Ranking of Dark/Jaded Japanese Songs [2026]
We’re showcasing the monthly top 100 “yami” J-pop songs ranked by view count, all in one place.
When you’re feeling down, upbeat or empowering tracks can help—but sometimes you need songs that gently sit with your pain and offer sympathy.
The playlist is updated weekly.
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- Sad Song Rankings [2026]
- Lonely Song Rankings [2026]
- Popular Heartbreak Song Rankings [2026]
- [Songs to Listen to When You Want to Die] I want to disappear... A song to support you who feel that way
- Popular Tearjerker Song Rankings [2026]
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]
- [Trash Songs] A carefully curated selection of tracks about the lowest, worst kind of loser—and hidden gems!
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Support for the Heart] Songs That Give You Courage When Times Are Tough
J-Pop Yami Song Ranking [2026] (11–20)
lipstickKato Miria11rank/position
As the queen of breakup songs, Miliyah Kato was especially popular among young women.
In 2019, news of her marriage surprised the public.
Many of the tracks she released were heavy, emotionally charged love songs.
Among them, “Lipstick” really conveys that pained, troubled state of mind.
If there are men who think women dress up just for fun, this is definitely a song you’ll want them to hear!
Absolute GirlfriendOmori Seiko12rank/position
One of Omori’s signature songs, “Zettai Kanojo” (“Absolute Girlfriend”).
Its memorable chorus repeats “I absolutely want to be a girl,” affirming both the beauty of girlhood and the resignation and despair contained within it.
It was included on her indie-era album “Zettai Shoujo,” and later a version featuring Sayumi Michishige was released, which drew major attention.
With its intense yet catchy melody and strikingly distinctive lyrics, it’s a track that powerfully showcases Seiko Omori’s unique worldview.
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro13rank/position
Moonlight portrays the sense of helplessness and loneliness one can feel in this wide world.
Released in 2000 by singer-songwriter Chihiro Onitsuka, it is known as one of her signature songs.
Carried by a beautiful yet fleeting piano melody, her voice conveys a deep solitude and anxiety.
The song is filled with messages that prompt deep reflection on life—questions everyone holds, like “What am I living for?” It’s a ballad that depicts the trembling emotions of losing someone dear or losing your place in the world.
Please lend an ear to its gently resonant melody and lyrics.
Black sheepKeyakizaka4614rank/position
Have you ever felt like you can’t trust anyone, that there’s no one in this world you can rely on or truly understand you except yourself? The song “Black Sheep,” perfect for times like that, is the eighth single released by Keyakizaka46 in 2019, with Yurina Hirate as the center.
When you’ve fallen into distrust of people, how about letting yourself drop all the way to the bottom? I can’t help but relate to the feeling that if things go well by making myself the bad guy, then that’s fine.
There was no meaning to being born.mafumafu15rank/position
This is Mafumafu’s signature work, a cry from the heart that chronicles losing one’s sense of self-worth and ceaselessly questioning the meaning of life.
It’s included on the album “Kagurairo Artifact,” released in October 2019.
The song confronts the value of discarded lives, a society indifferent to others, and the powerlessness of being unable to save anything despite having the potential to become anyone.
Though the lyrics are filled with despairing questions, they ultimately resound with a strong resolve that we must go on living.
It’s a song that stands beside those who find life hard or have lost sight of their own worth.
He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon16rank/position
This is the major-label debut single by Aimyon, a singer-songwriter from Hyogo Prefecture, released in November 2016.
Shocked by news of a suicide by jumping, Aimyon wrote this piece with honest words about life and death.
The contrast between the fact that an unknown someone undeniably lived and the cold reactions online pierces the heart.
It was also used as the opening theme for the drama “Is Kichijoji the Only Place You Want to Live?” It’s a deeply moving number that offers support to junior high school students who feel lonely or find life hard.
Hated by life.Kanzaki Iori17rank/position
When standing on the brink of profound agony, any words can be a source of encouragement.
Kanzaki Iori’s “Hated by Life Itself” is a song that stays close to you in exactly such moments.
Its weighty piano melody and plaintive strings are gentle on the ears yet resonate powerfully with the heart.
Like a single beam of light piercing the dark night, the lyrics stir the listener’s emotions and instill the courage to rise again.
With a wealth of cover versions available on YouTube, this song is one I’d recommend to anyone searching for a reason to keep living.
Kill my ex-boyfriendGōruden Bonbā18rank/position
This is the fourth single by Golden Bomber, released in 2008.
Golden Bomber is famous as an air band, but their songs themselves are always distinctive and draw attention.
As you might guess from the shocking title, this song expresses resentment toward the boyfriend of the person the singer has fallen for.
However, because it has a bright, rock-style feel, it doesn’t come across as too heavy—that’s the key point.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa19rank/position
When your heart feels heavy and you can’t move, there’s a song that gently stays by your side.
Included on ReoNa’s fifth single “Nai Nai,” released in May 2021, this piece—written and composed by Toa Kasamura—is a track that resonates deeply.
Carried by the sound of the piano, ReoNa’s whispery vocals speak as if softly reading a diary aloud, giving voice to your innermost thoughts.
Rather than forcing encouragement, the lyrics simply offer the warmth of being there, making it a song you’ll want to hear when you’re worn out from trying too hard.
The choral parts, inspired by hymns, envelop you and quietly convey a blessing for living through today.
It’s a song I especially recommend to anyone getting by while holding on to painful feelings.
MarshmallowDECO*2720rank/position
Despite its sweet-sounding title, DECO*27’s track released in October 2025 stands out for its hard guitar riffs and aggressive sound.
The lyrics, depicting the protagonist’s psychological struggle as they realize the relationship is a sham and try to cut through the other person’s deceit, shake the listener with their sharp wording.
Its structure—rooted in rock while incorporating rap elements and drop-like developments—recalls “Ghost Rule” and “Hibana,” yet delivers an even more intense finish.
It’s a song that middle schoolers grappling with the complexities of human relationships can relate to, and one that will likely resonate deeply.