[For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
Even when you feel like crying, it’s not as easy to shed tears as it was when you were a child once you’ve grown up.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of songs perfect for when you want to cry—from tear-jerking melodies to moving masterpieces.
These are all tracks you can listen to alone at home and really let the tears flow.
We’ve gathered everything from classics to the latest hits: songs that help you free the part of yourself that can’t cry, and songs that stay close to your pain and lift you up.
Find that one song that speaks to your heart—and let yourself have a good, cathartic cry.
- Crying songs, tear-jerker tunes. A request of tears dedicated to you.
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- The lyrics are profoundly good. The more you listen, the more it sinks in. Masterpieces of Japanese music, recommended popular songs.
[For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking classic songs that make you cry when you listen (1–10)
NonfictionHirai Ken
If you listen to it at a time when you’re disgusted with yourself or troubled by life, it’ll hit especially hard.
This is a work by popular singer Ken Hirai—known for numerous hit songs like “Hitomi wo Tojite”—released in 2017 as his 42nd single.
It was written as the theme song for the drama “Little Giant.” You’ll be overwhelmed by its dramatic arrangement and vocals that speak straight to the heart.
Add this ballad to your playlist—it’s a song that cheers on your way of living.
leap day personRADWIMPS
“Uruubito,” chosen as the theme song for the film “The Last 10 Years,” was released by the rock band RADWIMPS—hugely popular across generations—in 2022.
It carries a poignant yet heartwarming message that perfectly matches a story about a heroine who cherishes her limited time.
The lyrics, imbued with the wish for a loved one to go on living even at the cost of one’s own life, are sure to bring tears.
With a slow tempo and unfolding piano tones, it’s a ballad that gently resonates in the heart.
Let yourself receive this grand love that keeps thinking of the precious person right before your eyes.
gardenFuji Kaze
Fujii Kaze’s song gently embraces the impermanence of life and the bonds between people through the changing seasons.
His soft, gospel-tinged vocals and piano tones sink deeply into the heart.
The track is included on the album “LOVE ALL SERVE ALL,” released in March 2022, and was also featured in NatureLab’s “Laundrin” TV commercial.
Its beautiful music video, filmed at ACAO FOREST in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, also drew attention.
This gem of a song offers solace to those who, even while carrying sadness and loneliness, wish to keep looking forward.
Take some time alone to really listen—you may find yourself moved to tears.
Songs That Make You Cry: Tearjerking Masterpieces to Listen to When You Want to Cry or Feel Sad (11–20)
Letter ~Dear You at Fifteen~Anjura Aki
“Tegami: Haikei Jugo no Kimi e” is often sung as a graduation song.
It’s Angela Aki’s eighth single, released in 2008, and with this song she appeared on the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen twice.
The lyrics, written as a letter to her 15-year-old self, honestly express vulnerable, unadorned feelings, and just listening to it can bring you to tears that won’t stop.
It’s a moving masterpiece that offers comfort in difficult times and gives encouragement, so I highly recommend it.
Please give it a listen.
The True Nature of TearsSUPER BEAVER
This song gently seeps into the heart, delicately portraying the inner conflicts and emotional fluctuations that people carry.
In this work from SUPER BEAVER, the tender vocals and warm melody line express the loneliness everyone experiences and the feelings we hold inside, wrapping them in kindness.
It tells us that tears are not a sign of weakness, but rather something precious that helps us understand and accept ourselves.
Released in January 2025, it was written as the theme song for the NHK General TV drama “Vanilla na Mainichi.” The song is used strikingly within the show, carrying significant meaning for the story’s protagonist.
It’s the perfect track for those who are trying to overcome painful experiences or want to face their own emotions—an ideal song for when you need a good cry.
Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai
Yoru-Nagauta by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai became a massive hit after blowing up on social media in 2020.
As the title includes “night,” it’s a song that suits the night—and one that will likely make you cry if you listen to it after dark.
Who comes to mind when you hear this song? If you’re in love with someone you can’t have, if you’ve had your heart broken, or if there’s someone you can’t forget, images will come to you effortlessly—and before you know it, you may find yourself in tears.
Even if no particular person comes to mind, its beautiful melody and vocals will surely capture your heart.
It’s a ballad that will move you to tears.
EncoreYOASOBI
YOASOBI’s “Encore” is a song about two people who meet on the day the world is said to end.
Released as a digital single in 2021, it was featured in a Google Pixel commercial.
It has surpassed 100 million streams and even ranked fifth on Billboard’s download chart.
The world ruled by resignation feels profoundly sorrowful, and the lyrics about two people who meet at the end and move toward the world’s end with hope are truly heartrending.
