[For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
Here are some ballad songs we’d love you to listen to when you feel like crying.
We’ve gathered recommended tearjerkers and full-on sob songs, including popular love songs.
If you’re hurting from love, can’t forget an ex, or you’re feeling lonely and looking for songs to listen to, this is for you.
These are all ballads that will quietly stay by your side while you cry alone.
Find the one song that matches how you feel right now, and let yourself cry as much as you need.
Crying might help you sort out your feelings, or even give you the push you need to move forward.
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[When You Want to Cry] Ballad Love Songs: Heartbreaking Romance Songs (21–30)
I want to hug you.Mr.Children
“Dakishimetai” was released in 1992 as Mr.Children’s second single.
Since it was a song the band created for a friend’s wedding, it has become a classic, staple ballad for weddings.
youHayashi Kazuki
This is a track included on the album “to,” which was entirely self-produced by Kazuki Hayashi, who also performs as a vocalist for DOBERMAN INFINITY.
Released in December 2025, the work is marked by a mellow sound rooted in R&B that’s uniquely his, and lyrics that vividly capture the emotions at the moment of parting.
The atmosphere of the morning when the key is returned, the room still bearing traces of the two of them—these depictions of lingering attachment mixed with gratitude toward a love that has ended are sure to stir listeners’ memories.
The true feelings hidden behind the lie “I didn’t love you” cut painfully deep, making this a track that’s impossible to hear without tears.
It’s a beautiful ballad best enjoyed alone on a night when you want to soothe the wounds of a broken heart, as his sweet, aching vocals seep gently into your soul.
[When You Want to Cry] Ballad Love Songs. Heart-wrenching Romance Songs (31–40)
PrologueUru
The theme song for the drama “Chuugaku Seito Nikki” (Middle School Love Diary), which portrays a forbidden romance between a teacher and a student starring Kasumi Arimura.
“I’ll search for you deep in my eyes, hidden so no one else can see.” This line seems to perfectly link with the taboo love depicted in the drama, and I’m sure some listeners felt their hearts race as they listened to the song along with the show.
Uru’s soft, enveloping vocals also convey the aching sadness and inner conflict woven into the track.
Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako
Coupled with the single “Garnet,” this song is featured in the film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Okubana is also one of the artists indispensable when talking about love songs.
Her clear voice and piano performance weave such honest emotions that you may find tears welling up.
The film’s story and the lyrics’ theme of “feelings that transcend time” seem to overlap.
Listening to this track might even give you the courage to tell that unforgettable you from that day that you want to see them right now.
AitaiKato Miria
Among Miliyah Kato’s songs, “Aitai” is especially popular.
Even knowing the love won’t come true, you still can’t help chasing it.
The lyrics capture that aching feeling that any woman who’s experienced such a painful love can’t help but relate to.
In the music video, Miliyah Kato sings while crying, and it really tugs at your heart.
beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko
It’s one of Aiko’s signature songs, released in 1999.
In this track, she compares her weak, bluffing self to a rhinoceros beetle, and it resonates deeply with many people who have experienced sorrow.
The wistful melody and the lyric “I will never forget it for the rest of my life” can easily bring you to tears if you’re not careful.
himawariMr.Children
Released by Mr.Children in 2017, it was also used as the theme song for the film “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas.” Centered on themes of parting and death, it employs a great deal of metaphor.
Listening to this song, I can’t help but wonder what kind of love I would have experienced if I had never met ‘you.’