Unrequited Love in Western Music: A Collection of Heart-wrenching Classics [2026]

Bad ReligionFrank Ocean

Bad Religion

This is a song by American artist Frank Ocean that likens unrequited love for someone he can never be with to a “bad religion.” Structured as a confession to a taxi driver, the lyrics ache as he sings that his feelings for the other person are like a kind of faith.

Even knowing it won’t be returned, the inner conflict of loving as if in prayer will resonate painfully with anyone who’s been there.

Set against a solemn soundscape, his candid monologue conveys the helpless loneliness and sanctity of this love.

Perhaps that anguish is something no one else can truly understand.

FallingforyouThe 1975

The 1975 – fallingforyou

Featuring a floating, atmospheric sound and breathy, sweet vocals that leave a strong impression! This is a melancholic unrequited-love song by the popular British band The 1975.

Asking, “Is it okay for me to fall in love with you?” while already being completely captivated—aren’t there many people struggling with that kind of inner conflict in a one-sided crush? The push and pull between the fear that your feelings might be exposed and the emotions you still can’t stop is heart-wrenching.

Even if you don’t know how this love will turn out, the experience of loving someone deeply will surely help you grow.

Listen to “Fallingforyou” and gently lean into the bittersweet yet beautiful feelings of love.

Ocean EyesBillie Eilish

Billie Eilish – ocean eyes (Official Music Video)

Released independently in 2015, “Ocean Eyes” is the song that put Billie Eilish’s name on the map.

It’s about unrequited love for a partner with eyes like the ocean.

The romance with someone whose eyes evoke the deep sea’s mysterious illusions blends with Billie Eilish’s transparent, airy vocals to create a unique world of its own.

It’s astonishing to think she was just 14 when the track came out.

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GorgeousTaylor Swift

Taylor Swift – Gorgeous (Lyric Video)

Feeling so mad at someone for being just too “gorgeous”!? This is a humor-filled unrequited love song sung by American artist Taylor Swift.

Set to a lively synth-pop sound, the lyrics strikingly portray being tongue-tied in front of a love-at-first-sight crush and the complicated feeling of liking someone so much it actually makes you angry.

Many people have probably experienced going blank the moment they see their crush or being swept away by their own emotions.

You could say it’s a song packed with that uncontrollable rush and flutter of the very moment love begins.

Call Out My NameThe Weeknd

The Weeknd – Call Out My Name (Official Video)

This is a song by The Weeknd, a singer from Canada.

It expresses an unbreakable attachment and poignant lingering feelings toward a former partner.

Even while knowing she’s no longer his, he vows to drop everything if she ever calls for help—a one-sided devotion.

Such feelings, with nowhere to go, tighten the heart.

His vocals, like a cry from the soul, and the ethereal, beautiful melody pierce deeply into the chest.

Anyone who has suffered the pain of still thinking about someone even after the relationship has ended will likely empathize acutely with this feeling.

It might be a song that stays by your side until the very moment this love truly ends.

LiabilityLorde

Lorde – Liability

A piano ballad of aching beauty sung by Lorde, the New Zealand artist with a singular worldview.

Over a quiet piano, she delivers a whisper-soft confession of self-loathing and loneliness—“I’m a liability to someone”—that tightens around the heart.

Many of us have felt that painful distance from someone we love, or the anxiety that our very presence might be a burden.

On nights when those inescapable emotions threaten to overwhelm you, doesn’t this song feel like a gentle companion murmuring, “You’re not alone”? A gem that transforms pain into beauty.

Better NowPost Malone

Post Malone – Better Now

This is a song by American artist Post Malone about the lingering feelings for a former lover.

Even while putting on a brave face and saying “I’m fine without you,” the heart can’t help but keep thinking of that person—many of us have probably felt that way.

Despite its upbeat melody, the lyrics lay bare a painfully straightforward longing that tightens the chest.

An unforgettable love can be agonizing, but the experience of loving someone that deeply will surely help you grow.

Listen to “Better Now,” accept your feelings just once, and take your next step forward.