Popular Depressive Songs Ranking [2026]
We’re excited to introduce the top 100 monthly “yami songs” ranked by number of plays from the popular rankings! Sometimes relationships with friends or at work just don’t go well, or you hit a slump in studying or your job, and your mood just sinks and you don’t know what to do.
At times like that, put on some yami songs (crank it up—within reason so you don’t bother the neighbors) and fully dive into that emo feeling.
You might be surprised how refreshed you feel afterward.
This is the latest popularity ranking, so be sure to check it out! The playlist is updated every week!
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Popular Depressive Songs Ranking [2026] (21–30)
He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon21rank/position
This is the major-label debut single by Aimyon, a singer-songwriter from Hyogo Prefecture, released in November 2016.
Shocked by news of a suicide by jumping, Aimyon wrote this piece with honest words about life and death.
The contrast between the fact that an unknown someone undeniably lived and the cold reactions online pierces the heart.
It was also used as the opening theme for the drama “Is Kichijoji the Only Place You Want to Live?” It’s a deeply moving number that offers support to junior high school students who feel lonely or find life hard.
The Howling of the Lost OneNeru22rank/position
Even if you can solve math equations, you can’t solve that kid’s heart? Even if you can read kanji, you can’t read that kid’s heart? It’s a song about struggling, not knowing what to do.
By the way, singing it when you feel like screaming is really cathartic! However, since it’s very high-pitched, I recommend lowering the key.
There was no meaning to being born.mafumafu23rank/position
This is Mafumafu’s signature work, a cry from the heart that chronicles losing one’s sense of self-worth and ceaselessly questioning the meaning of life.
It’s included on the album “Kagurairo Artifact,” released in October 2019.
The song confronts the value of discarded lives, a society indifferent to others, and the powerlessness of being unable to save anything despite having the potential to become anyone.
Though the lyrics are filled with despairing questions, they ultimately resound with a strong resolve that we must go on living.
It’s a song that stands beside those who find life hard or have lost sight of their own worth.
Cinderella BoySaucy Dog24rank/position
That moment when your heart drifts away from someone you once loved so much is truly heart-wrenching.
“Cinderella Boy,” included on Saucy Dog’s 2021 release “Lazy Sunday,” beautifully portrays the bittersweet emotions between lovers.
From the warm arpeggio intro to the emotional chorus, its melody resonates with anyone going through a painful breakup.
It’s a song that makes you want to tuck away those irreplaceable times and precious memories somewhere in your heart, rather than throwing them away.
The Religion of Solitudesyudou25rank/position
“The Religion of Loneliness” by syudou, released on February 3, 2020.
It’s a song themed around misfortune, perfectly fitting the mold of a dark, emotionally heavy Vocaloid track.
The lyrics carry a strong message, allowing for a variety of interpretations the more you think about their meaning.
The song speeds up partway through, and there’s even a section where the words are sung letter by letter in English—pure syudou, brimming with emotion and creativity.
The sensation of being dragged into a deep swamp feels like a kind of religion born from the song itself.
Immerse yourself fully in its unique worldview.
Kill my ex-boyfriendGōruden Bonbā26rank/position
This is the fourth single by Golden Bomber, released in 2008.
Golden Bomber is famous as an air band, but their songs themselves are always distinctive and draw attention.
As you might guess from the shocking title, this song expresses resentment toward the boyfriend of the person the singer has fallen for.
However, because it has a bright, rock-style feel, it doesn’t come across as too heavy—that’s the key point.
Dried flowersYuuri27rank/position
This is the second major-label digital-only single by singer-songwriter Yuri, who has gained popularity on YouTube through song commentary and cover videos of other artists’ tracks.
It’s a quintessential 2021 J-POP number, known for being the first by a male solo artist to surpass 400 million streams, and doing so at record speed.
Written from the perspective of a woman after a breakup, the lyrics vividly portray the complex emotions that only someone in that situation could understand.
With its heartrending melody, the story within the lyrics really resonates—an ideal song to sink into when dealing with heartbreak.
MarshmallowDECO*2728rank/position
Despite its sweet-sounding title, DECO*27’s track released in October 2025 stands out for its hard guitar riffs and aggressive sound.
The lyrics, depicting the protagonist’s psychological struggle as they realize the relationship is a sham and try to cut through the other person’s deceit, shake the listener with their sharp wording.
Its structure—rooted in rock while incorporating rap elements and drop-like developments—recalls “Ghost Rule” and “Hibana,” yet delivers an even more intense finish.
It’s a song that middle schoolers grappling with the complexities of human relationships can relate to, and one that will likely resonate deeply.
Echoes of a rainy voiceOrangestar29rank/position
This is a song I want to listen to when things aren’t going well.
Orangestar’s characteristically straightforward lyrics seep into a wounded heart.
The title “Amekigoe” (rain-cry/cry in the rain) gives the sense of desperately shouting for help in the rain, and I feel like the song speaks on behalf of painful feelings.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa30rank/position
When your heart feels heavy and you can’t move, there’s a song that gently stays by your side.
Included on ReoNa’s fifth single “Nai Nai,” released in May 2021, this piece—written and composed by Toa Kasamura—is a track that resonates deeply.
Carried by the sound of the piano, ReoNa’s whispery vocals speak as if softly reading a diary aloud, giving voice to your innermost thoughts.
Rather than forcing encouragement, the lyrics simply offer the warmth of being there, making it a song you’ll want to hear when you’re worn out from trying too hard.
The choral parts, inspired by hymns, envelop you and quietly convey a blessing for living through today.
It’s a song I especially recommend to anyone getting by while holding on to painful feelings.