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		The earnest feelings of an unrequited love by Official HIGE DANDism
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		A poignant ballad that portrays an unattainable love
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	Dawn and Firefliesn-buna		A song about finding a light toward the future while being lost
11	HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number		A wistful love song by back number
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		Aimyon's ballads empathize with the pain of heartbreak
17	cold; curt; blunt; unfriendlyRADWIMPS		Introduce RADWIMPS' love songs
18	Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA		A song about unconfessed feelings of love
19	raspberryMarushii		An unrequited love song that delicately portrays the feelings of romance.
20	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
21	from Y to YJimii Samu P		The first installment of the Hatsune Miku “Mr. Y Trilogy”
22	Calc.Jimii Samu P		A Vocaloid song that consoles the sorrow of heartbreak
23	Cowardly Mont BlancDECO*27		A famous DECO*27 song by GUMI that portrays inner conflict
24	Unrequited loveAimer		Aimer’s famous song that portrays the bittersweetness of unrequited love
25	Happy Endingback number		Portraying the pain of a broken heart and the poignancy of parting
26	moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro		Chihiro Onitsuka’s signature song, “Gekkou” (Moonlight), is a heart-touching ballad.
27	First loveUtada Hikaru		Utada Hikaru’s masterpiece that sings of the pain of parting and of growth
28	Fleeting eternityYasuha.		A bittersweet love story woven with Miku's singing voice
29	Kurayasukoppu		A heart’s cry struggling with the meaning of life
30	366 daysHY		A poignant ballad by HY that portrays a love that won’t fade even after a breakup
31	love dollDECO*27		A song that was originally a dark Vocaloid track…
32	Life expectancy: 2:30Pinokio P		A song that questions the meaning of life and short-lived existence
33	Repeat Onenekomushi P		A sad love song, lyrics of anguish that pierce the heart
34	I want you to tell me you love me.Oku Hanako		A song that sings of the heartrending feelings of a woman in love.
35	fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi		A theme song about fireworks that poignantly sings of summer youth
36	Ambiguous BlueKawasaki Takaya		Takaya Kawasaki’s song that portrays the complexity of love
37	cutting line40mP		“Overflowing with translucence/clarity” is the kind of phrase you’d use for a song like this…
38	On nights when I’m too lonely to sleepAimer		A timeless, heart-stirring classic that sings of a bittersweet love
39	SparkleIkuta Rira		A song about overcoming the pain of heartbreak and moving toward the future
40	Our FailureMorita Doji		Morita Doji’s masterpiece, a sound that resonates in the heart
41	EpilogueNaisho no piasu		A ballad that sings of heartbreak and regret
42	Astronautpowapowa P		Hatsune Miku’s poignant long-form Vocaloid song “Astronauts”
43	MetronomeYonezu Kenshi		The heartache of two people growing apart
44	beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko		Aiko’s love songs: bravado and delicacy
45	The happiest way to die in the worldkoka		A song that portrays the anguished cries of a suffering heart
46	barelysukoppu		A poignant song that delicately portrays the sense of distance in human relationships
47	youyuzuki		The legendary ballad from Higurashi
48	ebb and flowRAY		A ballad with wave-like emotional fluctuations
49	wrinklebuzzG		buzzG’s 28th work, “Shiwa,” has reached one million views.
50	So it wasn’t me, huh.riria.		Lilia’s Heartbreak Ballad
51	made-to-orderKasamura Tōta		A Vocaloid song that portrays a delicate heart and hope
52	Hated by life.Kanzaki Iori		Songs that resonate with the heart, music that gives hope to live
53	NAOHY		Unrequited love’s pain: a tear-jerking heartbreak song
54	habit of laughingIgarashi Haru		A heartfelt song that portrays the pain of an unforgettable love
55	Enraptured by the lingering blossomskeeno		A heartrending seasonal flower ballad by keeno
56	The Story You Don’t Knowsupercell		A bittersweet unrequited-love song, a heart-stirring classic
57	Just Be FriendsDixie Flatline		A sad breakup song in the style of electro house
58	wrapTENSONG		A gem-like love song that portrays a heartrending form of love between a man and a woman
59	Don’t say goodbye.MIMI		A timeless song whose gentle, companionable vocals soothe the heart
60	I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci		A song that portrays the bittersweet emotions of love that spread on social media
61	In loveHY		A bittersweet love song that embraces heartbreak as a cherished memory
62	GarnetOku Hanako		The theme song of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, a track that resonates with the heart
63	One more time,One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi		Masayoshi Yamazaki’s bittersweet love song
64	Blue BenchSasuke		A pure love song portraying the regret and lingering attachment after losing a lover
65	The strong and fleeting onesCocco		A journey to protect love: the struggles and hopes of life
66	MPRINCESS PRINCESS		A classic breakup ballad bursting with freshness
67	makeupMy Hair is Bad		Three-piece rock band, My Hair…
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	seems like (just) my imaginationChōchō P		Chouchou-P’s “Kokoronashi” is a hugely popular song that has surpassed one million views.
70	Orange7!!		A moving work that portrays the anguish and hope of youth
71	sea fireflyKashii Moimi		Sea fireflies of the deep, an elegy for lost love
72	All of the YouthFujifaburikku		A poignant classic that portrays the end of youth, expressing emotions with profound depth
73	I want to forget.wacci		The bittersweet inner struggle of being unable to forget a past love
74	step on a flowerKasamura Tōta		A beautifully heartfelt song depicting the loss and rebirth of youth
75	I’ll wait.amin		Aming’s debut single was a big hit.
76	Fallen blossoms were watching summer.resipa		A beautiful piece that depicts fleeting summer memories
77	Pamelabarūn		The heartrending melody of rock that stirs the soul
78	Even if you went and became somebody’s damn girlfriendtensai bando		A piano breakup song that portrays unchanging feelings
79	AitaiKato Miria		Depicting the bittersweet emotions of unrequited love
80	Unchanging ThingsOku Hanako		A wistful piano ballad that mourns the end of summer
81	I loved (it/you)erica		A ballad that weaves the pain of heartbreak together with the piano
82	clownkei		A song of encouragement, with Hatsune Miku gently by your side
83	petalback number		A heartbreak song layered over cherry blossom petals
84	Lavenderthe shes gone		A love ballad that depicts the pain of an unrequited crush...
85	two peopleaiko		The bittersweet pain of unrequited love in aiko’s classic song
86	Reach for the SkyKasamura Tōta		An emotionally rich GUMI song themed around the sea
87	orionYonezu Kenshi		A bittersweet winter love song of Orion
88	bamboo-copterKasamura Tōta		Kasamura Tota’s heartrending song shakes the heart.
89	First loveUtada Hikaru		A wistful first-love song by Hikaru Utada
90	The end of lovemafumafu		A love song about not being able to confess at the summer festival
91	#302Hirai Ken		Lyrics by Ken Hirai that think of a heartbroken woman
92	to cry innocently; to weep with a childlike airAKASAKI		A heartwarming song where love and longing for a precious person intertwine
93	You and the slopesSHISHAMO		It’s the kind of catchy melody that makes your heart race with excitement…
94	A love with you from nine steps apartSHIROSE from WHITE JAM		A story of heartbreak and lingering feelings in a long-distance relationship
95	Mikan HeartC&K		The wavering emotions of an unrequited love
96	He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon		A poignant song that questions the sanctity of life
97	I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo		The Conflict Between a Lover's Betrayal and Unfading Feelings
98	Flywayhalyosy		Introduction to the song “Flyway,” newly written by halyosy for Leo/need
99	Thinking of you, unrequited loveTakanon		A bittersweet love song about unrequited love and heartbreak
100	AnswerIkuta Rira		An encouraging song that gives you the courage to keep walking toward the future, even while you're unsure