A classic song about a forbidden love
Adultery dramas we often see in dramas, movies, and TV talk shows—the love that can never come true.
We’ve gathered songs about these “forbidden loves.” There are many beautifully portrayed dramas that make your heart race, but what if you yourself were to fall into a love that isn’t allowed…? Here, we’ll introduce plenty of songs that capture the bittersweet feelings of such forbidden love.
From songs told from a woman’s perspective to those from a man’s point of view, there are more tracks about forbidden love than you might think.
Perhaps that’s because many people are secretly suffering over a love that shouldn’t be….
- [Songs of Infidelity] A collection of forbidden love songs about unattainable romance
- [Cheating Song] A forbidden love that crossed the line — infidelity song
- A song of forbidden love. A love song about feelings that can't be stopped.
- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- Unattainable Love: A Heartbreaking Love Song About Falling for a Married Person
- [Empathetic & Tear-Jerking] A love song about an unrequited romance
- [An Adulterous Love] A love song about a secret affair you can't tell anyone about
- A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song.
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- Favorite Songs for Women in Their 50s: A Curated Selection of Sweet and Bittersweet Love Ballads!
- [Jealousy & Possessiveness Songs] A curated selection of popular tracks to listen to when possessiveness feels overwhelming!
- A roundup of love songs themed around homosexuality and LGBTQ+
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
Masterpieces about forbidden love (41–50)
even ifHirai Ken
It’s a song by Ken Hirai that conjures up the image of a man at a bar counter, tilting his glass and hiding his true feelings as he sits beside someone gazing at their lover’s ring.
You can almost feel the protagonist’s painful frustration as he wishes they’d miss the last train, yet swallows the words instead.
Released in December 2000, the track reached No.
3 on the Oricon weekly chart and is also included on the classic album “gaining through losing.” For those entangled in a forbidden love—knowing it won’t come true yet unable to stop their growing feelings—this song may quietly keep you company.
StrangersMatsutōya Yumi
Unknown Strangers is a song written by Yumi Matsutoya as the theme for the drama Mothers in Love.
The drama’s story is told from the perspective of women engaged in extramarital affairs.
Because it was written specifically for the show, the song carries a fitting atmosphere.
While it includes strong declarations about ending a relationship, the lyrics also reveal that she’s still in love deep down.
It’s not exactly a tear-jerking melody, but it evokes a sense of mature romance and quietly resonates in the heart as you listen.
Inn of the Night Cherry BlossomsTsubuki Miyu
Enka singer Miyu Tsubuki—known for her “resonant, straight-down-the-middle voice”—released her single “Yozakura no Yado” in September 2025.
Set in a hot spring town, this classic enka number portrays the heartache of a forbidden love.
Through a round window, the protagonist gazes at fleeting dreams; their helpless longing seeps into your heart alongside Tsubuki’s richly expressive vocals.
This bittersweet yet beautiful tale of adult romance is perfect for a quiet night of solitary reflection.
Be sure to give it a listen.
Stray HeartsInaba Hiroshi
Koshi Inaba, also known as the vocalist of B’z, is a singer-songwriter whose powerful voice captivates many listeners.
His seventh digital-only single, “Stray Hearts,” was written as the theme song for the TV drama “Even If You Don’t Do It.” The lyrics, which portray the feelings of being unable to part despite knowing it’s a forbidden love, tighten the chest with anxiety about an ending that may come someday.
It’s a passionate rock tune distinguished by a rock sound that puts piano and strings at the forefront.
A little more, just a bit moreZARD
A song by ZARD about a love that cannot come true.
Even while knowing it’s a forbidden relationship, the protagonist finds herself wishing to be loved “just a little longer.” The song captures her emotions, and because the love is taboo, her earnest feelings resonate with a striking purity.
There’s an anecdote that Izumi Sakai, who also wrote the lyrics, felt saddened while singing it—an episode that speaks to the song’s poignancy.
Released in September 1993, this work compels deep reflection on the weight of unrequited love and the intensity of loving someone.
Through countless nightsCHEMISTRY
It’s a CHEMISTRY track that puts an aching poignancy front and center, depicting someone who keeps singing feelings that will never reach their destination.
The distinctive, floating sound seems to express a sense of emotional instability.
With its simple arrangement—wavering organ tones and vocals—the message embedded in the singing and lyrics feels all the more emphasized.
It powerfully conveys the pain of thinking about a beloved person who has gone away, and of piling up unreachable wishes within oneself.
Play ball!YU-KI
To mark the milestone of her 10th anniversary as a solo artist, YUKI delivered a song that evokes the beginning of a forbidden love.
Contrary to its bright, cheerleader-like sound, the worldview seems to portray a woman’s strong will as she plunges into the game of love without thinking of the consequences—“even if it’s a strikeout.” Her desperate plea for divine help conveys the pain of being unable to stop her feelings, even while knowing the relationship is forbidden.
This monumental single was released in May 2012.
Even though you know it’s wrong, this is a song that confronts your heart with a certain resolve to stake everything on this love.