Mutual love, unrequited love, familial love... classic songs that sing about affection
There are many different kinds of love, aren’t there?
Of course there’s the love between couples and spouses, but also the love between parents and children, and the love shared among friends and companions.
In this article, we’ll be introducing lots of songs that sing about these various forms of love!
From lovey-dovey mutual-love tracks to bittersweet unrequited-love songs, and heartwarming tunes themed around family love—you’re sure to find songs that capture the kind of love you’re looking for!
As you listen, try reading along with the lyrics and feel the emotions poured into each song!
- Songs to give to your lover or someone you like. Love songs devoted wholeheartedly to your boyfriend or girlfriend.
- Songs of pure love. Recommended masterpieces and popular pure-love love songs.
- [Family Love] Masterpieces of Japanese songs that sing about one’s wife
- [Couple's Song] Love Songs to Listen to on Good Couple Day and Anniversaries
- [To Those in Love] Relatable Love Songs to Listen to When You’re Crushing Hard
- [Must read] Songs with great lyrics. Moving songs you’ll want to listen to while reading the lyrics
- [Mutual Love Songs] A curated selection of sweet and bittersweet love songs about mutual affection!
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- [A Song That Makes Love Come True] Carefully selected love songs perfect for those who want to make their unrequited love come true!
- J-Rock love songs: timeless and popular romance tracks that resonate with the heart.
- [Classical] A comprehensive introduction to famous love pieces: recommended popular works
- [Song of Destiny] Love songs to listen to when you meet your destined person
- [Songs to Hear on Anniversaries] Love Songs for Couples That Deepen Your Bond
Mutual love, unrequited love, familial love… Classic songs about love (1–10)
Spring Dayaimyon
Aimyong’s song “Harunohi,” which is popular regardless of age or gender, was the theme song for the animated feature film Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane – The Lost Hiroshi.
It’s a love song from Shin-chan’s father Hiroshi’s perspective, dedicated to his mother Misae.
Gentle and softly tender, it’s a number you’ll want to listen to while carefully reading the lyrics.
It’s a song that fills you with warmth, singing of a great love not only romantic love, but also the love you feel for family or someone dear.
Only on nights when I want to dieAina ji Endo
This song is the theme for the drama “Shinitai Yoru ni Kagitte” starring Kento Kaku.
The title may seem rather provocative, but the deeply relatable lyrics are moving—an emo number that can make you cry.
Don’t you ever feel anxiety wash over you at night, even when there isn’t any particular reason? This is a track I’d love for you to listen to at moments like that—one that resonates with the heart.
It’s a broad-sense love song that offers support for those elusive, hard-to-grasp feelings and speaks to a tired heart.
affectionKoyanagi Yuki
Yuki Koyanagi is best known for soaring to fame with the massive hit “Anata no Kisu wo Kazoemashou,” and she has continued to release many songs about love since.
This track, “Aijou” (Affection), is literally a song about love as well.
However, it doesn’t just portray a simple man–woman relationship; it conveys a vibe and a sense of destiny, like comrades moving forward together.
Even in a wounded, fragile reality that feels like it could fall apart, the song powerfully depicts a woman who believes only in your love and keeps going.
It’s a high-impact number—one to listen to when you’re feeling down and lacking energy!
Mutual love, unrequited love, familial love... Classic songs that sing of affection (11–20)
love letterEvery Little Thing
A sublime ballad you’ll find yourself wanting to hear when winter’s chill sinks into your bones.
It opens with a tranquil piano tone, gradually layered with strings, as if pent-up feelings were beginning to overflow.
Kaori Mochida’s delicate breath work gently conveys the subtle shades of emotions that words can’t capture.
Released by Every Little Thing in December 2004, the song became widely beloved as the theme for the film “A Love Letter from Heaven” and as a cough drop commercial tune.
It topped the Oricon weekly chart and was performed on that year’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen, capturing the hearts of many.
Perfect for times when you want to reaffirm how much someone means to you, or when you’re in the mood for a heartwarming moment.
Maiden in Loveikimonogakari
As the title suggests, this song captures the feelings of a girl in love.
It portrays the heart of a girl with a crush and a girl who already has a lover.
When you think about the person you like, it can feel like your emotions are about to explode, right? There are also times when you just want to sink into your feelings for them.
In those moments, listen to this “ ” as your companion.
It’s a number that every girl in love can relate to.
The gentle melody of this relaxed ballad will soothe your heart.
KanadeSukima Suichi
Uplifting songs, pensive songs—just like their name suggests, Sukima Switch feels like an artist that touches the emotional switches in your heart.
A single string from the strings or a single note from the piano pierces exactly where you want the feeling to land.
The lyrics of this song, “Kanade,” are full of love and leave the interpretation to the listener.
Some see it as a scene of a father sending off his daughter; others take it as a moment of parting with a lover.
But this is a song that makes you feel it’s okay even if your reading differs from the message the artists intended.
With Takuya Ohashi’s vocals and Shintaro Tokita’s harmonies at their finest, it’s a track overflowing with boundless love.
wishsumika
A song written as the theme for the TV drama Ossan’s Love -in the sky-.
The lyrics are a love song set in winter, depicting an unrequited love, as suggested by the beautiful yet bittersweet motif of snow.
Realizing that the person they love has feelings for someone else, the narrator quietly hides their own affection in their heart and brings the romance to an end when spring arrives.
It’s a poignant story, matched by a melody that is as beautiful and fleeting as snow and gentle vocals—making it a captivating track.
