Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]

I want to forget.wacci50rank/position

wacci “I Want to Forget” Music Video

The harder you try to forget an ex, the more they come to mind… Have you ever had that bittersweet experience? wacci’s “Wasuretai” (“I Want to Forget”) is a ballad that captures that very frustrating inner struggle.

Even when you’re with someone new, you find yourself searching for traces of the one you parted with in their warmth, leaving your heart unfulfilled.

The protagonist’s pain is truly heart-wrenching.

It’s a song you should listen to when you’re suffering and can’t break free from a past love.

Our FailureMorita Doji51rank/position

Bokutachino Shippai

Starting with a scene bathed in spring sunlight, Morita Doji’s classic masterfully portrays the delicate feelings and subtle shifts of a young person’s heart.

Many will be moved by the protagonist, who acknowledges their fragility yet strives to move forward.

Featured on the album Mother Sky, the song initially garnered support for its unique worldview upon its November 1976 release.

Later, in 1993, it was chosen as the theme song for the TBS drama High School Teacher, becoming a major hit with over 900,000 copies sold.

Its melody—woven from a softly spoken, intimate vocal and the gentle timbre of an acoustic guitar—is the perfect companion when you’re carrying something in your heart or want to immerse yourself in memories of someone dear.

EpilogueNaisho no piasu52rank/position

Epilogue / Kafu

This is a heart-wrenching ballad that sings of the pain and regret of heartbreak.

Created by Naisho no Pierce, the piece was released in September 2024.

With Kafu’s earnest vocals and dynamic sound arrangement, it beautifully conveys the poignant world of the lyrics and the magnitude of emotion.

Like the final chapter of a story, it depicts the complex feelings that arise after the end of a romance.

For those who have just gone through a breakup or have experienced losing someone precious, it will be a song that resonates deeply.

Astronautpowapowa P53rank/position

Hatsune Miku - Astronauts [Original] with Chinese Subtitles

Astronauts by Powapowa-P is a wistful, gently paced song sung by Hatsune Miku.

At just over seven minutes, it’s relatively long for a Vocaloid track, but it delivers a message that draws listeners in.

Its simple yet powerful sound and tender, memorable melody make it a standout piece.

You can listen to it on Nico Nico Douga, and it’s also included on the CD VOCAROCK collection 3 feat.

Hatsune Miku.

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Tani Satoko

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beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko54rank/position

aiko - 'Kabutomushi' music video

It’s a song by aiko that portrays a delicate heart: identifying with an insect that protects itself with a hard shell yet is fragile inside, and acting tough precisely because it’s in love.

Like that insect that cannot survive the winter, the song foresees the end of love, yet its deep affection moves you as it tries to accept even the sadness as a cherished memory.

Released in November 1999, it was also used as the ending theme for TBS’s CDTV.

If you’ve ever found yourself putting on a brave front in front of someone you like, you’ll understand this all too well! As you listen, may you embrace that awkwardness as a part of yourself and find the courage to step forward into tomorrow.

NAOHY55rank/position

HY – NAO (Official Music Video)

This work, which vividly portrays the pain of unrequited and unattainable love, is a ballad that brings listeners to tears.

The lyrics are based on the real-life experience of vocalist Izumi Nakasone’s close friend, and the aching feeling of not being noticed by the one you love comes through painfully clearly.

Included on the album “Confidence,” released in April 2006, it’s a timeless classic that has long been cherished by many fans.

It is also featured on the best-of album “STORY ~HY BEST~,” and has become established as a signature heartbreak song by HY.

Set to a piano accompaniment that lets you sing your heart out, it’s perfect for those times when you want a good cry to feel refreshed.

If there’s someone you just can’t forget, why not sing this song at karaoke and let all your feelings out?

The happiest way to die in the worldkoka56rank/position

The Happiest Way to Die in the World / Reminiscence Song feat. IA

This song portrays the thoughts that flash through your mind when you’re at rock bottom—complex ideas that can even seem contradictory.

The way the negative emotions of leaving or disappearing are layered over warm, piano-centered sounds conveys a sense of emotional instability.

Although the lyrics say that the ideal way to disappear would be when no one is left to grieve, the pervasive sense of suffering also feels like someone desperately trying to talk themselves through it.

It’s a song that gently resonates at a deep level with the universal, downcast question of “how to vanish from here.”

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kappamaki

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