Ranking of Sad Songs by Japanese Pop Artists: Popular Tracks [2026]
Are there times when you want to get a bit sentimental and listen to songs that pierce your heart?
Some people who are sad may want to sink deeper into that sadness, while others might calm their hearts with mellow, wistful tunes.
We’ve gathered a selection of popular, melancholic Japanese songs.
Please take a look!
- Ranking of Heart-Wrenching Songs by Male J-Pop Singers [2026]
- Ranking of Popular Breakup Songs by Male Japanese Artists [2026]
- Lonely Song Rankings [2026]
- Sad Song Rankings [2026]
- Saddest Songs Ranking [2026]
- Ranking of Tear-Jerking Japanese Songs [2026]
- Popular Tearjerker Song Rankings [2026]
- Spitz Heartbreak Songs: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
- Japanese breakup song ranking [2026]
- Ayaka’s Tearjerker Songs, Cry-Your-Eyes-Out Tracks, and Popular Hits Ranking [2026]
- A masterpiece that sings of loneliness. Recommended popular songs.
- Popular Heartbreak Song Rankings [2026]
- Ayaka’s Heartbreak Songs: Popular Song Rankings [2026]
Ranking of Sad Songs by Japanese Artists [2026] (21–30)
HOMEAnjura Aki22rank/position
This song expresses feelings that anyone who has left their hometown for school or work experiences at least once.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you feel sad and lonely for no particular reason.
I’m sure the faces of the people who are important to you will come to mind.
It’s a very beautiful encouragement song.
windKobukuro23rank/position
Among Kobukuro’s many masterpieces, this is one that stands out for its overwhelming poignancy.
It powerfully voices the surging loneliness and longing for a lover you can no longer meet.
If you sing it with feeling, as if you were Kobukuro themselves, a flood of emotions will well up inside you.
IdentitySakanakushon24rank/position
One of Sakanaction’s signature songs.
Its distinctive worldview and sound are its hallmarks, drawing you into a mysterious realm.
When you lose confidence in yourself or are overwhelmed by the loneliness of not knowing who you are, belting out the chorus of this song will make those feelings vanish somewhere.
We’ve gotta do what seems impossible.Sambomasutā25rank/position
You could call this song a simple cheer song, and it has surely encouraged many hearts over the years.
When you listen to it, somehow you end up feeling positive—thinking, maybe I’ll give another try to something I once gave up on.
It’s a straightforward yet almost magical song.
Lightningsutoreitenaa26rank/position
“Lightning” sings about the void in the heart that remains unfilled even as time passes after losing someone important.
It’s a song released in 2009 by the rock band Straightener.
Among their tracks, this one is relatively subdued and carries a stronger sense of melancholy.
The English lines convey the meaning: “Strike me with lightning so I can return to the world where you are.” The sound, though sad, somehow feels warm—much like quiet tears that flow when loneliness sets in.
What do you want to become?Rozarīna27rank/position
I don’t know what I want to do or what kind of person I want to become.
But when I look around, it feels like everyone else is doing well.
This is a song I want you to listen to when you feel that kind of loneliness.
It’s not a song that gives advice like “Here’s what you should do,” but it depicts the pain of being stuck so honestly that I can’t help but relate to it.
It’s the kind of struggle that’s hard to talk to people about.
If you’re hurting but still smiling, don’t hold it in—listen to this song and let yourself cry.
On this blue, blue EarthUehara Azumi28rank/position
Azumi Uehara’s signature song, which also served as an anime theme.
With a mysterious worldview, it delivers a poignant longing for someone you want to see, carried by an up-tempo beat.
There’s a touch of fantasy, too, and you might start to feel a bit enchanted as you sing along.