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]
- [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
- Ranking of Tear-Jerking Japanese Songs [2026]
J-Pop Depressive Song Rankings [2026] (21–30)
Hated by life.Kanzaki Iori29rank/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.
Sparks of Lies96neko30rank/position
Even when you know it’s a hopeless love, hasn’t everyone experienced being unable to control their feelings? You often hear about people who are too afraid of ruining a good relationship to confess their feelings.
This is a song I want those struggling with that kind of bittersweet dilemma to hear.
It portrays a heartrending love, yet, contrary to the lyrics, the up-tempo, catchy performance is really cool.
Japanese Yami Song Ranking [2026] (31–40)
Everything other than death is just a scratch.Koresawa31rank/position
Other people might say it’s no big deal, but there are surprisingly many things that feel “tough” to us personally.
This song, “Shinu Koto Igai Kasurikizu” (“Everything but Death Is Just a Scratch”), takes that kind of everyday life in a good, broad-minded way and makes you feel like you can move forward.
That said, it’s not a bright, pep-talk kind of anthem saying “Let’s do our best,” so it’s also recommended when you’re in the mood for a darker, cathartic song.
If you can think, “Everything but death is just a scratch,” a lot of things might start to feel easier.
Girls don’t cry.katahira rina32rank/position
This is Rina Katahira’s “Onna no Ko wa Nakanai” (“Girls Don’t Cry”).
There are, unfortunately, some outrageous men who toy with girls’ feelings.
Many girls have been made to cry and get hurt by such men.
As the song says, there’s no need to shed tears for people like that! Now’s the time to end those push-and-pull relationships and fall in love with someone sincere and kind (lol).
The happiest way to die in the worldkoka33rank/position
The late Uta’s song delves deeply into the loneliness and despair of human relationships.
It sings of a paradoxical kind of happiness—being hated by everyone in the world so that one can die without troubling anyone.
The track vividly portrays the feelings of someone who has lost their connection to society, resonating with listeners’ hearts.
Released in March 2023, it took part in the VOCACOLE 2023 Spring TOP 100 ranking.
Coupled with IA’s translucent vocals, it creates a uniquely immersive world.
It’s a song that stands beside those burdened with sadness and loneliness, offering empathy.
If you’re struggling, it will gently wrap your heart in comfort.
Stray SheepKamisama, boku wa kizuite shimatta34rank/position
This is a song I especially want people who are struggling with their future or feeling stuck to hear.
They rose to popularity with piercing high notes and sharp lyrics.
In this track, they play gently—and at times intensely—as if saving lost lambs.
Singing, “Don’t worry about those around you; listen to your own voice,” their message will surely give you a little push toward the future.
to liveMizuno Atsu35rank/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.