Sad songs. Emotional catharsis to detox your heart.
We’ve selected timeless and popular songs recommended by our studio staff that are so sad they’ll make you feel it just by listening.
Every once in a while, let’s detox the heart with a good cry.
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Sad Songs (21–30)
shieldKurahashi Yoeko
It’s a song of sorrow and regret, about looking back on the past with remorse and now being able to do nothing but pray.
It’s said to portray the time when Yoeko Kurahashi’s own mother was in critical condition.
The image of being unable to do anything for a fading life—only apologizing and praying—makes your heart ache just to imagine it.
planetariumOtsuka Ai
It’s Ai Otsuka’s 10th single, and it’s said to be a song she wrote during her junior college days.
The lyrics suggest that the “you” the protagonist is remembering is probably no longer in this world.
In the past, it was embroiled in plagiarism allegations, but Avex did not issue any particular comment.
NonfictionHirai Ken
This is a gem-like ballad by Ken Hirai that powerfully portrays the profound sorrow of losing a close friend and the struggles of life.
Its tender, moving sound centered on acoustic guitar and Hirai’s rich, lustrous vocals gently envelop the heartfelt longing for someone lost.
In the music video, filmed at an amusement park at night, dancer Takeki Kudo’s striking performance gives visual form to a cry of the soul.
Released in June 2017, the song also drew attention as the theme for TBS’s Sunday drama “Chiisana Kyojin” (A Small Giant).
This work resonates deeply with those grieving the loss of a loved one or standing at a crossroads in life, offering a song that truly stays close to the heart.
Sad Songs (31–40)
Come to the forestTaniyama Hiroko
I live in the forest—“I”—and you, “you,” used to come there every morning.
But from one morning on, “you” stopped coming and started going to see “him” in the city.
This is a song about my feelings, but when it was released, there were a series of abductions of young girls, and because the lyrics evoked that, they were rewritten.
Someday Merry ChristmasB’z
A classic Christmas song.
It’s a tune loved by people of all ages, and the members say it’s one of their favorites.
The contrast between the happy Christmas memories of the past that have slipped away and the way things are now, along with the sight of people who seem as happy as one’s former self passing by—these elements make it a profoundly bittersweet song.
Time goes byEvery Little Thing
This is Every Little Thing’s eighth single.
It’s the only single by Every Little Thing to have achieved million-seller status.
It’s also an unusual composition in which the key changes repeatedly as the song progresses.
Why…Hysteric Blue
Hysteric Blue’s fourth single.
It was the theme song for the drama “P.S.
Genki Desu, Shunpei.” The melody is wistful, and the lyrics depict a frustrating love that doesn’t go well.
After their hiatus, the arrest of a member ultimately forced Hysteric Blue to disband.