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

Tear-jerking songs I want to sing at karaoke

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.
Composition nerdmutō
Started performing in bands in junior high school. Influenced by Japanese rock and UK rock, spent over 10 years continuing band activities while creating original songs. Later began producing Vocaloid tracks using Hatsune Miku, with total plays of released songs surpassing 10,000. Has five years of experience writing for music magazines. Currently works as a music writer, director, and composer, keeping a ground-level perspective on the scene by attending live shows across Japan. Now performs at live houses in Tokyo, showcasing guitar playing centered on acoustic guitar and informed by knowledge of chord analysis and guitar scales. Also writes leveraging a broad knowledge of music genres.

Do you go to karaoke to refresh yourself or relieve stress?

I think many people want to belt out songs at the top of their lungs to blow off steam, but if you want to feel even more refreshed, I recommend singing songs that make you cry!

Whether you cry while singing yourself or shed tears listening to the person you’re with sing, letting your emotions flow through a heartfelt song is a wonderful thing—and it will leave your heart feeling clear.

In this article, we’ll focus on tear-jerking songs to help you choose your setlist and introduce some recommended tracks!

Tear-Jerking Songs I Want to Sing at Karaoke (101–110)

tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa

Koresawa “Tobacco” [Music Video]

tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa

It’s a painfully honest story song that realistically portrays heartbreak.

Over more than six minutes, post-breakup emotions are carefully traced alongside the gentle tones of an acoustic guitar.

A pack of cigarettes left behind by an ex becomes the trigger for recalling the time they spent together, and looking back, only regret remains—such a bittersweet inner landscape is woven through Koresawa’s delicate vocals.

Released in March 2017, just before her major-label debut, this piece can be considered a culmination of her work.

It’s also included on the album “Korekara,” where it continues to be loved.

The melodious, straightforward lyrics are sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.

On nights when you want to face your own feelings, try singing it at karaoke.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Sorrow Rides the Busmakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Enpitsu “Sadness Rides the Bus” MV

Sorrow Rides the Busmakaroni enpitsu

Set to melodies that gently stay close to the heart, this moving story by Macaroni Empitsu captures the shifting patterns of human emotion.

The lead track from their August 2023 album, “Otona no Namida” (“Tears of Adults”), delicately depicts the fleeting feelings found in farewells with family and in everyday life.

Hattori’s clear, transparent vocals and the softly unfolding melody resonate deep within the listener.

The song also drew attention for its music video directed by Yoshihito Mori, known for the Netflix film “We Couldn’t Become Adults.” Through the perspective of a protagonist played by Shota Sometani, it asks profound questions about the meaning of life and the preciousness of existence.

It’s a recommended track for those who want to empathize with feelings for loved ones or soothe the quiet emotions they carry inside.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Tears of Magnolia ~acoustic~Sutādasuto☆Rebyū

“Tears of Magnolia ~acoustic~” Stardust☆Review [LIVE]

Tears of Magnolia ~acoustic~Sutādasuto☆Rebyū

This song poignantly sings of an unforgettable tenderness for someone who left you behind and the longing to see them again.

After being included on the 1993 album “SOLA,” an acoustic arrangement was later used in a 2005 Nikka Whisky commercial and released as “Mokuren no Namida ~acoustic~.” With a piano-centered sound that carries the vocals, the conversational singing style underscores the sorrow of unattainable wishes.

The contrast between whisper-like delivery and cry-like belting is a key point that conveys rising emotion, so it’s important to understand where to apply strength as you sing and progress through the piece.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Family SongHoshino Gen

Gen Hoshino – Family Song (Official Video)

Family SongHoshino Gen

Set to a heartwarming melody, this masterpiece gently sings about the small joys of everyday life and the connections between people.

Gen Hoshino delicately depicts scenes like morning light and windowsills, as if capturing familiar moments within a family.

Its message—embracing bonds that go beyond blood ties and accepting the diversifying forms of family with warmth—resonates deep within.

Released in August 2017, the song was used as the theme for the Nippon TV drama “Overprotected Kahoko” and reached No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.

Its distinctive sound, which skillfully incorporates elements of late-1960s to early-1970s soul music, is another draw.

It’s a gem that stays close to the feeling of wishing happiness for someone important to you, so why not listen to it in a quiet moment alone? Its gentle sound may even move you to tears.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Don’t go.Tamaki Kōji

Ikanaide

Don't go.Tamaki Kōji

This song straightforwardly expresses the regret and pain of having to part.

It was also used as the theme song for the drama “Sayonara Li Xianglan.” The piano- and strings-centered sound is striking, and you can feel the growing intensity of the suffering as the arrangement gradually builds.

The details of what happened between the two aren’t described, focusing solely on the feeling of not wanting to be separated.

The tense soundscape, the raw, unfiltered anguish conveyed directly, and the slightly raspy vocals that accentuate the sorrow make this a track that truly moves the heart.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem