Sad Song Rankings [2026]
Here is this year’s ranking of “sad songs.”
We present the most-listened-to tracks of the year in order of their ranking.
Songs created by overcoming experiences of “sadness,” along with their lyrics, seem to resonate with many listeners.
They will surely be music that people keep listening to for years to come.
- Popular Tearjerker Song Rankings [2026]
- Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]
- Crying-Your-Eyes-Out Song Rankings [2026]
- Lonely Song Rankings [2026]
- Popular Depressive Songs Ranking [2026]
- Popular Heartbreak Song Rankings [2026]
- Ranking of Tear-Jerking Japanese Songs [2026]
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear
- Popular Moving Songs Ranking [2026]
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- Ken Hirai’s Tearjerker/Weepy Songs and Popular Tracks Ranking [2026]
- HY’s Tearjerker Songs: Top Cry-Inducing and Popular Tracks Ranking [2026]
- A song I want people who have lost a beloved partner to listen to
Sad Songs Ranking [2026] (11–20)
#302Hirai Ken11rank/position
It’s the theme song of the drama “4-Minute Marigold.” In the confined space of a karaoke room, Ken Hirai’s calm voice resonates.
The two sing together at karaoke, but the feelings each holds there are deeply sorrowful and seem unlikely to be rewarded.
“It hurts, but I can’t stop thinking about you.” It’s a song that portrays the heart of unrequited love and heartbreak.
PrologueUru12rank/position
It’s a bittersweet love song about how, even though you shouldn’t fall in love, you can’t help but follow the person with your eyes.
It was released in 2018 as a single by Uru and was used as the theme song for the drama “Chuugaku Seishin Nikki” (Middle School Saint Diary).
The drama portrays a forbidden love between a teacher and a student, and this song matched it perfectly, making it all the more heartrending.
I really want people who are going through a similarly painful love to listen to it.
“Why did we have to meet?”—it’s the kind of helpless feeling that brings you to tears.
Only a single voicerokudenashi13rank/position
It’s a poignant song that empathizes with people carrying the pain of heartbreak and the struggle of living.
Released in December 2021, it delicately portrays the loneliness and inner conflict of young people today, accompanied by the gentle tones of the piano.
The emotions expressed by Rokudenashi reflect the image of people who, though hurt by everyday words, still try their best to smile.
The song resonated across borders, reaching No.
1 on Hong Kong’s Spotify Viral Chart and moving many hearts.
It’s a track I wholeheartedly recommend to those who can’t quite put their feelings into words or who are wrestling with worries alone.
Its tender melodies and vocals will surely stay close to your heart.
Maplesupittsu14rank/position
It’s one of Spitz’s signature ballads and an absolutely indispensable song when introducing bittersweet tracks.
The song was originally included on the March 1998 album “Fake Fur,” and was later released as a single.
It has been used as an insert song across eras, in dramas like “Over Time” and “silent,” so I think many people have heard it.
The lyrics convey a heartfelt resolve to keep moving forward while holding tight to memories of a beloved person one can no longer meet, and it really squeezes your heart.
Masamune Kusano’s soft, clear vocals and the band’s warm performance seem to gently permeate a sorrowful heart, while at the same time accentuating the loneliness embedded in the lyrics.
dogwood (flowering dogwood)Hitoto Yo15rank/position
This is a popular piece among choral works, and it’s also a highly sought-after song chosen for wedding receptions and other occasions.
As the title suggests, it’s a song suited to the period from spring to early summer, but the prayer-like, pleading vocals are very heartrending, and it might even be considered a sad song.
Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi16rank/position
A heartwarming ballad gently portraying people looking ahead in life with both hope and unease, framed by the motif of a letter from the future.
Aoi Teshima’s translucent voice resonates deeply alongside the beautiful arrangement of piano and strings.
First released in July 2014 on the album “Ren’dez-vous,” the song drew renewed attention in February 2016 as the theme for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Someday I’ll Remember This Love, and Surely I’ll Cry.” The piece won the Best Theme Song Award at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2016.
When you find yourself pausing on the path toward your dreams, or when you want to be close to your feelings for someone important, why not listen quietly? It will surely become a tear-jerker of a song for you.
Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai17rank/position
On sleepless nights, I suddenly remember someone precious who’s no longer by my side.
This is a tear-jerking rock ballad that sings of a heartbreak so intense it feels like your chest might burst.
It’s a work by the Fukuoka-born band God Doesn’t Roll Dice, included on their mini-album “A View on Lambda,” released in May 2019.
Starting with an intro that feels like turning back the hands of a clock, it builds to a dramatic chorus where emotions spill over all at once, sending shivers through your heart.
It also served as the theme song for the film “Little Subculture Wars: The Rebellion of Village Vanguard!” released in October 2020.
It’s a song that gently stays with you on nights when you can’t let go of a love you can’t forget, or when you want to sing your heart out and cry at karaoke.
HeavenMrs. GREEN APPLE18rank/position
This is a deeply moving song written as the theme for the film “I Will Tell You the Truth,” starring vocalist Motoki Omori.
It begins in a sacred stillness, unfolds dramatically, and then ends abruptly—an unpredictable structure that defines the track.
The work portrays not only human beauty but equally the ugliness that lies behind it, seeming to reflect complex emotions such as despair and inner conflict in the face of an inescapable reality.
Released in May 2025, this song gently stays by your side and resonates deeply when you’re weighed down by helplessness or a sadness too difficult to put into words.
balladKetsumeishi19rank/position
A love ballad from Ketsumeishi that offers a different flavor from their usual cheerful image.
It’s a tear-jerker that gently yet poignantly sings of unfulfilled feelings for someone special, carried by a tender, aching melody.
With rap kept to a minimum and piano and strings that seep into the heart, this piece also surprised longtime fans as a bold departure.
Released in January 2011 as one half of a double A-side single and included on the classic album Ketsunopolis 7, it was also used as the theme song for Nippon TV’s information program Sukkiri!!.
If you sing it softly at karaoke—where upbeat tracks usually steal the show—its contrast will draw everyone in.
Why not showcase a new side of yourself with this hidden gem?
You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn20rank/position
A song that resonates with the anger toward someone who only reaches out when it suits them, and the aching feeling of not being able to forget them.
In contrast to its melodic, gentle sound, the lyrics are striking for their candid, down-to-earth emotions.
Released in September 2020 and gaining buzz mainly on social media, the track is also included on Are-kun’s album “Breath.” It features the soft timbre of an acoustic guitar and an emotionally rich arrangement.
If you’re struggling with a romantic relationship, sensing your partner’s feelings drifting away but not wanting to admit it, or have been hurt by someone’s misleading behavior, you’ll likely find this deeply relatable.