Beautiful tear-jerking songs / songs that make you cry your eyes out

Unrequited Love Song: A heartrending love song dedicated to you who are going through a painful romance

Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

When you have an unrequited crush and feel like “it hurts, I want to cry,” you want to listen to songs that share those feelings, right?

In this article, we’ll introduce “tear-jerking unrequited love songs” we recommend just for you.

From the latest hits to timeless classics, every track is a gem with heartrending lyrics that sink deep into your heart.

“If I confess, we can’t go back to how we were.” “I know I should give up, but I still like you.” “We broke up, but I can’t bring myself to hate you.”

If you’re hurting from unrequited love in any of these ways, please give these songs a listen.

[Unrequited Love Songs] Heart-wrenching love songs for those going through a painful romance (161–170)

You look like an idiot.Saucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Like a Fool.” Music Video (Theme song for ABEMA’s “You Can’t Fool Me, Mr. Wolf”)

You look like an idiot.Saucy Dog

It carefully portrays the delicate feelings of a woman who can’t express herself well: while harboring the desire to know the other person more and to have them all to herself, and feeling love for them, she’s already fed up, believing there’s nothing more she can do.

Chosen as the theme song for ABEMA’s dating reality show “Don’t Be Fooled by Me and Mr.

Wolf,” the track was released digitally in August 2024, and is memorable for its emotional band sound and Shinya Ishihara’s vocals.

It’s a perfect song for those who can’t grasp how the person they like truly feels and are struggling with inner conflict.

Recommended for anyone who can relate to the sorrow of loving someone yet being unable to move forward.

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Why not me?Misaka Saki

Saki Misaka – Isn’t It Fine If It’s Me (Full ver.)

Why not me?Misaka Saki

This song by Saki Misaka portrays the bittersweet feelings of gradually falling in love, even though you thought you were content just staying close as a friend.

With a clear, gentle voice, she expresses the conflict of wishing for the other person’s happiness while not wanting to see them with someone else.

Released digitally in February 2021, the track was also chosen as the theme song for ABEMA’s romantic reality show “Kyo, Suki ni Narimashita.” It’s sure to resonate with those who, despite knowing what would bring happiness, can’t let go, and who sense the other person’s feelings yet can’t bring themselves to speak up.

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remainingYoshizawa Kayoko

Kayoko Yoshizawa 'Left Behind' MUSIC VIDEO

remainingYoshizawa Kayoko

A track overflowing with Kayoko Yoshizawa’s signature style, produced by Tomohiko Gondo, who has also worked on songs for AAA and Kyoko Koizumi.

The lyrics—“Even after a breakup, it feels like you’re everywhere, and I can’t stop thinking of you day after day”—hit painfully close to home for anyone nursing a broken heart.

It might help clear your mind if you listen when you really want to cry your heart out.

Since its 2017 release, the video has surpassed 5 million views and continues to steadily climb.

The music video, which finds a certain beauty in a chaotic cityscape, is a must-see.

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Sweet MemoryMACO

MACO – Sweet Memory [Music Video]

Sweet MemoryMACO

There’s also Seiko Matsuda’s song with a similar title, “Sweet Memories,” but for those born in the Heisei and Reiwa eras, MACO’s track is likely the go-to “Sweet Memories.” The lyrics—about knowing you shouldn’t be drawn to each other, yet being unable to help falling in love—offer a timeless approach to romance.

They hit all the right notes of unrequited love’s poignancy, bringing tears to your eyes naturally.

The somewhat Western-style melody reflects her foundation growing up listening to artists like Mariah Carey as a child.

Be sure to check out the drama-style music video as well.

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Lemon flowerSangatsu no Phantasia

Lemon Flower by Sangatsu no Phantasia

Lemon flowerSangatsu no Phantasia

Keeping your feelings for someone hidden while giving them advice about love as just a friend… just thinking about it is heartbreaking, isn’t it? This is a song by the music unit Mitsukami no Phantasia (Sangatsu no Phantasia), released in April 2023.

It features a soft, jazz-inflected sound that feels like a warm breeze blowing through.

The melody is catchy and incredibly easy to listen to.

That’s exactly why the emotions reflected in the lyrics pierce your heart.

You might even feel a hint of fear.

It makes sense that it’s been described as “a story of a painful, deranged love.”

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To you who are going far awayAbsolute area

Absolute area “To You Who’s Going Far Away” (Official Music Video)

To you who are going far awayAbsolute area

If I tell them how I feel, will we never be able to see each other again…? I’m sure some people in unrequited love carry this kind of fear.

The better the current relationship is, the stronger that feeling tends to get.

This song portrays that universal inner conflict; in the lyrics, the times when the male protagonist and the girl can meet are likened to the curve of a frequency and the straight line of the horizontal axis—a musicianly metaphor that really hits home.

When it comes to unrequited-love songs, the popular ones often give you a push and the courage to confess.

But the man in this song doesn’t confess; he simply longs for the next day they can meet.

It’s a track that depicts the genuine emotions that accompany unrequited love and stays close to those who struggle with it, warming the heart when you’re feeling down.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced some tear-jerking unrequited love songs.

Did you find that one track that lets you cry your heart out? You want to keep going, but sometimes you just can’t help wanting to cry… If you’ve been in love, you know that feeling.

At times like that, don’t hold back—listen to music that stays close to your heart and cry as much as you need.

By the time your tears run dry, you’ll surely find your positive spirit again.