memorable scenes at graduation ceremonies everywhere.
Looking back on school days and reminding us of cherished times, this song is a moving piece that marks the end of youth along with graduation.
Tomorrow, when spring comesTakako Matsu
Heralding the arrival of spring, “Ashita, Haru ga Kitara” was released in 1997 as Takako Matsu’s debut single.
Her refreshingly clear vocals and the lingering melodic line make the song feel like spring arriving in the heart for many people in their thirties who remember that era.
It was also featured in an NTT commercial, becoming a familiar tune to a wide audience.
Timeless and unfading, this song is a heartwarming choice for karaoke.
I should be able to fly (in the sky).Spitz
For those in their thirties, the quintessential graduation-season song has to be Spitz’s “Sora mo Toberu Hazu” (“We Should Be Able to Fly”).
The track was played at countless graduation ceremonies, and the memories of singing it together in classrooms and gymnasiums remain vivid even now.
Masamune Kusano’s vocals awaken the bittersweet feelings of youth, while the guitar melody gently envelops the heart.
This song, which earned the band their first No.
1 on the Oricon singles chart and sold an astounding 1.
48 million copies, still feels fresh today and will continue to be loved across generations.
It’s also a highly recommended karaoke staple.
In conclusion
We featured mainly graduation songs that were hits in the early 2000s—the kind people in their 30s likely listened to in their school days.
Some of these tracks are still staples at graduation ceremonies today, aren’t they? It’s nice to look back on those nostalgic feelings and memories once in a while, isn’t it?