Unrequited Love Song Ranking in Japanese Music [2026]

Love SongGO!GO!718843rank/position

GO!GO!7188 [Koi no Uta] with low-quality PV

Despite their short period of activity from 2000 to 2012, GO!GO!7188, a three-piece band that gained popularity for their distinctive musicality, released this as their third single.

It’s a track whose simple yet nostalgic sound resonates, featuring an impressive arrangement that begins with a chorus accompanied only by vocals and guitar.

The lyrics—conveying the bittersweet feeling of love that persists even if the person you like doesn’t look only at you—really come through.

Chosen as the AX POWER PLAY #005 theme song for the music program “AX MUSIC-FACTORY,” this song is a great pick for women’s karaoke, and among people of the same generation, the chorus is one you can sing together.

EsperanzaNishino Kana44rank/position

Kana Nishino “Esperanza” MV Full

A song by Kana Nishino that expresses the bittersweet feelings of a woman’s unrequited love through passionate Latin sounds.

Even though she knows the person she likes already has a partner, the woman’s complex emotions still resonate deeply.

The sound of Spanish guitar and the powerful vocals beautifully fuse heartache with a forward-looking spirit.

Released in May 2011, it was used as the theme song for Nippon TV’s “Sukkiri!!” and was included on the album “Thank you, Love.” It won the Excellence Award at the 53rd Japan Record Awards.

This is a song that stands by women troubled by unrequited love and gives them the courage to keep looking ahead without giving up.

First LoveUtada Hikaru45rank/position

Hikaru Utada – First Love

This song was released as a single from Hikaru Utada’s debut album First Love and was used as the theme for the drama Majo no Joken, starring Nanako Matsushima and Hideaki Takizawa.

Many people likely remember it vividly along with the drama’s iconic scenes.

The Netflix original drama First Love, starring Takeru Satoh and Hikari Mitsushima, which became a major hit in 2022, also drew inspiration from Utada’s work “Hatsukoi” (First Love), just like this song.

It’s a timeless, beloved love song that continues to be cherished across generations.

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yuri

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Sniper.Yuika46rank/position

Sniper. / “Yuika” [MV]

This is a pop number by Yuika, who has been gaining buzz thanks to dance videos on TikTok.

The song comically portrays a one-sided-crush strategy, treating the person she likes as a “target” and aiming straight for their heart.

The play-by-play, live-broadcast-style lyrics are memorable, and listening to it really makes your heart flutter! Yuika wrote this track when she was a second-year high school student; it was released digitally in April 2024 and later included on the album “Longing for Navy.” With its up-tempo melody and the protagonist’s earnest feelings, it’s a song that sends emotions soaring.

If you’re in the middle of a crush, you might just find yourself unable to sit still when you listen!

Unrequited love.haji→47rank/position

Haji→ – “Unrequited Love.” MV

Hajime, who calls himself a singer-songwriter entertainer and works across multiple fields, brings us Kataomoi.

It was released in 2018 as his 11th single.

This is a bona fide unrequited love song that straightforwardly captures the honest feeling of being in love while simultaneously having to hold those feelings back.

Because the lyrics are written in plain, unadorned words, many listeners will find parts that overlap with their own experiences and emotions.

It’s a song I want you to listen to when your heart aches and you feel like crying.

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Kado(guchi) Shichigatsu

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On nights when I’m too lonely to sleepAimer48rank/position

Aimer 'On Nights When I’m Too Lonely to Sleep'

When it comes to songs that gently stay by your side on lonely, anxious nights, there’s Aimer’s “Sabishikute Nemurenai Yoru wa,” released in 2011.

It portrays the sleepless feelings of thinking about someone you can no longer meet.

The simple arrangement of piano and vocals conveys a sincere emotion.

Her powerful yet heartrending, emotional voice is also soothing.

It’s a ballad where the straightforward wish—“I want to see that person once more…”—resonates in your heart.

On a cold winter day, give this gently spreading, heartwarming track a listen.

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mutō

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#302Hirai Ken49rank/position

Ken Hirai '#302' MUSIC VIDEO

“#302,” a song by Ken Hirai that painfully captures one-way feelings—aching, bittersweet, and sad.

Paired with his vocals, it’s a heartbreaking unrequited love song that tightens your chest.

Every lyric is poignant and painful, and it even makes you feel like you’re watching a drama.

The song conveys, with striking clarity, the strong yet gentle desire to stay close to someone you love, even knowing they love someone else.

If you’re experiencing a similar kind of love, it’s a sorrowful love song that will surely bring you to tears.

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utatane

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