Popular Ballad Song Ranking [2026]
We’re bringing you the latest rankings from the overall chart of popular ballads, showcased all at once in order of most views!
When you’re feeling down or just want to relax alone, listening to ballads somehow brings a sense of relief, doesn’t it?
Whether Japanese or Western music, this is a must-listen ranking for anyone who simply wants to enjoy all kinds of ballads.
The playlist is updated weekly.
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Popular Ballad Song Rankings [2026] (31–40)
A Naked Heartaimyon31rank/position
A single ballad by Aimyon that portrays the feelings of wishing, with honest sincerity, “Even if just a little, may this love come true,” while grappling with anxieties and inner conflict about romance.
Released in June 2020, it’s a memorable track that also served as the theme song for the TBS drama ‘My Housekeeper Nagisa-san.’ Characterized by a simple arrangement centered on piano and melodica, it’s structured in a way that’s easy to recreate as a guitar-and-vocal performance.
The protagonist, who struggles with low self-esteem and loneliness yet tries to face love as their true self, embodies emotions that many of us have experienced at least once.
When you’re feeling timid about love, playing and singing this song will gently wrap your heart in comfort.
Maplesupittsu32rank/position
Released in 1998, this song has been featured extensively in tie-ins, including as a TV drama theme and insert song, as well as in commercials.
The chorus, where Masamune Kusano’s high, soaring vocals shine, is surely familiar to just about everyone.
Its ear-pleasing, beautiful melody further accentuates the bittersweet lyrics, making it incredibly memorable.
The song was used in a Universal Music commercial that aired in December 2025.
Two other Spitz songs were also featured, and this track plays in the final scene of the commercial.
beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko33rank/position
One of Aiko’s signature songs and among the finest love songs in J-POP.
It’s a karaoke staple, and many people probably sing it often! This work is her fourth single, released in November 1999.
A beautiful ballad with a gentle accompaniment and sweet, heartwarming lyrics that truly resonate.
It’s a classic you’ve likely heard in many places.
Overall, it’s a slow, tender ballad, but above all, it’s packed with emotion—perfect for singing your heart out.
If you have someone special, I highly recommend listening while carefully reading the lyrics.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number34rank/position
Given the title, you might think back number’s “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” is a birthday song, right? It is a birthday song, but not one that celebrates someone’s birthday—instead, it’s a love song filled with the aching feelings of unrequited love.
It’s a track that feels like facing yourself as you reach your own birthday, and it conveys the sadness of a love that won’t come true, a love that won’t blossom.
If you’re experiencing unrequited love, this song will likely hit you especially hard.
About meMrs. GREEN APPLE35rank/position
A masterful song by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE that captivates with its grand rock ballad sound and heartfelt lyrics.
It gently asks what it means to live true to yourself, and how your own existence becomes visible through differences with others.
Its warm perspective resonates deeply, standing by those who, despite anxiety and loneliness, strive to move forward step by step.
Released in January 2019, it stirred the hearts of many as the support song for the 97th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
From November 2022, an orchestral arrangement was also featured in Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s CalorieMate “Support for Exam Takers” commercial series, showcasing a new charm.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you stand at a crossroads in life, when you feel you might lose your way, or when you want to encourage someone dear to you.
MPRINCESS PRINCESS36rank/position
A flagship track by PRINCESS PRINCESS, a girls’ band that left its mark not only on the history of women’s bands but on Japanese rock as a whole.
Many people would say this is their favorite song.
In fact, this track was included on the B-side of that massive hit “Diamonds.” It’s curious that such a masterpiece was treated as a B-side—good songs will always be discovered by listeners, those intrepid explorers, wherever they are.
The lyrics, about not being able to throw away the page for an ex-lover whose name starts with M, belong to a time before smartphones.
The word “page” itself carries a certain nostalgia.
With its beautiful harmonies, it’s a ballad that’s also great for karaoke.
I want to take only you away just like this.DEEN37rank/position
This is the debut single by DEEN, a rock band that made its major-label debut as part of the Being boom that swept Japan in the 1990s.
Despite being their debut song, it was also used in a commercial and became a million-selling hit, standing as DEEN’s biggest and most iconic track.
It’s a ballad packed with elements that anyone would consider a classic: bittersweet feelings and hope directed toward a former partner, and a gentle, beautiful melody.
It’s a soothing song that heals the fatigue of everyday life, and one I recommend even to those who don’t usually listen to ballads.
single bedSha ran Q38rank/position
A melodious ballad that poignantly portrays the feelings of a man who, after heartbreak, can’t bring himself to step into a new love.
The single bed etched with memories of his beloved now stands as a symbol of lonely solitude.
The simple, everyday happiness they once shared, and the aching longing for someone who has now become distant, tighten the chest.
Released by Sharam Q in October 1994, this song was used as the ending theme for the anime D·N·A² and is also included on the album “Inferiority Complex.” It’s a song that gently supports those who are trying to move forward while looking back on a past love, and those who have experienced parting with someone dear.
Time After TimeCyndi Lauper39rank/position
Speaking of legendary songs that defined an era, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” comes to mind.
Her voice, graceful yet powerful, gently stirs a quiet emotion in listeners.
The fact that it has remained beloved by artists around the world since its 1984 release attests to a universal appeal that goes far beyond a simple ballad.
Born from the talent she cultivated through overcoming hardship, this song stands as a monumental ballad that colored the 1980s.
It remains cherished in Japan as well, an unforgettable classic that continues to shine without fading even today.
PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism40rank/position
This is one of Official HIGE DANDism’s signature ballads, sung over a dramatic melody about the end of a heartrending love.
The protagonist deeply loves the other person yet realizes they are not meant to be, and their inner struggle is heartbreaking.
Holding an impossible wish—if only in another timeline—and ultimately stepping back while praising the other’s beauty, the lyrics are impossible to hear without tears.
Released as a single in May 2019, it became widely known as the theme song for the film “The Confidence Man JP.” Pouring your feelings into it at karaoke will surely lighten the burden on your heart.
A song that heals the pain of heartbreak and helps you gradually look forward, this masterpiece gently stays by your side in the season of farewells.