7 types of sad songs: tear-jerker tracks for every scene

Love is litrokudenashi

Rokudenashi “The Flame of Love” / Rokudenashi – The Flame of Love [Official Music Video]

Set to a gentle piano melody, this song features striking lyrics that stay close to hearts burdened with loneliness and anxiety.

Centered on the theme of tender, glowing love, it conveys the will to overcome life’s hardships.

Released in February 2023, the track was born from a collaboration between vocalist Ninjin and Vocaloid producer MIMI.

Many listeners relate to the lyrics, which offer the courage to face forward without forgetting even a small warmth, even after experiences that leave the heart feeling empty.

It will surely resonate with those enduring difficult days or those who have gone through farewells with someone dear.

junkYonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – Junk

A bittersweet farewell song that portrays the resolve to keep living while carrying sorrow for what’s broken and can’t be reclaimed.

Written as the theme song for the film “Last Mile” and released in August 2024, this piece gives you the courage to face forward while accepting your imperfections.

It’s a song that stands with those who are hurting from heartbreak or who have lost something precious.

Yonezu’s distinctive melodies and profound lyrics deliver a moving resonance that stays with you.

Even if I forget somedayback number

back number - Even if I someday forget

A breakup song by back number that has captivated many with their love songs.

It’s a track included on their first album, “Ato no Matsuri.” I want to become someone who, even just once, would make the person I broke up with think, “I don’t want to forget you.” We may part ways now because we’ve grown distant or started to dislike each other, but being someone that the other person doesn’t want to forget—a presence they want to keep in their life—there’s a kind of pride in that, isn’t there? Whether I can become that kind of person, I want to be… back number has a way of singing those faint, earnest feelings in a completely straightforward way.

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freesiaMarushii

Marcy – Freesia (Official Music Video)

Marcy is a rock band that continues to move hearts with relatable, down-to-earth lyrics and melodies.

This song delicately portrays the frustrating feelings of a woman who can’t leave a relationship she knows is nearing its end—a heartfelt rock ballad.

Ukyo Yoshida’s emotionally rich vocals intertwine with beautiful string arrangements, and the rising intensity toward the chorus is sure to tighten the listener’s chest.

Released as a single in April 2025, it was also selected as the theme song for the short film channel “Shunkan seju.” It is included on the album Flavors, released in November of the same year, and is gaining recognition as one of the band’s new signature tracks.

Why not listen to it when you’re struggling with unrequited love or on a night when you just want to let the tears flow?

Even if I become someone’s girlfriendUNFAIR RULE

UNFAIR RULE 'Even If I Become Someone's Girlfriend' Music Video

This is a rock number by UNFAIR RULE, a rock band from Okayama, where lingering feelings for a finished romance collide with a brave front.

Set to a driving band sound, the raw words drawn from Tamaha Yamamoto’s real-life experiences pierce the heart.

Even in the complicated situation where the other person may already have a new partner, it portrays feelings that won’t fade and a core strength to keep walking on your own.

It was included as the first track on the EP “Hibi no Kakera,” released in November 2025.

For those who suffer through nights of an unrecoverable relationship, or who want to move on but just can’t, it will resonate painfully well.

Let yourself sink into the powerful yet heartrending vocals.

one grainwacci

wacci “Hitotsubu” Music Video

This is a tearful ballad themed around the end of love, portraying the wavering heart of the one who chose to say goodbye.

As piano and strings gently resonate, the lyrics delicately weave together the complex feelings carried by each falling tear.

They convey not only the pain of a lost everyday life, but also a will to protect the future that once seemed possible—words that strike listeners deeply.

Released in October 2025, the song was created as a counterpart to “Even Though She Won’t Be My Girlfriend” from September of the same year.

The words crafted by vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi, who wrote and composed the piece, are especially memorable.

The music video depicts three couples each facing their own parting in the rain.

It’s a masterpiece to sink into alone on nights when your emotions refuse to be neatly resolved.

I’ve listened to so many heartbreak songs, and I’m done with always crying.riria.

riria. / After listening to lots of heartbreak songs and just crying all the time, I’m done. [Music Video]

Although I know the love is over, I can’t erase the memories and the tears keep overflowing—this is the real, heartbroken scene depicted in Riria’s work that has garnered so much empathy.

While wishing to change herself instead of wallowing in sorrow, the wavering feeling of wanting someone to stay by her side—even if it’s a lie—is woven together with delicate piano tones.

Released digitally in July 2022 as the ending theme for the TV anime Summertime Rendering, the song also appears in a different version on the album “Kiseki,” released in January 2025.

The heartrending lyrics, which mirror the heroine’s emotions in the story, gently accompany anyone who regrets days they can’t return to.

Give it a listen on a night when you want to cry it all out and face forward again.