Translation guide
A song that becomes very popular and sells many copies or gets many streams.
A song that is currently very popular or was a big success.
The most common and neutral term for a hit song. Used for both current and past hits.
この歌手はたくさんのヒット曲がある。
This singer has many hit songs.
彼の新しい曲がヒット曲になった。
His new song became a hit.
A slightly more casual or trendy term, often used in media. Essentially synonymous with ヒット曲.
今年の夏のヒットソングを紹介します。
We'll introduce this summer's hit songs.
Literally 'popular song', but this term feels dated and is rarely used in modern conversation. It may appear in historical contexts.
昭和の流行歌を集めたCD。
A CD collecting popular songs from the Showa era.
A song that is a massive, chart-topping success.
Emphasizes that the song was a huge hit. Often used for record-breaking or era-defining songs.
この曲は世界中で大ヒット曲になった。
This song became a huge hit worldwide.
A phrase meaning 'a song that was a big hit'. More descriptive than 大ヒット曲.
去年大ヒットした曲を教えて。
Tell me a song that was a big hit last year.
A song that reached number one on the charts.
Directly means 'a song that reached number one'. Clear and natural.
この曲はオリコンで1位になった曲です。
This song is a number one hit on the Oricon chart.
Means 'a chart number one song'. Common in music news.
チャート1位の曲をチェックしよう。
Let's check out the chart-topping songs.
The most famous song associated with an artist.
Means 'representative song' or 'signature song'. Used for an artist's most well-known hit.
この曲は彼女の代表曲です。
This song is her signature hit.
The direct translation '当たり歌' or '命中歌' does not exist in Japanese. Always use ヒット曲 or related terms.