Popular Unrequited Love Songs: Japanese Music/J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]

A Song for Youerica91rank/position

erica – A Song for You

A heartrending unrequited-love song that pours indescribably strong affection into its melody.

It conveys deep compassion for someone special and a wish for those feelings to be accepted.

The lyric about wanting to double the joy and halve the sorrow expresses a pure, selfless devotion.

With Erica’s down-to-earth words resonating strongly with junior high, high school, and college girls troubled by love, the song even drew attention as a real-life communication tool, being used in “LINE Lyric Pranks.” It’s a must-listen for anyone who struggles to honestly express their feelings in love.

I long to see you now.MISIA92rank/position

MISIA – Aitakute Ima (Official HD Music Video)

“Aitakute Ima” is MISIA’s 23rd single, released in 2009.

It was written as the theme song for TBS’s Sunday drama “JIN,” and it reached No.

9 on the Oricon singles chart.

In writing the lyrics, MISIA visited the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots in Kagoshima, where she read letters from soldiers heading to the front, addressed to their families and loved ones.

Reaffirming the weight of life and the depth of human bonds, she penned the lyrics.

If there is someone you feel that strongly about, please listen to “Aitakute Ima.”

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Hamada Takuya

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someone I likeUeno Yūka93rank/position

Yuka Ueno “Suki na Hito” Music Video

It’s not just something that happens in anime or dramas—some of you might have actually fallen for the same person as a friend, told them you’d support them while hiding your own feelings.

When it’s sprung on you suddenly, it’s understandable to feel unable to confess, yet you also can’t bring yourself to tell your friend or your crush how you feel.

It’s a helpless, brooding emotion, but here it’s expressed with truly straightforward, pure sincerity.

It’s a song that will resonate with anyone who’s had the same experience.

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utatane

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Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai94rank/position

God Does Not Play Dice “Yoru-Naga Uta” [Official Lyric Video]

‘Yona Uta’ is a song that portrays the aching feeling of shedding tears whenever you recall an unforgettable love.

The melody alone can move you to tears, but the lyrics—expressing the longing to touch the person you love once more—are truly painful and heartrending.

There are many ways to interpret how the lovers part, so it will likely resonate with many people currently experiencing unrequited love.

Although it’s a heartbreak song because it suggests you can no longer meet the one you love, it’s also a track I recommend to anyone who can’t give up on their feelings.

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sasashina

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I want to become the kind of thing the person I like likes.Suzuki Suzuki95rank/position

I want to become what the person I like likes – Suzuki Suzuki [Official Music Video]

Suzuki Suzuki is a brother duo who became the sixth champion in the “Best Vocalist Tournament” on the music talk variety show Momm!!.

Their song “I Want to Become What the Person I Like Likes,” included on their first album 313, has a title with an impact that says it all.

The lyrics depict a love that grows while hiding one’s feelings for the person they like, making you want to cheer them on in hopes it will one day come true just by listening.

It’s an emotional number with beautiful harmonies only brothers can create.

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Hoshino Takashi

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