Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]

I loved (it/you)erica78rank/position

erica – “I Loved You” Full PV

A ballad by singer-songwriter Erica that weaves together the ache of heartbreaking unrequited love and the feelings left unspoken, set to the sound of piano.

The sorrow of a breakup and the pain of parting are delicately expressed through her clear, translucent voice.

Released in November 2015 and included on the album “Koku-uta 2: Things I Want to Tell You Before Graduation,” this song stands by those who have experienced parting, offering the courage to face forward while embracing the pain.

It will gently envelop the hearts of those who cannot accept the end of a romance, or who carry the regret of not having conveyed their feelings before it was over.

Pamelabarūn79rank/position

Pamela/flower

A heart-stirring track where driving, high-speed rock energy coexists with a bittersweet ache.

Released by Balloon in October 2021, the song topped the VocaColle rankings and reached a million views just 17 days after its debut.

Centered on themes of nighttime loneliness and false love, it portrays a protagonist struggling to move forward while bearing a pain like a hole blown through the heart.

flower’s almost-tearing vocals ride an arrangement that fuses guitar with electronic programming, conveying emotional turbulence directly.

It’s a song you’ll want by your side on nights filled with sadness—one to listen to when you need a gentle companion.

clownkei80rank/position

Hatsune Miku Clown

“Pierrot” is a Vocaloid song by KEI, a Vocaloid producer, released in 2010.

It reached one million views on Niconico in 2017.

It’s a gentle, uplifting song in which Hatsune Miku offers words of encouragement over and over again.

It’s a track that warmly embraces you when you’re pretending to be cheerful but actually feeling sad, or when hidden sorrow wells up and you feel like you’re about to cry.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Tani Satoko

Report a problem

Lavenderthe shes gone81rank/position

the shes gone “Lavender” Music Video

This is a love ballad that portrays the pain of unrequited love.

You’re nowhere to be found in the heart of the one you love, yet you can’t help but keep thinking of them, and that single-minded yearning and ache tightens your chest.

No matter what you do, your thoughts drift back to that person… If you’ve ever felt that way, you’ll surely relate.

It’s the kind of song you’ll find yourself wanting to hear when you’re worn out by an impossible love.

If you listen closely, its gentle melody and message will wrap around you and stay by your heart.

two peopleaiko82rank/position

aiko - “Futari” music video

The song used in the Hoyu hair color commercial featuring Aya Omasa was “Futari” by aiko.

Although the track was released in 2008, it wasn’t chosen for the commercial until six years later, in 2014.

The lyrics portray the bittersweet realization that the person you have feelings for is actually thinking of someone else.

Many people have likely experienced a situation similar to what the song describes.

In the lyrics, the narrator says she realized the other person had feelings for someone else before she fell completely for them, yet the tone elsewhere suggests she’s already deeply smitten and unable to stop her feelings.

It’s a poignant song that tells the story of a love with nowhere to go.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hane Keisuke

Report a problem

Reach for the SkyKasamura Tōta83rank/position

Reach for the Sky　/ feat. GUMI

Tota Kasamura, who has produced many piano ballad Vocaloid songs.

The piece he created using GUMI entirely in English is “Reach for the Sky.” This song portrays a woman who throws herself into the sea.

The scenery as seen from the ocean floor is depicted as both beautiful and cruel.

Try listening while substituting the sea and stones mentioned in the lyrics with various other things.

Also captivating is the richly expressive singing achieved with GUMI.

Every single word of the lyrics is filled with emotion.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

yamamoto

Report a problem

orionYonezu Kenshi84rank/position

Kenshi Yonezu – Orion, Kenshi Yonezu

Kenshi Yonezu, who has crafted numerous heartrending love ballads, also created this song, “orion,” one of the most popular numbers among his love songs.

It’s also known as the ending theme for the anime March Comes in Like a Lion.

A love song themed around the winter constellation Orion, it conveys the chill of winter air, deepening the sense of melancholy.

Even if the love is unrequited, you find yourself wishing toward the sky—your chest tightens with the urge to entrust your hopes to God or the stars.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

utatane

Report a problem