A famous song about setbacks. A song that stays by your side when times are tough or you feel like giving up.
While living, there are happy moments, but there are surely many times when we feel crushed, too.
I researched songs about the theme of setbacks—ones that can give you encouragement.
Rather than songs that just say “Keep it bright and push through!”, I mainly picked tracks that stay close to those frustrating feelings during a setback and the tough times.
So when nothing seems to be going right, please give them a listen.
May setbacks become the seeds of success.
I’m sure music will give you plenty of strength!
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- [A Cheer for Myself] A pep song dedicated to you who are doing your very best
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- [Cheer-Up Songs Special] Songs that give you courage when you're feeling down. Encouraging tracks.
- [For those doing their best] A comforting song to listen to when you're tired of life
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- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Masterpieces that sing of regret. Recommended popular songs.
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
A collection of classic songs about setbacks: songs that stay by your side when times are tough or you feel like giving up (41–50)
Hello, Again ~A Place That’s Been There Since Long Ago~My Little Lover
The way it builds from the verse into the chorus is really great.
It’s a song about a young person who left their hometown to keep chasing their dream and is fighting on their own.
It inspires the feeling, “I’m sad now, but I’ll do my best for the people watching over me back home.”
Full-Power BoySukima Suichi
It’s a track that captures the frustration of constantly stumbling, getting covered in mud, and not being able to move forward gracefully—yet still makes you want to keep going.
People who play sports or are busy with work every day will find so much to relate to; it makes you feel like you’ve got to push yourself more and just charge ahead, even if it’s messy.
Forever LoveX JAPAN
It’s one of X JAPAN’s signature ballads.
The piano in the prelude is very beautiful.
It’s the kind of song you want to listen to when you’re worn out from the endless journey of life and find yourself thinking, “I wish it would all just end.” It soothes the weariness of the heart day by day.
Bridge of Gloryyuzu
It was also the theme song for the Athens Olympics, wasn’t it? I get a message like, “The sweat and tears you’ve shed up to now were never in vain,” and “Have confidence and step onto the big stage!” It’s the kind of song that gives you a push in the back before exams or important matches.
Wings Named YouKobukuro
It’s the kind of song you want to listen to before a big, important moment.
It makes you feel, “With the wings called ‘you’ that were forged by all the effort you’ve built up until now, I’ll soar high!” The lyrics feel like they cheer on people who are giving their all with strength.
At all times.Makihara Noriyuki
Job hunting, school admissions, and other turning points in life are all around us.
This song portrays the worries and inner conflicts of people standing at those crossroads.
Even amid such difficult circumstances, it’s a track that inspires you to live true to yourself without being swept along by those around you.
YUIGLORIA
This song expresses the frustration and inner conflict of being young and failing to make things work.
When you’re facing some kind of problem, it’s a track whose lyrics effortlessly overlap with your own feelings, making it easy to relate to.