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.
- Popular Depressive Songs Ranking [2026]
- Popular “yami” songs: Japanese music / J‑Pop artist rankings [2026]
- 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)
Black sheepKeyakizaka4615rank/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.mafumafu16rank/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.
Non-breath ObligePinokio P17rank/position
There are times when you want to let out feelings that have nowhere to go, right? Nonbreath Oblige is a delicate, heartrending song that you’ll want to listen to when it gets hard to go to school.
Released in 2021 by PinocchioP, it stands out for its lyrics that question a modern society where it’s hard to say what you really mean, and for its beautifully colored music video.
When you’re worn out from being careful around friends at school or when things aren’t going well in class, listening to this track might help ease your mind.
He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon18rank/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.
to liveMizuno Atsu19rank/position
This is a song that gently stays close to a delicate heart that feels weighed down even by the smallest moments of everyday life.
Released in July 2021 as a collaboration between Atsu Mizuno and the Vocaloid Kafu, it has reached 10 million views on YouTube.
The conflicting emotions—wanting distance from school or relationships, blaming oneself, yet still wishing to keep living somewhere deep inside—are carefully portrayed within a simple, piano-centered soundscape.
Listen to it on nights when tomorrow feels frightening, or in moments when you feel no one will understand you.
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.
J-Pop Depressive Song Rankings [2026] (21–30)
Kill my ex-boyfriendGōruden Bonbā21rank/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.
