![[Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/brZxXTG7XR8/maxresdefault.webp)
A collection of songs themed around the loss of loved ones—partners, family, friends, and others dear to you.
There are songs steeped in deep sorrow, songs that express gratitude for the time shared in life, songs that look back on memories, and even songs told from the perspective of those who have passed away.
Though presented from many angles, all of them overflow with love for the departed and for those left behind.
If you are suffering from a sense of loss, or wish to sort through your feelings for someone precious who has gone on ahead, please give these a listen.
We cannot forget the reality of parting, but as you listen, you will likely find yourself able to look back on the days you spent together with a calmer heart.
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
- [Memorial Song] A moving classic and love song dedicated to a beloved person embarking on a journey to heaven
- Farewell Song: A goodbye song. A tearful parting song.
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
- A song about losing a friend: bereavement, betrayal, and separation.
- Songs to Play at My Own Funeral: Timeless Gems to Make Farewells Uniquely My Own
- Songs that Teach the Value of Life | A Collection of Masterpieces Celebrating the Wonder of Living
- [Thank-You Song] A song to convey your feelings of “thank you” to someone special
- A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- [Thank You] A classic song expressing gratitude to one’s parents. A number loved across generations.
[Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear (1–10)
Memories are beautifulNEW!Aimer
It’s a warm song that gently wraps your sorrow.
Sung by Aimer, known for her expressive vocals, this piece vividly paints scenes from the past—childhood landscapes and the warmth of family.
It gently shows how nostalgic memories can become the strength to live powerfully in the present.
Included on her 15th single released in September 2018, it was featured as Canon’s ““This” is my life.” commercial song and became widely beloved.
Listen to it when you’ve lost someone dear and are suddenly overcome with loneliness.
The days you spent together will feel irreplaceable, and you’ll find the courage to face forward.
I remember your warmth.NEW!Teshima Aoi
It feels as if the gentle singing voice seeps all the way into the depths of your heart.
This is a song by Aoi Teshima, who is active across a wide range of genres including film music.
It’s a message song that quietly traces the memory of someone’s presence who is no longer there, and the lingering warmth that remains even after it’s gone.
It’s the kind of song that makes you cry helplessly as it brings back thoughts of a loved one that quietly stay with you in everyday life.
Included on the album “Ren’dez-vous,” released in July 2014, this track drew attention when it was featured in a commercial for FANCL’s additive-free skincare.
It’s a song we hope will be heard by anyone who wants to recover from the grief of losing someone important, or who wishes to quietly look back on the days they spent together.
signpostNEW!Fukuyama Masaharu
This work, which gently asks us to ponder the preciousness of life, is a gemlike ballad filled with gratitude for the baton of life passed down from our ancestors to our parents, and then to ourselves.
Reportedly composed by Masaharu Fukuyama with his own grandmother in mind, the song was included as the B-side to the single “Keshin,” released in May 2009, and later closed out the album Zankyo.
It was also used as the ending theme for the news program NEWS ZERO and as the theme song for the serial drama Platinum Town.
For those who have lost a beloved grandmother or mother, it may rekindle warm memories of the departed and move you deeply.
It is a song that becomes a gentle light, helping you face forward amid sorrow.
Beautiful daysNEW!arashi
A track that became a hot topic as the theme song for the drama “Ryusei no Kizuna,” starring Kazunari Ninomiya.
Released in November 2008, it is Arashi’s 24th single.
It delicately portrays the feeling of continuing to think of someone while carrying lost time and unreturned feelings.
The warm, mid-tempo melody further accentuates the poignancy.
Perfectly aligning with the drama’s worldview, the song won the Best Drama Song at the 59th The Television Drama Academy Awards.
It’s a moving ballad that gently stays close to your heart when you want to look back on the beautiful memories you shared, even while bearing sadness.
If I Could Paint LifeNEW!YOASOBI
It’s a grand number that portrays profound love for those left behind.
Created by the musical duo YOASOBI—composer Ayase and vocalist ikura—the piece unfolds from a quiet introduction into waves of expansive sound, while the gentle, conversational vocals stir a poignant longing for lost time.
Produced as the theme song for a stage play directed by Osamu Suzuki and starring Kei Tanaka, it was first included on the acclaimed December 2021 release THE BOOK 2, and later issued as a standalone work in August 2022.
It’s a song that will stay close to you when memories of the past come rushing in and become painful, or when you wish to calmly reflect on days spent with someone who has passed.
empty windowNEW!RADWIMPS
This is a RADWIMPS song created based on words submitted by high school students in Fukushima who faced school closures after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Even seven years after the disaster, the lingering sense of loss and the parting with cherished everyday life are woven together with a quiet soundscape.
Their delicate expression, akin to a prayer, will resonate deep within your heart.
Released in April 2018, the song was later included on the album “2+0+2+1+3+1+1 = 10 years 10 songs,” released in March 2021.
With a background of being voluntarily shared as an effort to prevent memories from fading, this work gently stands beside those who have lost beloved people or places and continue living with unhealed wounds.
ever freeNEW!Hamasaki Ayumi
A masterpiece that sings of quiet pain and renewal, leaving a deep afterglow in the heart.
It begins with scenes that evoke parting and expresses a gentle freedom found beyond sorrow.
The restrained, translucent vocals resonate in listeners’ chests like a requiem.
The lyrics were written by Ayumi Hamasaki, and the song was included as a coupling track on her 14th single “vogue,” released in April 2000.
This work is recommended for those who have lost someone dear and are suffering from a sense of loss.
It will gently stay by your side when you want to quietly reflect on memories and face forward with warmth.