[2026] A collection of heart-wrenching BGM that makes your chest tighten
When you hear “melancholic BGM,” what comes to mind?
For generations older than Millennials, it probably evokes background music that simply tightens the chest with emotion.
But for Gen Z, in addition to that image, they might also picture melancholic BGM with a cute, endearing quality.
In fact, on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, you often see videos that pair deadpan, absurd mishaps with melancholic background music.
This time, we’ve selected melancholic BGM for a wide range of situations—from the kind you’d hear on social media to the kind that simply tugs at your heartstrings.
Be sure to check them out.
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- A bittersweet song that trended on TikTok. A heart-wrenching ‘setsuna’ song.
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- This is the definitive BGM for the graduation ceremony! A moving collection of songs you can use for everything from the entrance march to the thank-you party.
- [Sad BGM] Music You Want to Listen to When You Feel Like Crying
- [For Work] Compilation of Tear-Jerking BGM Videos [Covers, etc.]
- The nostalgic atmosphere tugs at your heartstrings. Tear-jerker songs from the Showa era.
- [Music Funeral] BGM to Remember the Deceased | Spotlight on Requiems and Dirges Praying for Peace
- Emotional songs from the Heisei era. Nostalgic tracks that really hit you.
- Colorful coming-of-age songs perfect for autumn listening
- [Classic and Contemporary Hits] Emotionally Stirring, Heart-Touching Songs
[2026] Heart-tightening, bittersweet BGM | Compilation (41–50)
moreaiko
It’s a song whose poignant lyrics and melody resonate with the heart.
Released in March 2016, it’s a track that aiko created to express earnest feelings in love.
It was also used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Please Love the Useless Me,” and its harmony with the drama’s world helped it reach even more people.
It’s recommended for those struggling with love or those who want to deepen their feelings for someone special.
Please give it a listen—you’ll surely find parts of its bittersweetness you can relate to.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number
Back number, a three-piece band from Gunma Prefecture, is in high demand for film and TV drama theme songs thanks to their emotional, heart-stirring ballads.
Their 2019 release “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” was used as the theme song for the TV drama “A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love.” Its catchy yet wistful melody line pairs perfectly with the lyrics.
Happy Endingback number
Weighed down by the heavy ache of heartbreak, back number’s “Happy End” is a song that captures those very feelings.
Endless longing and unspoken emotions slowly seep into the listener’s heart.
Though the narrator chose to say goodbye, the lyrics convey the contradiction of a heart that still clings to the other person, and the bittersweet melody deepens the melancholy.
On nights when you tend to spend long hours alone, listening to this song might, along with a few tears, make your heart feel just a little lighter.
It’s a track that comforts the listener while also giving them the courage to take a new step forward.
A Naked Heartaimyon
The ballad “Hadaka no Kokoro” portrays the feelings of a woman in unrequited love.
Released in 2020 as a single by Aimyon, it was used as the theme song for the drama “My Housekeeper Nagisa-san.” The lyrics, which express the frustration of love that doesn’t go smoothly yet the resolve to move forward toward a new romance, are both heartrending and warming—they can bring you to tears for both reasons.
It also gives you the comforting sense that you’re not alone.
Give it a listen when you need a good cry or some healing.
I forget you, who are so quiet, in October.atarayo
A breakout hit from Atarayo, a band whose tagline is “a group that grows by feeding on sadness.” From the opening, conversational lines, you’re drawn in naturally.
It’s a heartrending track whose lyrics and worldview drew attention.
On TikTok, it was widely used in videos filled with memories, bonds, and feelings that couldn’t reach their destination.
Beyond just the pain, it’s a song that stays close to the feeling of being hurt precisely because someone is kind to you.
It squeezes your chest so tightly that you find yourself thinking it would have been better if it had never existed in the first place.
Everyday Revolutionneguse.
On long nights spent facing a breakup—or when you’re looking for an outlet for feelings you’ve tucked away—Neguse’s “Nichijou Kakumei” (Everyday Revolution) is just what you need.
Released in September 2022, this song’s warm melody and lyrics pierce deeply into the listener’s heart.
It opens with recollections of happier days and gradually shifts toward the sorrow of lost love.
With fresh, vivid emotion, it traces how small changes in everyday life can lead to a heartbreaking farewell.
In the music video, memories flash by like a revolving lantern, emotionally portraying the loneliness of joyful times slipping away.
The blend of tenderness and sadness in this song will loosen your tear ducts before you know it.
budKobukuro
Kobukuro’s “Tsubomi” is a song that brings tears as it reminds you of the kindness of those who always support you.
Released in 2007, it was used as the theme song for the drama “Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad.” Kobukuro’s Kentaro Kobuchi wrote the song while thinking of his own mother, whom he lost in his teens.
It expresses the resolve to keep living each day while believing that a precious person—someone you can no longer meet who always encouraged and supported you—is still cheering you on somewhere.
If you listen while thinking of that special someone in your life, your heart will be warmed by the kindness you received back then and the kindness you still feel now.
