Crying songs, tear-jerker tunes. A request of tears dedicated to you.
When you hear the phrase “tearjerker song,” what kind of track comes to mind?
A heartbreaking breakup song, a love song that sings of earnest devotion, a piece that tells a moving story, an anthem that cheers on life, a song about loss…
Even just listing them like this shows how many kinds of tearjerker songs there are, doesn’t it?
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of masterpieces that shake us listeners to the core—songs you can’t hear without tears.
We’ve picked out all kinds of genres and moods—above all, songs that will make you cry.
If you find one that resonates with your experiences and feelings, it’s sure to become a treasured song for you.
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- Love, bonds, parting, cheers… songs so moving they pierce the heart and make you cry uncontrollably
- Tears won’t stop with these sentimental lyrics! Heisei-era tearjerker songs
- Nostalgic Showa-era heartbreak songs. Soothe your heart with timeless classics that can move women in their 60s to tears.
Crying songs, tear-jerker tunes. A request of tears dedicated to you (11–20)
lulu.NEW!Mrs. GREEN APPLE
There are moments when you feel the flow of time and those precious memories, and you suddenly feel tears welling up.
This song by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE powerfully moves listeners with its grand themes of endings and beginnings, and the feelings that are carried forward.
Even within its light, upbeat rhythm, there’s a sense of spaciousness, and their characteristically rich sound evokes deep emotion.
Released in January 2026 and written as the opening theme for season 2 of the TV anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, this work is sure to kindle a warm hope in your heart when you want to face forward and overcome loneliness.
It’s not a lie.NEW!Mrs. GREEN APPLE
This is a ballad that gently stays close to the unspoken truths and indelible pain we all keep hidden deep in our hearts.
While Mrs.
GREEN APPLE is known for their dazzling sound, their bittersweet love songs that quietly gaze inward are also exceptional.
The world they paint—where the raw emotions of heartbreak mix with a self-persuading sense of resignation—conveys sorrow with a quiet heat.
This track is an original song included on the acclaimed 2019 album Attitude.
When a lonely night leaves your chest aching with a sense of loss, listening to it will softly embrace those feelings that have nowhere to go.
I miss youNEW!RADWIMPS
Even while carrying a sense of loss and profound sorrow, this is a song that tightens your chest with the pure emotion it ultimately reaches.
Amid the gentle sound woven by strings and piano, words that seem to quietly spill out tug at your tear ducts.
This track is included at the end of RADWIMPS’ concept album “2+0+2+1+3+1+1 = 10 years 10 songs,” released in March 2021, exactly ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
It is a culmination of their decade-long commitment to keeping the affected areas in their thoughts.
Listen to it when you strongly wish to meet someone dear once more, or on nights when you’re enveloped by a loneliness with nowhere to go.
The gentle openness of this piece is sure to be by your side and comfort your heart.
Let’s go home.NEW!Fuji Kaze
Singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze captivates many with his unique sensibility and gentle vocals.
This work is a sublime ballad themed around life and death, and the act of letting go of attachment.
It carries a profound message about releasing all past pain and lingering regrets to return to your true self, and listening to it feels like your heart is being cleansed.
Included as the closing track on the acclaimed 2020 May release “HELP EVER HURT NEVER,” this song is the one I especially recommend to anyone who wants a gentle push forward when weighed down by hardship or everyday inner struggles.
PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism
A highly relatable love song by Hige Dandism that captured many hearts.
It was chosen as the theme song for the film adaptation of the popular drama, The Confidence Man JP: The Romance.
It’s a love for someone you adore yet aren’t tied to by the red string of fate.
Many people may have had such an experience in love.
This song vividly portrays emotions that anyone who has endured such an unrequited love can relate to.
If you’ve been there, you’ll almost certainly feel a piercing sense of, “How do they know exactly how I feel?” And after that wave of empathy, you’ll likely find tears streaming down your face.
Happy Endingback number
A back number track whose chorus feels like you’re speaking to yourself, shaking the heart.
It was used as the theme song for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday,” starring Sota Fukushi.
Many people shed tears over a breakup with a lover.
Among them, there are surely many who hold it in front of the person and grieve alone.
There’s the you who puts on a brave face and says you’re fine in front of them, and the you inside who can’t stop crying over the pain of having to part even though you still love them so much.
This song captures that intense turmoil of the heart.
Even when you cry alone, this song will be by your side.
Crying songs, tear-jerker anthems. A tearful request dedicated to you (21–30)
tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa
Lyrics about a lover who’s gone inevitably bring tears to my eyes.
The relentless spiral of regrets—“Should I have done this?” “Shouldn’t I have done that?”—is something anyone who’s suffered a painful breakup has likely experienced.
The song’s unique atmosphere and the scenes painted with a steady rhythm leave an unforgettable impact after just one listen.
Together with its animated music video and the answer song ‘Koibito Shikkaku’ (Disqualified Lover), this is a track I want you to savor to the fullest.
