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.
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- 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 Song Rankings [2026] (21–30)
MetronomeYonezu Kenshi29rank/position
A fantastical work that poetically depicts feelings passing each other by.
It’s a song by the popular singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu, known for tracks like “M87” and “Uma to Shika,” included on his third album Bremen, released in 2015.
The step-by-step rhythm and the gentle tones of piano and strings feel beautiful on their own—they’re truly moving.
Be sure to listen to it together with the animated music video drawn by Kenshi Yonezu himself.
A Naked Heartaimyon30rank/position
Even though I thought I’d been better off without falling in love, I’m repeating the same thing all over again… This is a down-to-earth love ballad that sings just that.
It’s a song by Aimyon, a singer-songwriter from Hyogo Prefecture, released in 2020 as her 10th single.
The gentle melody pairs perfectly with Aimyon’s straightforward vocals.
When you’ve stumbled in love, listening to it will quietly stay by your side.
It might be a good one to sing at karaoke, too.
Sad Song Rankings [2026] (31–40)
I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci31rank/position
One of rock band wacci’s signature songs, its music video on YouTube keeps racking up views, and it became a huge topic not only in the video’s comment section but across social media.
The husky timbre and heartrending vocals of the singer, Hashiguchi, further enhance the song’s appeal.
And when introducing this track, the lyrics are indispensable.
They depict a woman comparing her new boyfriend with her ex, and from them you can keenly sense her lingering attachment to her former lover.
Faced with that unbearably sorrowful message, you’ll likely find tears welling up on their own.
rendezvousshaitoopu32rank/position
This song portrays a bittersweet love, painting delicate scenes like meeting in a veil of clear rain and looking back on the proof of a love once shared.
Released as a digital-only single in April 2023, it was later included on the album “Hors d’oeuvre.” It debuted at No.
1 on the Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs chart and has surpassed 100 million streams, capturing the hearts of many listeners.
It’s a recommended track for those who have experienced heartbreak or parting, or who want to reflect on past love.
Surrender your heart to Shitoupe’s delicate vocals and try belting it out at karaoke.
PrologueUru33rank/position
This song was chosen as the theme for the drama “Chugakusei Nikki” (Junior High School Teacher’s Diary).
It’s a song about a heart-wrenching unrequited love.
The feelings you experience in the midst of painful, distressing one-sided love are scattered throughout the piece.
Uru’s gentle voice, free of any harshness, feels as if it lends you a shoulder to lean on.
Why not borrow that shoulder and have a good cry?
RAINSEKAI NO OWARI34rank/position
Starting with a piano melody, this airy song “RAIN” may be familiar to many, as it was the theme song for the animated film Mary and The Witch’s Flower.
While many tear-jerkers are about sad romances or life’s hardships, this one is a song that soothes the heart.
By the time it ends, it leaves your heart feeling a little warmer.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa35rank/position
For those shedding tears over days that just won’t go right, this song might be there to comfort you.
It’s a track by ReoNa, a singer known as a “despair-style anisong singer,” included on her fifth single “Nai Nai,” released in 2021.
The lyrics and composition were created by the popular Vocaloid producer Toa Kasamura.
The lyrics, which spill out feelings straight from the heart, are so raw they make your chest tighten just by reading them.
The sorrowful piano and ReoNa’s on-the-verge-of-tears vocals really hit you right in the tear ducts.