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

Blue and SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE15rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Blue and Summer

When it comes to refreshing songs that signal the start of summer, Aoi to Natsu is a standout.

Released in 2018 by the rock band Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, known for creating theme songs for numerous anime and films, it delivers an energetic band sound that evokes a breezy youthfulness.

The lyrics are cool, reminding us that everyone is the protagonist of their own life.

Set to a driving rhythm, blossoming feelings of love are sure to accelerate.

It’s a dynamic track that wraps up the anxieties and loneliness of unrequited love.

Give this upbeat tune a listen—it’ll make you excited for the summer ahead!

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mutō

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Unrequited lovemiwa16rank/position

miwa 'Unrequited Love'

A ballad that portrays a heartrending love, seeping into the heart with its translucent vocals and the warm sound of the piano.

Included on the March 2012 album “guitarium,” it was selected as the ending theme for the music information program “saku saku” in February 2012.

The lyrics delicately express the feelings of a secret, unspoken crush and the bittersweet pain of being unable to get closer the more you care.

With a heartwarming melody that gently embraces the frustration of being unable to confess and the anxiety that everyone experiences when they fall in love, this song offers solace and support.

It’s a track we especially recommend to those who are keeping their feelings for someone special tucked away in their hearts.

366 daysHY17rank/position

HY 366 Days LIVE

A representative ballad by HY, a mixed-genre band from Okinawa, that I want anyone who’s experienced a devastating heartbreak to hear.

It’s included on their 2008 album “HeartY” and was chosen as the theme song for the drama and film “Akai Ito” (Red Thread).

This work portrays a painfully pure love—the more you try to forget, the more you think of the other person.

Izumi Nakasone’s soulful, heartfelt vocals, who wrote the lyrics, seem to speak for those aching emotions.

On nights when your chest is overflowing with helpless longing, this song will surely stay gently by your side.

A Little Love SongMONGOL80018rank/position

MONGOL800 / A Small Love Song

One of the signature songs by MONGOL800, an indie band from Okinawa.

It’s a major hit that expresses candid feelings for a loved one through a driving melody and powerful vocals.

The deeply message-driven lyrics gently remind us of the everyday realization that we often take the presence of someone we love for granted.

Included on the album MESSAGE, released in September 2001, it achieved an astonishing sales total of over 2.8 million copies despite being an indie release.

It’s the perfect song to cheer you on when you need a push to voice feelings you can’t quite bring yourself to say.

whiteoutreGretGirl19rank/position

reGretGirl "Whiteout" Official Music Video

This song starts off with hard rock, but the lyrics are really heart-wrenching.

It’s written from a male perspective, yet I’m sure many women can relate as well.

In the past, people would bring up breakups face-to-face, but these days it seems more common to use social media.

It’s lonely and sad, but I suppose romance changes with the times.

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Ozaki Shunji

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CHE.R.RYYUI20rank/position

CHE.R.RY – YUI (Full)

This is a cute love song by YUI that portrays exchanges over a cell phone with someone you like.

A single message can make your heart race, and you find yourself resisting the urge to reply right away.

It’s the kind of bittersweet, unrequited feeling that makes you think, “I know exactly how that feels!” Released in March 2007 as her eighth single and featured in a KDDI “LISMO!” commercial, the song became a huge hit that captured many hearts.

When your chest is full of feelings of love, listening to it will surely lift your spirits.

It’s a heart-fluttering track that feels like it’s cheering on your romance.

raspberryMarushii21rank/position

marcy – Raspberry (Official Music Video)

When you fall in love, emotions spill over that reason can’t hold back.

Marcy’s unrequited-love song vividly portrays feelings that only grow stronger for someone special.

Released in June 2023, the piece sets bittersweet, tender emotions for a loved one to a guitar rock-driven sound.

It delicately captures the heart of unrequited love—swaying between joy and despair at the other person’s ambiguity, yet still holding onto hope.

It will surely resonate with hearts that can’t confess their feelings, unable to keep them in.