Breakups with a beloved partner, unrequited love that never comes true…
Heartbreak is something many people experience at least once in their lives.
Precisely because it’s so universal, countless artists have sung about heartbreak over the years.
In this article, we introduce heartbreak songs that were hits in the 2000s.
For those who spent their youth in that era, some of these songs may have comforted your broken hearts back then.
And for anyone who’s recently gone through a breakup or can’t forget someone, these tracks are sure to resonate.
Find the one song that helps heal your wounds.
- Heart-wrenching Japanese hit songs from the 2000s. Songs that make you cry.
- A melancholic “yami” song that was a hit in the 2000s. A bittersweet track.
- Breakup songs popular among women in their 20s. Tear-jerking love songs.
- Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs.
- [Tearjerker Guaranteed!] A Heartbreak Song Told from a Male Perspective
- [Female Heartbreak Song] A soul-stirring song dedicated to you, who loved with all your heart.
- Heisei-era heartbreak songs: A roundup of classic tracks from the ’90s to the 2010s
- Ballad songs that were hits in the 2000s
- A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
- Breakup songs sung by male artists that I’d recommend to Gen Z
- Popular Heartbreak Song Rankings [2026]
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.
Top 10 breakup songs that were hits in the 2000s (1–10)
me me sheRADWIMPS
It’s a pretty heavy breakup song, but I think it’s perfect for anyone who just went through a split.
You love them so much there’s no way you could ever hate them, you don’t even know how to forget, and you don’t want to fall for someone else.
It’s a song that speaks for the feelings that swirl through your head after a heartbreak.
366 daysHY
A four-piece band from Okinawa, HY is known for their mixture sound featuring male–female twin vocals.
This song, used as the theme for the film “Threads of Destiny,” is included on their 5th indie album, “HeartY.” The bittersweet lyrics and melody—born from vocalist/keyboardist Izumi Nakasone’s real-life experience—surely resonated with many women.
Despite never being released as a single, it is celebrated as one of HY’s signature songs—a gem of a heartbreak ballad.
SEASONSHamasaki Ayumi
This is the 16th single by singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki, who enjoyed immense popularity in the 1990s to the point of being called a “charismatic icon for high school girls,” and is known as one of the quintessential divas of the Heisei era.
The song was used as the theme for the TV drama “Weatherman’s Lover” (Tenki Yohō no Koibito) and is recognized as her biggest hit among her many million-selling tracks.
The message—that even the days we believed would never change, and the sorrow of losing them, will eventually heal—surely resonates with many people’s experiences of love.
A gem of a ballad with a beautiful yet heartrending melody that stirs the soul.
Just… I want to see youEXILE
This is the 19th single by EXILE, the dance and vocal group that leads Japan’s entertainment scene and has won listeners across a wide demographic.
Chosen as the campaign song for KDDI and Okinawa Cellular’s “au × EXILE,” it resonates with its rich vocals and a wistful arrangement.
The lyrics, which mirror the universal feeling of realizing someone’s importance only after parting ways, likely struck a chord with many.
It’s an emotional love song that stands beside those torn between their true feelings and reality.
NAOHY
A four-member hybrid band, HY, who are energetically active in music while simultaneously producing a natural brand, created this track.
Included on their indie fourth album, “Confidence,” the song was written by vocalist/keyboardist Izumi Nakasone based on a friend’s real-life experience.
The feeling of not being able to give up on someone even when you know they won’t return your feelings is painful, but rather than denying that emotion, the song feels like a cheer urging you to still walk a new path.
It’s a heartrending love song that helps you take the next step while carrying the weight of an unrequited love.
Blue BenchSasuke
A single by the male duo Sasuke, formed by high school classmates who once disbanded but reunited in 2014.
It was already a fan favorite from their days performing street live shows before their major-label debut, and it drew attention when it was included in a music textbook in 2008.
The depiction of someone unable to forget a student-days romance, yet pained by the reality that things won’t go back to the way they were, may especially resonate with men.
A beautiful breakup song that became a massive hit in the 2000s, with a bittersweet message and a nostalgic melody.
SaudadePorunogurafiti
This is the fourth single by Porno Graffitti, the rock duo that has released numerous hits since their debut, including Apollo and Agehachō.
The song had multiple tie-ins with TV dramas, commercials, and anime, and it was the first track to incorporate the Latin-style arrangement that has now become synonymous with the band.
The dilemma of still thinking about someone despite having reasons and reality leading to a breakup is something both men and women may relate to.
With the pleasant sound of a lively acoustic guitar, it’s a track that, true to its title, evokes a sense of melancholy.