Hidden gems of unrequited love songs in Western music. Recommended popular tracks.
When you can’t quite express your feelings to someone you like, or when you’ve told them but it isn’t going well, what do you do?
I’ve gathered classic Western songs themed around unrequited love across different ages for those struggling with all kinds of crushes.
If you look into the lyrics’ meanings, you might discover charms you won’t find in Japanese songs!
- Unrequited Love in Western Music: A Collection of Heart-wrenching Classics [2026]
- Unrequited love songs that strike a man's heart. Love songs from a male perspective that really hit home.
- [Unrequited Love Songs] Recommended for women! Classic tracks that boost your motivation for love
- Hidden gems of breakup songs in Western music. Recommended popular tracks.
- Tear-jerking unrequited love songs in Western music: recommended classics and popular tracks
- Unrequited love songs in Western music recommended for men. World-famous classics and popular hits.
- Unrequited love breakup songs in Western music. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- Unrequited love breakup songs from Western music. World-famous classics and popular hits.
- [Today's Unrequited Love Song] Guaranteed to Make Your Heart Flutter! A Sweet and Bittersweet Love Song
- [Mutual Crush Song] Stuck before confession, not quite lovers!? A love song capturing wavering emotions
- Hidden gems of Western ballad songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- [2026] Recommended for women! A roundup of Western unrequited love songs
- Unrequited Love Songs in Western Music: Ranking [2026]
Hidden gems of one-sided-love songs in Western music. Recommended popular tracks (1–10)
AlmazRandy Crawford
Randy Crawford is a renowned jazz and R&B singer from Macon, Georgia, in the United States.
This song was used as an insert track in the Fuji TV drama “Mou Daremo Aisanai,” which aired in 1991.
In Japan, the title is “Sweet Love.”
IrresponsibleKiana Ledé
This song by American R&B singer Kiana Ledé conveys her aching emotions.
Carried by a melancholic melody, it tells the story of a heart shattered by the irresponsibility of someone she trusted.
The despair of realizing that the flirtatious signals that made her believe the feelings were mutual were nothing but her own misunderstanding is truly painful.
The way she wavers between blaming the other person and being unable to let go of her feelings is something anyone who has experienced unrequited love can painfully relate to.
Kiana Ledé’s soulful voice seems to envelop and soothe this unbearable suffering.
I Want It That WayBackstreet Boys
“I Want It That Way” is a classic by the American five-member male group Backstreet Boys, released in 1999, and it became a worldwide hit ballad.
It was the lead single from their album “Millennium” and became one of their signature songs.
Words get in the wayGloria Estefan
“Words Get In The Way” is a song by Miami Sound Machine, and it peaked at No.
5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Gloria Estefan, the vocalist of Miami Sound Machine, is a multitalented artist who excels in Latin music, upbeat tracks, and ballads.
Close To YouGracie Abrams
An unforgettable blend of aching vocals and heart-stirring lyrics—this song captures the pain of unrequited love.
Even though the person she likes doesn’t even know her name, the overwhelming desire to give everything surges from the heart.
The sorrow of going unnoticed and the conflict of wanting to get closer but being unable to are portrayed beautifully.
Gracie Abrams wrote this song when she was 16 and released it in June 2024 after seven years, responding to fervent requests from fans.
She’s also scheduled for a U.S.
tour in the fall, with even greater success anticipated.
It’s a must-listen not only for those struggling with one-sided love but also for anyone who wants to understand the feelings of being in love.