![[Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/DpDCJrZL4FU/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.
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- 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
- A classic song that sings of gratitude to one’s parents. Thank you, Dad and Mom!
[Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear (1–10)
amberSEKAI NO OWARI
An emotionally moving song by SEKAI NO OWARI that gently sings about how memories with loved ones continue to live on in our hearts, with “farewell”—an inevitable part of life—as its theme.
It quietly portrays the bonds that remain within us even when they can no longer be seen, the anxiety of forgetting, and the gratitude we feel for those precious presences that continue to influence our lives even now.
Released in March 2025 and written as the theme song for the film “The Boy and the Dog,” the track is also included on the album “Nautilus.” It is a song that stands beside those facing the sorrow of losing someone dear and the changing relationships that come with the passage of time.
existenceWANIMA
This is a gem-like ballad by WANIMA, woven with deep gratitude and love for a grandmother.
Inspired by member KENTA’s experiences of being raised by his grandmother from childhood, the song vividly depicts memories from a seaside town.
Its mid-tempo melody and heartfelt vocals richly express warm feelings toward someone precious.
Released in March 2025, the track was written for Flower Gift Service “Hana Cupid” and used as the theme song for their Mother’s Day campaign commercial.
The CM featuring Shohei Miura drew attention as well, and the song has garnered notice as the band’s first ballad-style track.
It’s a piece I wholeheartedly recommend to those carrying the sorrow of losing someone dear or wishing to convey gratitude to the precious people in their lives today.
Until the day I can no longer rememberback number
A back number song about lost love and memories, and the journey of moving forward.
Even when someone precious is gone, life goes on—a reality expressed through winter’s chill and the changing seasons.
The belief that the happy days spent together and the joys shared have become part of oneself conveys a deep bond.
Released in October 2011 as their third single, it is also included on the album “Superstar.” This is a song that offers empathy and comfort to anyone grieving the loss of a loved one.
Until your night breaks (into dawn)Kasamura Tōta
This is one of Tota Kasamura’s signature works, beginning with a question posed to a broken world and a mistaken world.
The sorrow of losing a loved one and the aching wish to meet them again resonate deeply.
The melody, woven to accompany the listener’s emotions, and the lyrics, imbued with profound love, are beautifully harmonized.
Released in January 2019 and included on the February 2021 album “How to Become a Wonderful Adult,” this piece—together with its counterpart, “Lily of the Endless Night”—is highly regarded as one of Kasamura’s representative Vocaloid songs.
It is a gem that offers comfort and healing to those facing the grief of losing someone dear, as well as to anyone who loves someone deeply.
Say it.Yorushika
A song that delicately portrays the feelings of parting with someone dear.
Woven into its bright melody line are deep sorrow and a sense of loss.
The protagonist’s inability to accept reality is depicted alongside a tender, compassionate longing for the other person, interlacing natural imagery to create a world that evokes empathy.
Included on the album “Natsukusa ga Jama o Suru,” released in June 2017, this piece resonated with many for its piercing expressiveness and beautiful melody, and its music video surpassed 100 million views in July 2021.
It will surely offer gentle comfort to those who have lost someone precious or carry feelings too deep for words.
Hide-and-seekRADWIMPS
Through the childhood game everyone once played—hide-and-seek—this RADWIMPS song gently depicts parting from someone dear.
The quiet tones of piano and strings resonate as if to stay close to the hearts of those who have lost a loved one.
It carefully expresses the bewilderment and sense of loss toward someone who suddenly disappeared, the guilt of forgetting, and the struggle between that and the reality of having to move forward.
Written as the theme song for the NHK General drama special “Anata no Soba de Ashita ga Warau,” broadcast on March 6, 2021, marking ten years since the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was included on the album “2+0+2+1+3+1+1 = 10 years 10 songs.” This piece will deeply resonate not only with those who lost loved ones in the disaster, but with anyone who has experienced parting from someone important in any form.
Sleeping BeautySEKAI NO OWARI
A gem-like ballad that gently wraps the grief and sense of loss from losing someone precious in a fairy-tale worldview.
On a morning after waking, the inability to accept the reality that a loved one is no longer there is woven into a fantastical story.
With SEKAI NO OWARI’s signature dreamy melody and tender vocals that stay close to profound sorrow, the song delivers true comfort to listeners’ hearts.
Released in July 2012, it was also used in a commercial for NTT Plala.
When you can’t face the memory of a painful farewell or want to sort out your feelings for someone dear, this song will gently embrace your heart.