Classic and popular songs about unrequited love

Ms. Hanako on a high pedestalback number

Back Number – Hanako-san on a High Pedestal

back number is incredibly popular.

Their song titles are unique.

Shimizu’s voice is soothing no matter when you listen.

Sometimes it even brings back an ’80s vibe, and at other moments it gives off a totally cool, contemporary feel.

The lyrics, in particular, are very modern.

Last Love Lettermoon drop

moon drop [Last Love Letter] Music Video

From an intro that bursts with the sweet tang of youth and sets your heart dancing, this is the quintessential popular number by moon drop.

Many listeners are sure to feel their chests tighten at the lyrics’ worldview, where the frustration of unrequited love and unspoken feelings intersect.

The track is included on their first full-length album, “Kono Tenohira ga Mada Kimi o Oboete Iru,” released in January 2022.

It was also used as a CM song for Honda Cars, broadcast across seven prefectures in the Chubu region, including Aichi and Mie, so plenty of people have likely heard its refreshing melody on TV.

This song sets indecisive feelings toward someone you love and a premonition of love’s end to an easygoing beat.

It’s perfect not only for students swaying with tender crushes, but also for anyone who wants to bask in bittersweet memories from the past.

Love letternatsuiro matsuri

[Original Song] Love Letter [hololive / Natsuiro Matsuri / Secret Piercing]

This track, which unveils a dark and luscious worldview that overturns her previously cheerful and bright image, is Natsuiro Matsuri’s digital single released in March 2025.

Set to a piano-and-synth sound crafted by Naisho no Pierce, it portrays a deep affection—bordering on possessiveness and obsession—that spills out precisely because it’s written like a letter.

Sung by Natsuiro Matsuri, the piece features a striking vocal performance where cuteness and madness coexist, revealing a different side of her compared to solo songs like “HiHi High Tension!” Conveying an earnest desire to know everything about the other person, it’s a perfect song to savor on nights when you want a more provocative love song than usual.

LOVE LETTERMakihara Noriyuki

NORIYUKI MAKIHARA LOVE LETTER

Do you know the hidden gem by Noriyuki Makihara that portrays a faint, letter-bound first love? Centered around an undelivered love letter, it delicately captures the emotions of a protagonist seeing off someone dear who is leaving for a distant job.

The imagery—twilight at the station and scenes along the tracks—feels so vivid it tightens the listener’s chest with a poignant ache.

The song was included on the album UNDERWEAR, released in October 1996, and was later used as the theme for NTT East’s corporate commercial “Mother,” featuring Yui Aragaki.

This piece rekindles the unspoken kindness we couldn’t put into words and the bittersweet memories of youth.

It’s a song to savor, especially for those who’ve experienced a springtime parting or who carry unspoken feelings in their hearts.

mayflyONE OK ROCK

mayfly

A ONE OK ROCK track that portrays the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love, where you can’t be honest even though you care so much.

The song likens the unspoken emotions flickering in one’s heart to a fragile heat haze that seems ready to vanish at any moment.

It conveys the unstable fear of admitting those feelings precisely because you love so much—so vividly that it tightens your chest.

This piece is included on their landmark first full-length album, “Zeitakubyo,” released in 2007.

For anyone struggling with a frustrating love, it’s a song that will gently stay by your side.

Best Friend’s GirlSandaime Jē Sōru Burazāzu fromu Eguzairu Toraibu

Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS from EXILE TRIBE / Best Friend’s Girl

Lyrics that somehow claw at your heart.

If you fall for your best friend, anyone would be confused.

When Sandaime J Soul Brothers sing it, it resonates even more.

They sing so well, and since it’s a genuine ballad, I think it’s easy for anyone to listen to.

One-Way Ticket of LoveFUNKY MONKEY BABYS

FUNKY MONKEY BABYS "One-Way Ticket of Love"

It’s an overwhelming one-sided love.

It sounds like a fast-paced, catchy song, but the content is about a guy whose romance isn’t going well, so it’s painful, isn’t it? FUNKY MONKEY BABYS always feature someone who matches the vibe of the CD in their music videos and on the CD jackets, and having Hanako Yamada for this song really feels right.