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 someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- 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] (51–60)
StoryAI57rank/position
AI is popular across generations for her vocal prowess and emotionally resonant voice.
Among her many songs, “Story” can be considered one of her signature tracks.
It served as the Japanese ending theme for the Disney movie Big Hero 6, making it a highly recognizable song known by both children and adults.
Depending on the listener, the situation or the person it evokes may differ, but it’s a track that strikes a chord with anyone who hears it.
Even if you’ve heard it many times, take a moment to really listen—it’s a moving masterpiece that can bring you to tears.
I forget you, who are so quiet, in October.atarayo58rank/position
The emotionally rich sound and lyrics of “I’ll Forget Your Silence in October” leave a strong impression.
It’s a song by Atarayo, a four-piece band with the catchphrase “We grow by feeding on sadness,” and its heartrending, relatable lyrics went viral on YouTube and TikTok.
Hitomi’s vocals have a powerfully emotional quality that, combined with the rhythm, bring tears to your eyes.
The lyrics capture the kind of bittersweet feelings anyone might have in everyday life, making them easy to relate to.
If you overlay it with your own heartbreak, you’ll be able to cry your eyes out.
Love is litrokudenashi59rank/position
A heart-stirring ballad by Rokudenashi that delicately sings of loneliness and anxiety over a simple piano tone.
Ninzin’s clear, translucent voice shines like a warm light on the heart.
Released in February 2023, this song is a collaboration with Vocaloid producer MIMI and is also included on the album “Ai ni Saku Hana.” It’s a piece that reaches out to those who can’t bring themselves to love themselves or others, who are held back by old wounds, and who carry a quiet sadness.
When you’re burdened by feelings you can’t tell anyone, or overcome by deep solitude, it will gently encourage you right by your ear.
It’s nothing.makaroni enpitsu60rank/position
A signature song by Macaroni Empitsu, who won the Best New Artist Award at the 63rd Japan Record Awards in 2021.
It’s a track overflowing with the frustration of realizing that no matter how hard you try to put things into words, what truly matters can’t be expressed—and yet with a feeling of deep affection.
The simple, lovely lyrics are soothing to the heart.
Although the song has a wide vocal range, its basic rhythm is slow, so it should be relatively easy to sing.
Even if your delivery is unpolished, if you can convey a sense of wistfulness, you may be able to move listeners in a warm, gentle way.
Sad Song Rankings [2026] (61–70)
motion sickness from proximitywanuka61rank/position
This song delicately portrays a sweet yet bittersweet love and the emotions of a woman who can no longer contain those feelings.
Wanuka’s gentle vocals beautifully capture both the strength of her longing and the frustration of being unable to express it.
With this hit, Wanuka—known for a distinctive musical style and worldview—became widely recognized.
Since its release in February 2021, the song quickly gained attention, especially on social media, and as a track included on the album “Aonisai,” it has come to symbolize the poignant love stories of today.
It is a song that offers comfort to those who keep their love a secret and to those who swallow their feelings.
Tears Flowing EndlesslyNatsukawa Rimi62rank/position
This is a signature song by Rimi Natsukawa, whose title in the Okinawan dialect means “tears falling in drops.” The lyricist’s personal feelings for a brother who passed away at a young age may resonate with listeners’ own memories of someone dear to them.
Woven by Natsukawa’s crystal-clear voice, the yearning for someone you can no longer meet evokes the profound sorrow of people torn apart by the tragedies of war and reminds us of the preciousness of peace.
Originally written in 1998 for Ryoko Moriyama, the song became a major hit with Natsukawa’s 2001 cover, which stayed on the Oricon charts for 157 weeks.
In 2006, a film inspired by the song was also released.
PrologueUru63rank/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?
