[Tear-Jerking] Classic and Recommended Love Ballads

I want to be loved.Oku Hanako

I want to be loved.

A song that tenderly embraces the earnest wish to be loved.

Created by singer-songwriter Okuhanako, it appears on the album “vol.best,” released in April 2005 during her indie days.

The piece gives voice, over a quiet piano melody, to a piercing question: can we keep living by clinging to the memories of being loved, even when we feel hollowed out by loneliness? Her voice—praised as one that can move you to tears on sound alone—seems to gently scoop up feelings that words can’t express.

The song distills the power of her music, which speaks straight to the heart—this is the artist who once sold 488 CDs in a single day at a street performance.

On nights when you long to be loved deeply by someone, listening alone in silence may kindle a warm light in your heart.

rendezvousshaitoopu

rendezvous

The rock band Shytone, which rose to prominence after a viral hit on social media, released a signature track in April 2023 that sings of a man’s searing emotions after a breakup.

Unable to accept parting from someone he loved deeply, he longs for an impossible reunion; the loneliness of his lover’s traces fading from everyday life is expressed through vocalist So Sasaki’s superb word choices—so moving you might be brought to tears.

The song is also known for surpassing 100 million total streams in November 2023 and is included on the album “Hors d’œuvre.” Why not entrust your heart to its somehow comforting melody that stirs up those bittersweet feelings?

Don’t disappear.Aina ji Endo

AiNA THE END (BiSH) / Don't Disappear [OFFiCiAL ViDEO]

A ballad that begins with quiet piano notes and unfolds into a grand sound as emotions overflow.

This work marks the origin of Aina The End’s solo career.

She wrote both the lyrics and music, pouring in the earnest feelings she held at eighteen—the desperate wish not to lose someone precious.

The sense of loss—like a world drained of color without you—comes through painfully through her one-of-a-kind husky voice.

On nights when inescapable loneliness strikes, this singing will be there to help you.

Cinderella BoySaucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Cinderella Boy” Music Video <5th Mini Album “Lazy Sunday” Released on 2021.8.25>

This song is included on Saucy Dog’s mini-album “Lazy Sunday,” which weaves a heart-wrenching love story that tightens the chest.

It portrays a bittersweet, inescapable dependence, even while suffering the agony of being torn apart by the other person’s lies.

Coupled with a melodious rock sound and written from a female perspective, it leaves a lingering aftertaste where sorrow and affection intermingle.

Released in August 2021, it also drew attention for its animation-style music video by Miku Masuda.

In 2022, the band appeared on Music Station.

It’s a recommended track for those struggling with complex feelings toward someone they love or seeking empathy in the subtleties of human relationships.

It feels like I’m in love.Yuika

It’s like I’m in love / “Yuika” [MV]

Woven with delicate words that capture a sweet, bittersweet longing, this ballad seeps into the heart with its beautiful piano melodies and crystalline vocals.

Yuika’s true-to-life emotional expression beautifully conveys both the ache and the joy of unrequited love, resonating with anyone in love.

Released in February 2024 and featured as an insert song on ABEMA’s romance reality show “Koisuru ♥ Shuumatsu Homestay 2024 Winter,” the track drew attention as her first major-label release.

It’s a quintessential love song that gently embraces the flutter and anxiety of falling in love, and the happiness of becoming mutual.

This is a song you’ll want to listen to when you want to cherish your feelings of love or nurture your affection for someone special.

Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai

God Does Not Play Dice “Yoru-Naga Uta” [Official Lyric Video]

A gem of a rock ballad by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai that became a hit after gaining buzz on social media.

Its melody, vocals, and lyrics each carry a sensational power that speaks straight to the heart.

The song was included on the mini-album “An Opinion on Lambda,” released in May 2019.

It expresses an overwhelming longing for someone precious you can never meet again, and many listeners find themselves moved to tears even without having gone through a breakup.

Vocalist and lyricist Shusaku Yanagita reportedly cried many times during production.

Listen to it on a night when you can’t forget someone, and your tear ducts will surely be stirred.

Cry On Your SmileKubota Toshinobu

Toshinobu Kubota – CRY ON YOUR SMILE [Official Video Short ver.]

This is a renowned ballad that tenderly yet poignantly captures the feelings of seeing a loved one off as they set out toward their dreams.

Released in October 1987, it became a milestone as the artist’s first entry into the Oricon Top 10.

Built on an R&B foundation, its beautiful melody is paired with lyrics filled with such deep affection that you find yourself in tears even within the other person’s smile—listening makes your chest tighten.

The emotionally overflowing ad-libbed outro is breathtaking, conveying irrepressible feelings that bring tears to your eyes.

Chosen as the theme song for the Toho film “Kamitsukitai,” it’s also included on the best-of album “the BADDEST.” When you listen to it as you cheer on someone dear at the start of a new chapter, it feels like a gentle push on the back.