For When You Need a Good Cry: Soul-Soothing Tearjerker Classics — Life, Love, and Work
There are moments in life when you just feel an overwhelming urge to cry, aren’t there?
In this article, we introduce songs that are guaranteed to make you cry and tracks to listen to when you want to let the tears flow.
We’ve gathered classic songs and masterpieces that support your desire to cry from various angles—heartache in love, the difficulties of life, the hardships of work, and more.
Anyone’s heart can get worn down if they push themselves past their limits.
If you’re feeling tired, please give these a listen.
I’m sure these wonderful pieces of music that gently stay by your side will bring you comfort.
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- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
- [Just the Lyrics Make Me Cry] Tear-Jerking Songs That Touch the Heart
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- [Today's Tearjerker Song] Tear ducts destroyed! Timeless and trending tracks that will make you cry no matter what
- A tear-jerking love song that gently stays by your heart
- When you want to immerse yourself in music alone! Tear-jerker songs released in the Reiwa era
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese tracks
- [Moving] Tear-jerking cheer song. A roundup of popular motivational anthems that resonate with the heart!
- Tear-jerking songs recommended for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- [Tearjerker Guaranteed!] A Heartbreak Song Told from a Male Perspective
[For when you want to cry] Tear-jerking masterpieces that heal the heart. Life, love, and work (21–30)
AitaiKato Miria
A great song to listen to when you want a good cry over love is “Aitai.” The lyrics fit many romantic situations, like when your feelings are deepening in unrequited love or when you’re heartbroken and can’t stop thinking about the other person.
As the title suggests, there are times when you just can’t stand how much you want to see the one you love.
Give it a listen in those moments.
The bittersweet melody and lyrics are sure to move you to tears.
When things are tough, it’s better not to hold back your tears—be honest with your feelings and listen.
Song of the Eternal NightKamisama wa saikoro o furanai
A beautifully crafted song that depicts the pain and sense of loss after heartbreak, this ballad by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai (God Doesn’t Roll Dice) stands out.
Included on the album “A Perspective on Lambda,” it moves many listeners with its heartrending lyrics and delicate melody.
The protagonist’s lingering feelings and melancholy for a lost lover are intertwined with the scent of osmanthus and autumn scenes, expressed in poetic language.
After its release in May 2019, it gradually gained popularity through social media and ranked high on various music charts in 2020.
It’s a recommended track for anyone carrying the pain of a broken heart or looking for a song to cry to about love.
Life is hard.satō moka
There are days when the weight of everyday life feels like it might crush you, and you can’t help but sigh, right? For anyone carrying that kind of helpless feeling, the opening track of singer-songwriter Moka Sato’s album “ERA,” released in October 2024, offers gentle companionship.
While candidly laying bare the real struggles of life—like daily payments and relationships—its breezy, stylish sound has a way of lifting you up.
A message like “You don’t have to push yourself” seeps deep into your heart, loosening taut strings.
If you’re exhausted from giving your all just to get through each day, try listening to this record and let your shoulders relax.
Our TomorrowElefanto Kashimashi
This is one of Elephant Kashimashi’s signature songs, celebrating the courage and hope to face life’s hardships.
Hiroji Miyamoto’s powerful vocals resonate deeply with listeners.
The lyrics, which highlight the importance of friendship and bonds and a forward-looking attitude toward the future, have struck a chord with many people.
Released in November 2007, it was also used in a commercial for House Foods’ “Ukon no Chikara.” Strong yet gently supportive, this track is perfect for times when you’re struggling with work or relationships, or when you want to rally yourself.
Tears of MagnoliaStardust Revue
Released in 1993, “Mulan’s Tears” is a song by Stardust Revue.
It’s a love song that reminisces about a dearly departed loved one.
In 2005, it was used in a Nikka Whisky commercial, leading to a resurgence in its popularity.
NAOHY
This is a song that gently accompanies the hearts of those carrying bittersweet feelings of love.
Though the yearning for the other person is strong, it portrays a relationship marked by miscommunication and a lack of mutual understanding.
You can feel the inner turmoil of being torn between the desire to “not be apart” and the reality of “not being able to understand each other.” Released in April 2006, the song resonated with many and has become a beloved staple among heartbreak songs.
It tenderly embraces those with one-sided feelings or lingering attachment, and anyone struggling with love.
Just listening to it might bring you to tears.
Even if it’s one of a kindkujira
That sudden sense of loneliness, the impatience that comes from comparing yourself to others.
KujiRa’s “Even If I’m an Only One” gives voice to those feelings that have nowhere to go.
Released digitally in July 2025, the track is also included as the coupling song on the CD single featuring the opening theme for the anime “Shabake.” The lyrics, which capture fragments of contemporary life, and the light yet somehow wistful melody slip right into your heart.
We all have those nights when we worry we’ll never become anyone at all, don’t we? In those moments, KujiRa’s distinctive choice of words is sure to gently loosen a heart grown stiff.