Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]

sea fireflyKashii Moimi85rank/position

Sea Firefly / Moimi Kashii feat. Chifuyu Hanakuma

This song leaves a striking impression with a quietly seeping melancholy, like a secret whispered on the ocean floor.

It’s a track by Vocaloid producer Moimi Kashii, released in September 2024.

The protagonist’s feelings, woven in response to the beautiful glow of sea fireflies, gently tell a story of lost love, deep regret, and an unhealed sense of loss.

Chifuyu Hanakuma’s richly layered vocals further bring those emotions into sharp relief.

As the memories of a loved one flood in, the heart sinks ever deeper.

Delicately capturing the subtlest shades of feeling, this work is a gem of a ballad that tenderly stays close to the sorrow of losing someone dear.

seems like (just) my imaginationChōchō P86rank/position

[GUMI] Kokoronashi [Original PV] / [papiyon feat. GUMI] Kokoronashi [Original]

Posted to Nico Nico Douga on January 5, 2014, Chouchou-P’s “Kokoronashi” is an extremely popular song that has surpassed 1,000,000 views.

When it comes to ballads among original Vocaloid songs, many people probably think of “Kokoronashi.” The video’s comment section is filled with many remarks like “made me cry” and “so heartrending.”

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

zunx2P

Report a problem

Orange7!!87rank/position

7!! “Orange” Music Video (short ver.)

This is “Orange,” the ending theme for the second cour of the anime Your Lie in April.

The series depicts a coming-of-age story about a boy who hits an insurmountable wall and becomes paralyzed by it, and a girl who, while carrying a secret, does her best to keep looking forward.

If you’ve seen the anime, I think this song will bring you to tears.

It’s a profoundly moving and heartrending track.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem

Fallen blossoms were watching summer.resipa88rank/position

Fallen blossoms were watching the summer. / Hatsune Miku

A bittersweet yet beautiful piece that paints feelings for time that has passed, like blossoms falling away.

Created by resipa and released in June 2024.

Its mellow sound, led by piano and guitar and layered with sound effects that evoke summer scenes, conveys silence and nostalgia.

From a poetic worldview where dreams and reality intersect, you can sense both the cherishing of time with someone precious and a feeling of loss.

It’s a track you’ll want to listen to alone on a quiet night.

step on a flowerKasamura Tōta89rank/position

Treading on Flowers / feat. IA

When it comes to Vocaloid songs that evoke nostalgic scenes while candidly singing about one’s honest feelings after youth has passed and adulthood has begun, “Hana wo Fumu” comes to mind.

Created in 2023 by Tota Kasamura, known for delivering numerous pieces composed for piano and vocals, the song portrays a figure confronting the things lost or forgotten in the process of growing up, expressing the resolve to face reality despite struggling and suffering.

It’s a ballad where IA’s pure yet fragile solo vocal intertwines with a wistful piano timbre, unfurling a springtime landscape before your eyes.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

mutō

Report a problem

Pamelabarūn90rank/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.

All of the YouthFujifaburikku91rank/position

Fujifabric – Youth of Everything

This song, which portrays the bittersweet end of youth, is beloved by many as one of Fujifabric’s signature tracks.

Through the image of fireworks at summer’s end, it sings of parting from a past lover and the mingled hope and anxiety for the future, skillfully capturing the complex emotions of young people.

Released in 2007, it has also been featured as an insert song for the Fuji TV drama “SUMMER NUDE” and as a CM song for LINE Mobile, making it popular across generations.

It’s a perfect choice for Instagram Reels if you want to express memories of youth or poignant moments in love.

Give it a try!