Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]

Colorless Self-Harmnekobōro15rank/position

[Hand-drawn] Self-Harm Colorless [PV]

This is a song that makes you reflect on who you are and what you live for.

It was released in 2013 by Nekobolo, a Vocaloid producer who also works under the name Sasanomaly.

The meaning of life and your own worth—things you didn’t think about as a child—can become sources of pain as you grow up, especially when you feel powerless, and many people may feel discouraged by that.

While this song expresses those feelings that are hard to share with others, it also offers a hopeful portrayal at the end, and I think listening to it when you’re feeling down will gently lighten your heart.

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sasashina

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Because I fell in loveaimyon16rank/position

Aimyon “Because I Fell in Love” Studio Recording Scene

After a love ends, there are times when it feels like a gaping hole has opened in your heart, aren’t there? Only after losing it do you realize how precious it was, and your chest tightens with the ache of knowing you can’t go back.

On nights filled with that helpless feeling, the ballad included on Aimyon’s album “Momentary Sixth Sense” gently stays by your side.

Released in February 2019, the album features a simple sound centered on acoustic guitar.

It also drew attention as the campaign song for “LINE Xmas 2019.” In fact, this track was recorded in a single take in the studio.

That’s why you can truly feel the trembling breaths and the wavering of emotions.

If you listen alone in a quiet room, lost in memories, time that had stood still might begin to move again.

wishsumika17rank/position

sumika / Wish [Music Video]

A song by sumika that portrays the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love and hope for the future.

The protagonist’s inner struggle—wishing happiness for the one they love while being unable to suppress their own feelings—is especially striking.

Released in December 2019 as the theme song for the drama “Ossan’s Love -in the sky-,” it reached No.

6 on the Oricon charts.

The music video has also been viewed over 20 million times, capturing the hearts of many.

It’s recommended not only for those wrestling with love, but also for anyone who wants to cherish the feeling of wishing someone else happiness.

Why not listen to this piece and face the “wish” that lies within you?

me me sheRADWIMPS18rank/position

RADWIMPS – me me she [Official Music Video]

It’s a ballad that gently stays by your side in that hollowed-out feeling of loss, as if there’s a hole in your heart.

The song is included on RADWIMPS’ album “RADWIMPS 4: Okazu no Gohan,” released in December 2006.

Although it wasn’t released as a single, it can be called a hidden masterpiece that has been loved by many listeners for years.

In a way that overlaps with how the title “Memeshii” is read, it portrays with raw honesty the lingering feelings for a former lover mingled with one’s own ego.

The warm tone of the guitar and the conversational vocals really hit home, and each listen may bring a tightening ache to your chest.

On nights when there’s someone you simply can’t forget, or when you want to cry your heart out and look forward, why not give it a listen?

15 Years of a Clingy Guy’s Petty ObsessionIe no ura de manbō ga shinderu P19rank/position

Clingy Guy’s 15 Years of Petty Obsessedness / Sunfish Is Dead Behind My House P (Turn on subtitles; lyrics are available in other languages)

As the title suggests, you’ll be led to believe it’s just a slightly creepy song about unrequited love—if only that were true.

The way the words are woven in, almost like a gag, is sure to make you laugh.

However, by the middle of the song, anyone perceptive will realize what it’s really about.

This track, which passionately sings of unwavering devotion, is one you should definitely listen to all the way to the end.

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satou-san

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cold; curt; blunt; unfriendlyRADWIMPS20rank/position

RADWIMPS – Aloof [Official Music Video]

A RADWIMPS song that delicately and realistically portrays the pain of love, filled with the frustration of an ambiguous sense of distance.

The lyrics trace the emotional ups and downs caused by the other person’s elusive attitude, and yet the irresistible pull you feel, with Yojiro Noda’s woven words and the piano’s melody resonating beautifully to tighten your chest.

Released in December 2018 on their seventh major album, ANTI ANTI GENERATION, this track was chosen as the theme song for ABEMA’s dating reality show Who Is the Wolf?.

The music video featuring Nana Komatsu and Fuju Kamio also became a major talking point.

It’s a bittersweet yet warm love song that makes you want to sink quietly into it on nights troubled by love.

contact lens caseSaucy Dog21rank/position

Saucy Dog “Contact Case” (from LIVE DVD & Blu-ray “YAON de WAOOON,” recorded at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall on April 30, 2019)

Just as you cherish and tuck away mementos, you want to gently store the pain of heartbreak in your heart.

This Saucy Dog song resonates with that feeling.

The bittersweet ache of waiting, somewhere inside, for someone who will never return, softly echoes over a calm melody.

Included on the album Salad Days, this track has been soothing the hearts of those who’ve experienced heartbreak since its release in May 2018.

Each time you notice traces of memories etched into everyday things and feel the warmth of those days again, this is a song that quietly stays by your side.