A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 90s. Classic and popular tracks in Japanese music.
When you’re heartbroken, many people listen to breakup songs to soothe the sadness or find someone who shares their pain.
When you hear a song that matches how you feel, it’s strange how it can make your heart feel lighter.
In this article, we’ll highlight breakup songs specifically from the 1990s.
We’ve selected songs that share your feelings, songs that grieve alongside you—tracks that gently stay by your side when you’re hurting from a broken heart.
When times are tough, lean on the power of music to help heal your sorrow, even just a little.
- A roundup of hit love songs from the ’90s
- [Tearjerker Guaranteed!] A Heartbreak Song Told from a Male Perspective
- [Shōwa-Era Heartbreak Songs] Carefully selected timeless love classics adored across generations!
- Tear-jerking J-pop from the ’90s. Hit songs and real tearjerkers.
- Recommended heartbreak songs for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- Heisei-era heartbreak songs: A roundup of classic tracks from the ’90s to the 2010s
- A heartbreak song that was a hit in the 1980s. A classic and popular track in Japanese music.
- Breakup songs that were hits in the 2000s
- Iconic ballads of 90s J-pop: nostalgic mega-hits and fan favorites
- Breakup songs recommended for people in their 90s: a collection of timeless tracks that comfort the heart
- Breakup songs sung by male Japanese (J-pop) artists
- [Today’s Heartbreak Song] A poignant love song that gently wraps your wounded heart
- [Remembering the Pain of Love…] Breakup Songs Recommended for People in Their 60s
Breakup songs that were hits in the ’90s. Classic and popular J-pop tracks (21–30)
excuseSha ran Q
A quintessential 90s rock ballad that powerfully voices a man’s aching heart.
This is the 10th single by Sharam Q, the rock band led by Tsunku♂, who is also known as a music producer.
While spouting selfish excuses, the protagonist’s inability to sever his lingering attachment to the lover who left is portrayed over a wistful melody.
Released in April 1996, the song was used as the theme for the Fuji TV drama “Age, 35 Koishikute,” won the Excellence Award at the Japan Record Awards, and cemented the band’s popularity.
It’s a gem of a breakup song that makes you want to pour your emotions into it at karaoke.
SquallFukuyama Masaharu
One breakup song from the ’90s that you just can’t leave out is this very track by Masaharu Fukuyama.
It’s a love song that’s also a breakup song, and a breakup song that feels like a love song.
Those heart-trembling lyrics flow along with his sweet voice.
The songs in which he sings from a woman’s perspective captivate everyone, don’t they? It’s almost mysterious how deeply he understands a woman’s delicate feelings.
“Squall” is a self-cover of a song he originally provided to singer Eiko Matsumoto.
Both versions are charming, aren’t they?
LOVE LOVE LOVEDREAMS COME TRUE
Not only in the 1990s but even today, this heartbreak song is loved by many.
Surpassing double million sales, it became the best-selling single by DREAMS COME TRUE.
Miwa Yoshida’s vocal prowess conveys the song’s poignancy, and the feelings of a girl in love come through so clearly within the short lyrics.
It’s a track that makes you want to close your eyes and listen.
A heartbreak song, yet also a love song.
You could even call it the ultimate love song.
Swallowtail Butterfly ~Love Song~YEN TOWN BAND
A single by YEN TOWN BAND, a fictional band from a film starring the singer-songwriter CHARA that actually made its real-world debut.
Written as the theme song for the movie Swallowtail, it features a sentimental melody that showcases CHARA’s signature whispery vocals—instantly catchy.
The lyrics capture a complex feeling: supporting a loved one’s dream while imagining the farewell that may come once that dream is fulfilled, echoing the film’s worldview with a bittersweet resonance.
A nostalgic breakup song whose lingering vocals pierce the heart.
Don’t forget.DREAMS COME TRUE
This is the 10th single by DREAMS COME TRUE, released in October 1991.
It was also included on the album MILLION KISSES, released the following month, which became a huge hit and was certified 2× Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
The lyrics dwell on lingering feelings for a former lover, and the heartfelt plea—“Even if you hate me, please don’t forget me”—is deeply moving.
It’s a ballad that gently wraps the pain of parting.