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 Song Rankings [2026] (81–90)
somedaySaucy Dog81rank/position
A heartwarming song that captures bittersweet feelings of love and nostalgic memories.
It gently paints the small joys of everyday life—like gazing at the stars while walking up a hill, or the moment you held hands for the first time.
Included on the mini-album “Country Road,” released in May 2017, it was also selected as the ending theme for AbemaTV’s “AbemaPrime” for the month of March.
Perfect for when you want to look back on memories with someone special or soothe the pain of a broken heart.
With a tear-jerking sense of storytelling, it’s sure to resonate if you use it in your Instagram Stories.
Wrapped in Saucy Dog’s warm vocals, this is a song that will stay close to your heart.
evening primroseNovelbright82rank/position
It’s a song that gently accompanies the hearts of those carrying feelings of sorrow.
The lyrics, depicting the pain of heartbreak and the process of self-recovery, resonate alongside a melody that sinks deep into the soul.
Novelbright’s delicate vocals express the world of this song even more profoundly.
Released in December 2020, it captured many hearts, including being featured as the Monthly Song for the weather segment on Fuji TV’s “Tokudane!”.
It’s recommended for those who have experienced a breakup or when you want to immerse yourself in past memories.
Use it in your Instagram Stories, and it will surely wrap your bittersweet feelings in warmth.
Motherkariyushi 5883rank/position
This song is addressed to my mother.
It’s also well-known that the song is based on a true story.
Feelings of gratitude toward your mother that are hard to express in everyday life may be conveyed more deeply if you share them at your wedding with this song as the background music.
MiracleGReeeeN84rank/position
GReeeeN’s “Kiseki” carries a dual meaning: the “miracle” of meeting the one you love on this vast earth, and the “trajectory” of love the two of you will walk from here on.
Its lyrics, which depict how small acts of love become a bond that ties two people strongly together and the desire to stay by each other’s side for life no matter what happens, are perfect for a couple’s new beginning.
How about adding it to your production as the theme song for the day—one that looks back on everything from your first meeting to your wedding and vows to share the life ahead?
YOKAZEHentai Shinshi Kurabu85rank/position
When I’m moved to tears by failure or regret, this song gives me the courage to stand up again.
It’s a track by the music unit Hentai Shinshi Club, included on their first album “ZURUMUKE,” released in 2021.
The sound—featuring the beautiful timbre of piano and strings—alone reaches deep into the heart.
And while the flow is understated, you can sense emotions bubbling up beneath the surface.
I recommend listening carefully at night, when you’re alone.
waxing; filling up; becoming full; growing (e.g., the moon growing fuller)Fuji Kaze86rank/position
Fujii Kaze’s ballad, with its poignant melody highlighted by gentle piano tones, beautifully depicts the transience of life and the feelings we hold for those dear to us.
Written as the theme song for the film “She Is Me in Spring,” released in March 2024, the piece powerfully speaks to the importance of letting go—of parting from a loved one and releasing attachment.
It delicately weaves the subtle shifts of the heart over time, posing a quiet resolve to face life’s impermanence.
The music video, directed by Tomokazu Yamada, symbolically explores the essence of love and life, with Fujii Kaze playing a dual role as both an elderly man and a young man.
It’s the perfect song for moments when you want to calmly reflect on yourself or immerse yourself in memories with someone special.
Snow BlossomNakajima Mika87rank/position
It was released in 2003 as Mika Nakashima’s 10th single.
As a chaku-uta (mobile ringtone) it achieved million-seller status.
The song was used in Meiji Seika’s commercials for “boda” and “galbo,” in which Nakashima herself appeared, and it is a sad yet beautiful piece that evokes the poignant scenery of winter.
I long to see you now.MISIA88rank/position
Some of you may strongly associate it with the theme song of the hit drama JIN, starring Takao Osawa.
The song “Aitakute Ima,” released in 2009 as MISIA’s 23rd single, is a tear-jerking masterpiece and one of her signature tracks.
Written as MISIA grappled with the theme of life, it’s a song that makes you think of someone you long to see but cannot.
Her vocals make it all the more moving, bringing listeners to tears.
EverythingMISIA89rank/position
“Everything” is a great song for the bride to sing at the wedding reception.
It was also used as a TV drama’s theme song, and its lyrics, which hint at a proposal from the woman, are very sincere and lovely.
If you sing this song, the groom will surely be moved to tears.
EncoreYOASOBI90rank/position
YOASOBI’s “Encore” is a song about two people who meet on the day the world is said to end.
Released as a digital single in 2021, it was featured in a Google Pixel commercial.
It has surpassed 100 million streams and even ranked fifth on Billboard’s download chart.
The world ruled by resignation feels profoundly sorrowful, and the lyrics about two people who meet at the end and move toward the world’s end with hope are truly heartrending.
