Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]
Here’s a ranking of this year’s trending “heart-wrenching songs.”
There are times—during breakups, while in love, in all kinds of moments—when your chest tightens with emotion, right?
Many songs released this year capture those feelings, so you may find them relatable.
We’ll introduce the most-listened-to songs of the year in ranking order.
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- Popular Depressive Songs Ranking [2026]
- Popular Heartbreak Song Rankings [2026]
- Popular Unrequited Love Song Rankings [2026]
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Heartbreaking Song Ranking [2026] (91–100)
#302Hirai Ken91rank/position
Ken Hirai, a singer with a captivating husky high-tone voice, is known for his many popular love songs! In these lyrics, the protagonist has feelings for a woman who has just had her heart broken.
The song depicts the two of them going to karaoke together, and it’s truly moving.
That’s because, while he feels it’s unfair to be kind to her when she’s vulnerable, he still wants to be her support—an expression of love from the bottom of his heart.
If you’re wondering what to do when the person you like has just gone through a breakup, maybe treating them gently, as in these lyrics, could be one way to go.
to cry innocently; to weep with a childlike airAKASAKI92rank/position
This is a heartwarming song that delicately portrays the desire to protect someone precious.
The lyrics weave a world where love and longing for the other person intersect, resulting in a track that quietly seeps into the heart.
Crafted with AKASAKI’s naturally gentle vocals, the song has drawn significant attention, including being selected as Kiss FM KOBE’s recommended Japanese track for January 2025.
It marks the seventh single for AKASAKI, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter currently in high school.
This piece is one you’ll want to listen to when thinking of someone important who is far away, or someone who is no longer by your side.
Why not immerse yourself in its warm sonic world—like a tender whisper in your ear—while letting your feelings for a loved one grow deeper?
You and the slopesSHISHAMO93rank/position
Kimi to Gelende, with its catchy melody that evokes an exciting romance, is actually a song packed tightly with deep sadness—quite the opposite of its tune.
It tells a heartbreaking story: the person she’s long had a crush on actually likes another girl, and when she sees the two of them getting along, she realizes their feelings for each other.
A bittersweet track like that.
A love with you from nine steps apartSHIROSE from WHITE JAM94rank/position
“A Love Nine Years Apart” is a song whose lyrics are taken directly from a message SHIROSE sent to his partner.
It’s a heartbreak song: the other person already has a new lover, yet deep down he still has feelings…
It portrays that kind of unrequited love.
I think this situation is common in relationships, but it’s truly painful, isn’t it? I hope they can find the strength to move on toward their next love.
Mikan HeartC&K95rank/position
Even if your head knows it’s a hopeless love, your heart can’t let go so easily, right? This song by the male duo C&K is their 10th single, released in October 2013.
Centered on the theme of an incomplete heart, it’s known as a ballad that passionately sings of the frustration of unrequited love.
The music video features Haruma Miura and Naoko Watanabe, and its heartrending story drew a lot of attention.
The song vividly portrays the wavering feelings that soar and sink with every little word or action from the other person, and listening to it makes your chest tighten.
It’s a classic also included on the album “CK AND MORE…,” a gentle companion for anyone carrying the pain of one-sided love.
He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon96rank/position
Aimyong’s major-label debut track carries a message that pierces the heart.
While dealing with a heavy theme, it questions the preciousness of life and the difficulty of living.
Released in November 2016, it was also chosen as the opening theme for the TV drama “Is Kichijoji the Only Place You Want to Live?”.
Its powerful melody within a relaxed tempo and lyrics that resonate with listeners are striking.
It’s easy to pick for karaoke, and it’s a song you’ll want to immerse yourself in as you sing its lyrical world.
This moving, absorbing number is especially recommended for those struggling with life or who have experienced the loss of someone dear.
I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo97rank/position
This piece portrays the emotional struggle of someone hurt by a lover’s betrayal, yet tormented by feelings that won’t fade.
Released by Atarayo in January 2022, it was produced as an advance single for the album “Gokuya ni Oite Tsuki wa Katarazu.” Born from a collaboration with the platform Jun-Aidan, which features real-life romance stories, the song is based on a story selected from over ten thousand submissions.
Even after being lied to repeatedly by someone you trusted, and knowing in your head that you should break up, you still can’t stop loving them.
It’s a song that will resonate with anyone carrying those contradictory feelings.
Flywayhalyosy98rank/position
Halyosy is a Vocaloid producer who is also active as a vocalist.
The song he wrote for the in-game music unit Leo/need is “Flyway.” Sung by Kagamine Len and KAITO, it features lyrics that feel like the two are reaffirming their deep bond.
It also carries the message that no matter how far apart you are, that bond doesn’t change.
For those living away from family or a partner, it may truly resonate.
Thinking of you, unrequited loveTakanon99rank/position
This is a bittersweet love song about realizing you’re in love and feeling like you’ve grown closer, only to find out the other person likes someone else and end up heartbroken.
It was released in 2011 by the Vocaloid producer Takanon, also known for the hall-of-fame classics “The Color of the Next Blooming Flower” and “Datte Datte Datte.” You can’t help but cry when you think about how all the time you were so excited for is about to turn into something painful.
At the end of the song, the protagonist decides to put a lid on their own feelings and cheer the other person on…
It’s just too heartbreaking.
If you’re in love with someone you can’t be with, please give it a listen.
AnswerIkuta Rira100rank/position
Lila Ikuta delivers a heartwarming medium-tempo ballad that gently stays close to the anxieties and uncertainties of one’s future.
Amid a grand, dramatic arrangement, its warm melody stands out—offering the courage to take a step forward toward tomorrow while facing loneliness and pain.
It’s an encouraging song that softly nudges those who are unsure of their path.
Released in March 2021, the piece was also featured as the CM song for Tokio Marine Nichido Anshin Life’s “Disability Income Insurance,” resonating with many listeners.
It’s a moving, tear-evoking track we hope those searching for their own way, or spending days without clear answers, will hear.