[Support for the Heart] Songs That Give You Courage When Times Are Tough
In life, tough and painful times are bound to come, and you’ll likely experience major setbacks as well.
In those moments, many people find it hard to carry everything alone, yet don’t quite feel like talking to someone either.
At times like that, letting music gently stay by your side is something I recommend.
In this article, I’ve gathered songs that can give you strength when you’re going through hard times.
From timeless classics to the latest hits, I’ve picked a variety—so please find the support song that’s just for you.
- [For those doing their best] A comforting song to listen to when you're tired of life
- [Songs to Listen to When You Want to Die] I want to disappear... A song to support you who feel that way
- Timeless songs that stay close to your heart when times are tough. Uplifting tracks with gentle lyrics that really sink in.
- [Songs Portraying Strong Women] Positive Tracks to Listen to When You’re Feeling Discouraged
- Take the first step!! Songs that give you courage, songs that make you persevere when you listen
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- Songs to listen to when you’re feeling down! Tracks that boost your self-confidence
- [Moving] Tear-jerking cheer song. A roundup of popular motivational anthems that resonate with the heart!
- For When You Need a Good Cry: Soul-Soothing Tearjerker Classics — Life, Love, and Work
- Timeless songs that sing of hopes and dreams. Masterpieces that lead those who strive toward the future.
- A famous song about setbacks. A song that stays by your side when times are tough or you feel like giving up.
- [Today's Cheer Song] To everyone giving it your all! A gem of an inspiring anthem that resonates with the heart
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
[For Supporting the Heart] Songs That Give You Courage When Times Are Tough (41–50)
Don’t give up on your dreamsOkamura Takako
It was released in 1987 as Takako Okamura’s fifth single.
Thanks to numerous tie-ins, it became one of her signature songs.
Although she originally created it as a heartbreak song, its gentle sound and vocals seem to encourage a heart that refuses to give up on its dreams, making it a song that fills you with courage.
[Support for the Heart] Songs to Give You Courage When Times Are Tough (51–60)
I should be able to fly (in the sky).supittsu
For many people, this is the quintessential Spitz song! Chosen as the theme song for the drama “Hakusen Nagashi,” it became a massive hit and a million-seller.
It’s a track that conveys a pure kind of strength—the feeling of living while searching for how to shine despite being hurt, not knowing what the future holds but wanting to stay with you forever.
With a fresh, gentle melody, the lyrics—tender yet strong—strike straight at the heart, making it an uplifting number that gives you a push forward.
That’s important.Daiji MAN Burazāzu Bando
It was released in 1991 as Daiji MAN Brothers Band’s third single.
It became a long-running hit, selling about 1.6 million copies, and turned into their biggest hit.
It may be obvious, but what appears in the lyrics is truly right, and it’s a song you want to listen to when you feel like you’re about to fall apart.
Don’t give upZARD
It’s such a masterpiece that I feel almost everyone in Japan, regardless of age, knows it.
Zard’s Izumi Sakai’s crystal-clear, utterly pure voice, the lyrics that encourage listeners without resorting to complicated turns of phrase, and the brilliance of the melody by Tetsurō Oda—who, together with Sakai, kept creating countless classics—are all nothing short of perfect.
I’ve heard there was a concept of aiming it at the “second baby-boom generation’s test-takers,” but when the song was released in 1993, I was a junior high school student myself, and it remains deeply memorable to me.
Even as a cheer song, it never feels pushy, and that’s precisely why it has continued to shine eternally as a classic.
Especially in difficult times, listening to this song makes you want to hold on to the feeling of never giving up.
Heretical StarOfisharu Higedan Dism
There’s a Japanese proverb that says “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” but this song gives you a powerful push, saying, “Even if you get hammered, stand tall and be the nail that sticks out!” Even when you’re working hard toward your goals every day, there are times when reading the room or worrying about how others see you keeps you from moving forward as you want.
But when you listen to this song, you’ll feel like, “No matter what people say, I’m just going to give it everything I’ve got!” When you’re facing a tough situation or want to break out of your shell, this song will surely become a source of support for your heart.
Dream FighterPerfume
An anthem cheering on those striving toward their dreams and goals, Perfume’s “Dream Fighter.” These lyrics, which sing that people work hard every day because having dreams and goals gives them a real sense of being alive, are sure to make anyone’s heart skip.
Perhaps it’s precisely because we’re alive—because we want to make our lives better—that we can keep pushing ourselves.
Still, walls will inevitably appear, and there will be days of hardship.
But those walls come because they are ones you can definitely overcome.
That’s why, even when it’s tough, don’t give up—break through the wall and keep fighting! It leaves you with that determination.
TOMORROWMayo Okamoto
This is Mayo Okamoto’s debut single, released in 1995.
It was used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Second Chance” and became a million-seller.
The lyrics convey that tears are not something negative, but something that helps you grow stronger, making it an empowering song.