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.

Playlist

Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Amanojaku164		The heart-wrenching, flutter-inducing lyrics really touch my heart…
2	Patchwork Staccatotoa		It feels like we’re connected, but we’re not...
3	Happinessback number		The bittersweet unrequited love song “Shiawase (Happiness)” by back number
4	PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism		A heartrending ballad that sings of the pain of heartbreak
5	Don’t go.Souta		Expressing the sorrow of a farewell that words cannot convey
6	to liveMizuno Atsu		Delicately expressing life's tribulations through the piano
7	PrologueUru		I find myself searching for it without even realizing it, …
8	Hello/How are you?nanou		A song about not holding back your pain
9	Karakuri Pierrot40mP		A bittersweet song by 40mP, self-deprecating and tossed around by love.
10	HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number		Back Number’s bittersweet unrequited love song
11	Dawn and Firefliesn-buna		A song about finding a light toward the future while being lost
12	I want to be your lover.Abe Mao		A love song that poignantly portrays a one-sided summer crush
13	Colorless Self-Harmnekobōro		A soulful song that explores the meaning of life, evoking a sense of hope.
14	wishsumika		A song of bittersweet unrequited love and hope for the future
15	15 Years of a Clingy Guy’s Petty ObsessionIe no ura de manbō ga shinderu P		As the title suggests, a slightly creepy unrequited love…
16	Because I fell in loveaimyon		A classic song that sings of the sense of loss in love and of gratitude
17	cold; curt; blunt; unfriendlyRADWIMPS		A RADWIMPS song that depicts a heartrending love
18	raspberryMarushii		An unrequited love song that delicately portrays the feelings of romance.
19	I like you, but it seems you don’t really like me.back number		A love song that portrays the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love
20	Calc.Jimii Samu P		A Vocaloid song that consoles the sorrow of heartbreak
21	Cowardly Mont BlancDECO*27		A famous DECO*27 song by GUMI that portrays inner conflict
22	from Y to YJimii Samu P		The first installment of the Hatsune Miku “Mr. Y Trilogy”
23	Unrequited loveAimer		Aimer’s famous song that portrays the bittersweetness of unrequited love
24	Happy Endingback number		Portraying the pain of a broken heart and the poignancy of parting
25	moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro		Speaking of Chihiro Onitsuka, her signature song “Tsuki (Moon)…”
26	First loveUtada Hikaru		Utada Hikaru’s masterpiece that sings of the pain of parting and of growth
27	Fleeting eternityYasuha.		A bittersweet love story woven with Miku's singing voice
28	Kurayasukoppu		A heart’s cry struggling with the meaning of life
29	366 daysHY		A haunting, heart-wrenching ballad that sings of the pain of heartbreak
30	love dollDECO*27		A song that was originally a dark Vocaloid track…
31	Repeat Onenekomushi P		A sad love song, lyrics of anguish that pierce the heart
32	Life expectancy: 2:30Pinokio P		A song that questions the meaning of life and short-lived existence
33	I want you to tell me you love me.Oku Hanako		A song that sings of the heartrending feelings of a woman in love.
34	fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi		A theme song about fireworks that poignantly sings of summer youth
35	cutting line40mP		“Overflowing with translucence/clarity” is the kind of phrase you’d use for a song like this…
36	EsperanzaNishino Kana		Passionately express the aching feelings of unrequited love.
37	Ambiguous BlueKawasaki Takaya		Takaya Kawasaki’s song that portrays the complexity of love
38	On nights when I’m too lonely to sleepAimer		A timeless, heart-stirring classic that sings of a bittersweet love
39	Our FailureMorita Doji		Morita Doji’s masterpiece, a sound that resonates in the heart
40	SparkleIkuta Rira		A song about overcoming the pain of heartbreak and moving toward the future
41	Astronautpowapowa P		Hatsune Miku’s poignant long-form Vocaloid song “Astronauts”
42	MetronomeYonezu Kenshi		The heartache of two people growing apart
43	beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko		Aiko’s love songs: bravado and delicacy
44	EpilogueNaisho no piasu		A ballad that sings of heartbreak and regret
45	youyuzuki		The legendary ballad from Higurashi
46	barelysukoppu		A poignant song that delicately portrays the sense of distance in human relationships
47	wrinklebuzzG		buzzG’s 28th work, “Shiwa,” has reached one million views.
48	ebb and flowRAY		A ballad with wave-like emotional fluctuations
49	The happiest way to die in the worldkoka		A song that portrays the anguished cries of a suffering heart
50	NAOHY		Unrequited love’s pain: a tear-jerking heartbreak song
51	habit of laughingIgarashi Haru		A heartfelt song that portrays the pain of an unforgettable love
52	So it wasn’t me, huh.riria.		Lilia’s Heartbreak Ballad
53	made-to-orderKasamura Tōta		A Vocaloid song that portrays a delicate heart and hope
54	The Story You Don’t Knowsupercell		A bittersweet unrequited-love song, a heart-stirring classic
55	Just Be FriendsDixie Flatline		A sad breakup song in the style of electro house
56	wrapTENSONG		A gem-like love song that portrays a heartrending form of love between a man and a woman
57	GarnetOku Hanako		Okubana's heartbreak songs heal the heart
58	I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci		A song that portrays the bittersweet emotions of love that spread on social media
59	Blue BenchSasuke		A pure love song portraying the regret and lingering attachment after losing a lover
60	Hated by life.Kanzaki Iori		Songs that resonate with the heart, music that gives hope to live
61	Don’t say goodbye.MIMI		A timeless song whose gentle, companionable vocals soothe the heart
62	One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi		A poignant song featured in a Suntory commercial and as a movie theme
63	The strong and fleeting onesCocco		A journey to protect love: the struggles and hopes of life
64	MPRINCESS PRINCESS		You could even call them the “founding mothers of girl bands” and get away with it…
65	makeupMy Hair is Bad		Three-piece rock band, My Hair…
66	In loveHY		A bittersweet love song that embraces heartbreak as a cherished memory
67	seems like (just) my imaginationChōchō P		Chouchou-P’s “Kokoronashi” is a hugely popular song that has surpassed one million views.
68	You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn		Complicated feelings toward someone who only contacts me when it’s convenient for them
69	I want to forget.wacci		The bittersweet inner struggle of being unable to forget a past love
70	Orange7!!		A moving work that portrays the anguish and hope of youth
71	All of the YouthFujifaburikku		A poignant classic that portrays the end of youth, expressing emotions with profound depth
72	I’ll wait.amin		Aming’s debut single was a big hit.
73	Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako		A wistful piano ballad that mourns the end of summer
74	step on a flowerKasamura Tōta		A beautifully heartfelt song depicting the loss and rebirth of youth
75	sea fireflyKashii Moimi		Sea fireflies of the deep, an elegy for lost love
76	AitaiKato Miria		Depicting the bittersweet emotions of unrequited love
77	Even if you went and became somebody’s damn girlfriendtensai bando		A piano breakup song that portrays unchanging feelings
78	I loved (it/you)erica		A ballad that weaves the pain of heartbreak together with the piano
79	Pamelabarūn		The heartrending melody of rock that stirs the soul
80	clownkei		A song of encouragement, with Hatsune Miku gently by your side
81	Lavenderthe shes gone		A love ballad that depicts the pain of an unrequited crush...
82	two peopleaiko		aiko’s “Futari” is a heartrending love song.
83	Reach for the SkyKasamura Tōta		An emotionally rich GUMI song themed around the sea
84	orionYonezu Kenshi		A bittersweet winter love song of Orion
85	petalback number		A heartbreak song layered over cherry blossom petals
86	bamboo-copterKasamura Tōta		Kasamura Tota’s heartrending song shakes the heart.
87	First loveUtada Hikaru		A wistful first-love song by Hikaru Utada
88	The end of lovemafumafu		A love song about not being able to confess at the summer festival
89	#302Hirai Ken		Lyrics by Ken Hirai that think of a heartbroken woman
90	to cry innocently; to weep with a childlike airAKASAKI		A heartwarming song where love and longing for a precious person intertwine
91	Fallen blossoms were watching summer.resipa		A beautiful piece that depicts fleeting summer memories
92	You and the slopesSHISHAMO		It’s the kind of catchy melody that makes your heart race with excitement…
93	A love with you from nine steps apartSHIROSE from WHITE JAM		A story of heartbreak and lingering feelings in a long-distance relationship
94	Mikan HeartC&K		C&K's heartrending love ballad
95	loveback number		Express unrequited youthful love with poignant lyrics
96	He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon		A poignant song that questions the sanctity of life
97	Thinking of you, unrequited loveTakanon		A bittersweet love song about unrequited love and heartbreak
98	AnswerIkuta Rira		An encouraging song that gives you the courage to keep walking toward the future, even while you're unsure
99	I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo		The complex emotions of a woman who realizes her lover’s words are lies
100	When a first love comes to an endryo		Even people who aren’t familiar with VOCALOID can, well...