Popular Unrequited Love Song Rankings [2026]

SparkleIkuta Rira43rank/position

Rira Ikuta “Sparkle” Official Music Video

Released digitally in January 2022, it was selected as the theme song for ABEMA’s romance reality show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita.

Mikan Arc.” For this piece, the melody was crafted first, then carefully layered with the tones of an acoustic guitar to complete the track, and it looks back on an unrequited love.

The protagonist’s feelings—overcoming the pain of a love that never came true and trying to move forward into the future—resonate quietly alongside her clear, transparent vocals.

It’s a song that will stay by your side on a night just after heartbreak, when you wish to face forward once again.

I love you.Inoue Sonoko44rank/position

Sonoko Inoue – I Love You.

“Daisuki,” Sonoko Inoue’s 2015 track that captures the real feelings of being in unrequited love, when your head is completely filled with thoughts of the person you like.

The poppy, bouncy melody conveys the giddy excitement of having a crush.

You’re thinking about that special someone all the time, no matter when or where, and your feelings just overflow and won’t stop! Of course there’s anxiety in unrequited love, but it’s also full of that fluttery, heart-throbbing thrill that’s different from being in a relationship.

Let this song, which sings about the same feelings you have when you’re crushing on someone, help you fall even more in love with the person you like.

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SAKI

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Because I like you.Yuika45rank/position

Because I love you. / “Yuika” [MV]

This work, which portrays mutual unspoken crushes, evokes the bittersweet romance of youthful days.

Created by singer-songwriter Yuika, who is active mainly on video-sharing platforms, it was released in June 2021.

The perspective switches between a boy and a girl in the first and second halves, depicting a realistic relationship in which both have feelings for each other but struggle to put them into words.

Listen while thinking of that person you can’t help but follow with your eyes.

It might just give you the courage to confess your feelings.

Christmas songback number46rank/position

back number – “Christmas Song” Music Video

A medium-tempo number from back number that captures the wintry atmosphere and the bittersweetness of unrequited love.

Set against the festive glow of Christmas, budding feelings and the inner conflict of longing for someone are expressed through a beautiful melody.

Released in November 2015, the song was featured as the theme for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama “5→9: From Five to Nine,” and it captured the hearts of many.

Beloved as a winter staple, this piece is a song that stands by those struggling with love.

I want you to tell me you love me.Oku Hanako47rank/position

Hanako Oku – I Want You to Say You Love Me (Live ’08)

If I confess my feelings, we might not be able to stay together… In that case, I’d rather not become lovers.

Aren’t there many people struggling with this? In truth, we want to say “I love you,” and hear it said to us.

Okura Hanako expresses this wavering, heartrending love with her clear, translucent voice.

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sasashina

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The Story You Don’t Knowsupercell48rank/position

The Story You Don’t Know – supercell

A poignant song by supercell that captures the bittersweet feelings of a youthful unrequited love.

It begins with a scene of stargazing with friends and unfolds with the narrator’s secret feelings for the “you” beside them.

The stars forming the Summer Triangle symbolically reflect the protagonist’s loneliness and unattainable love, leaving a strong impression.

Released in August 2009, it was also used as the ending theme for the anime Bakemonogatari.

Highly recommended for those carrying complicated feelings for someone they like or struggling to express their emotions.

Give it a listen, and perhaps find the courage to take that first step forward.

Sniper.Yuika49rank/position

Sniper. / “Yuika” [MV]

This is a pop number by Yuika, who has been gaining buzz thanks to dance videos on TikTok.

The song comically portrays a one-sided-crush strategy, treating the person she likes as a “target” and aiming straight for their heart.

The play-by-play, live-broadcast-style lyrics are memorable, and listening to it really makes your heart flutter! Yuika wrote this track when she was a second-year high school student; it was released digitally in April 2024 and later included on the album “Longing for Navy.” With its up-tempo melody and the protagonist’s earnest feelings, it’s a song that sends emotions soaring.

If you’re in the middle of a crush, you might just find yourself unable to sit still when you listen!