Popular Depressive Songs: Western Music Artist Rankings [2025]

There are songs about feeling down all over the world.

In English, the expressions are often more straightforward than in Japanese, which is interesting.

This time, I’ve created a ranking focusing on “dark/emo artists,” so if you’ve got things on your mind, please have a look.

Playlist

Popular Depressive Songs: Western Music Artist Rankings [2025]
	Title	Playlist	One point
1	CradlesSub Urban		The iconic hit “Cradles” by Sub Urban, popular on TikTok
2	Wide Open SpaceMansun		While there are no eccentric performances or shouts, the subdued…
3	So SickNe-Yo		A haunting sense of melancholy in the vocals and an unforgettable melodic line…
4	So Many Tears2Pac		Rapper 2Pac’s signature songs
5	Stalking YouA Boogie Wit Da Hoodie		A distorted love hidden within melodious rap
6	HelloAdele		It’s just like Adele to create a song that draws listeners in…
7	Would?Alice In Chains		When you think of grunge, Nirvana is the representative band…
8	Do I Wanna Know?Arctic Monkeys		Arctic Monkeys’ classic, Single-Minded Devotion
9	ComplicatedAvril Lavigne		Among Avril’s songs, this one is especially famous for making people cry...
10	I Want It That WayBackstreet Boys		This one is also well-known, but the chorus and what comes after the chorus...
11	Ghost TownBenson Boone		Benson Boone’s famous song “Ghost Town”
12	bury a friendBillie Eilish		A globally popular artist known for dark, distinctive music
13	ViennaBilly Joel		Billy Joel’s supple, far-reaching singing…
14	Skinny LoveBirdy		A teenage girl is [doing/performing/singing/covering] Bon Iver’s masterpiece...
15	If You Come BackBlue		They have produced many dancer-like pop songs and...
16	AlwaysBon Jovi		Bon Jovi’s Reconciliation Ballad: A Vow of Love
17	Dear AgonyBreaking Benjamin		I kept listening to this song with its heavy, beautiful melody that left such an impression...
18	SleepwalkingBring Me The Horizon		Hit song by the semantic rock band
19	SometimesBritney Spears		Britney, one of America’s most iconic divas…
20	The Lazy SongBruno Mars		Because Bruno Mars is popular all around the world...
21	How LongCharlie Puth		It became popular mainly in the United States, and in Japan it has gradually…
22	Autumn LeavesChris Brown ft. Kendrick Lamar		Chris Brown is Kendrick...
23	HumanChristina Perri		An emotional ballad becomes a global hit
24	SymphonyClean Bandit feat. Zara Larsson		Speaking of autumn, it's the season of the arts, so the orchestra...
25	YellowColdplay		Among Coldplay's many hit songs...
26	Girls Just Wanna Have FunCyndi Lauper		This is another song that, once you hear it, won’t leave your head, and it...
27	My Heart Will Go OnCéline Dion		I still love this even after the song’s intro starts playing...
28	Something About UsDaft Punk		A hit by the electro music duo is making waves in a movie
29	Bad DayDaniel Powter		If you want to cheer someone up who's feeling down, this is the song!
30	She Cheated AgainDax		The pain of a lover’s betrayal and the cry of the heart
31	BoredDeftones		Def... that begins with an inorganic, sharp guitar riff
32	shape of youEd Sheeran		We asked an elementary school child about their favorite Western music, and th…
33	Love The Way You Lie ft. RihannaEminem		A shocking song that portrays a violent romance
34	HelloEvanescence		A track from a child’s perspective about the death of his/her older sister
35	Break My Heart AgainFinneas		A dark song of a brother and sister, the feelings of a heartrending farewell
36	DreamsFleetwood Mac		A masterpiece whose debut song was a huge hit.
37	Wake me up when September endsGreen Day		Green Day, who sings this song, is an American…
38	WreckedImagine Dragons		Breakup song by Imagine Dragons
39	Train WreckJames Arthur		A popular singer-songwriter known for their emotionally charged vocals
40	You’re BeautifulJames Blunt		Sweet lyrics and a melodious trac...
41	Don’t Be So Hard On YourselfJess Glynne		Western music that's perfect as a cheer song for summer high school baseball...
42	The MiddleJimmy Eat World		In 2001, the rock band Jimmy Eat...
43	SLOW DANCING IN THE DARKJoji		George, from YouTuber to singer
44	Lucid DreamsJuice WRLD		Young rapper sings about the pain of heartbreak
45	SorryJustin Bieber		Bieber’s song carries a profound message for young people.
46	Alone I BreakKorn		A cry from the heart portraying the loneliness of corn
47	JealousLabrinth		To an ex-lover: “I hope you’ll be happy even without me…”
48	Born This WayLady Gaga		Find hope to live through Lady Gaga’s powerful lyrics
49	Young and BeautifulLana Del Rey		A woman's heart that wonders, 'Will you still love me when I grow old?'
50	It’s My PartyLesley Gore		Lesley G…, an American singer
51	BrokenLifehouse		A heartfelt rock song that captures the fragility of life
52	NumbLinkin Park		It’s said to be a song that was sung for his own mother, and…
53	Shout Out to My ExLittle Mix		I chose it because it’s a song that blows away depression. She…
54	1-800-273-8255 ft. Alessia Cara, KhalidLogic		A hip-hop song themed around suicide prevention
55	Lot to LearLuke Christopher		If I were ○○, how would you…
56	SelfishMadison Beer		A poignant song that expresses the feelings of someone troubled by love.
57	HeroMariah Carey		This song is sung very slowly and tenderly…
58	SugarMaroon 5		This one is cool too, and once you listen to it, you'll be captivated...
59	Girls Like YouMaroon 5 ft. Cardi B		In autumn, when it's easy to feel nostalgic, …
60	UnwellMatchbox Twenty		A song about mental illness featuring the distinctive sound of the banjo
61	Fade Into YouMazzy Star		Mazzy Star’s classic infused with longing and love
62	Fade to BlackMetallica		A song that questions the value of a life that has lost everything
63	Heal the worldMichael Jackson		Among Michael Jackson's songs, it's relatively easy to make out the lyrics…
64	CoffeeMiguel		Many love songs have a slightly dreamy f...
65	When I Look At YouMiley Cyrus		A drama on the American Disney Channel...
66	SmileMorgan Wallen		Morgan's new song that portrays a past love
67	To Be With YouMr. BIG		The refined melody line somehow evokes a sense of nostalgia…
68	Happy?Mudvayne		A heavy(-something) band called Mudvyne that went on hiatus…
69	Don’t ChangeMusiq		High sense with a neo-soul vibe seeping through…
70	WonderwallOasis		When it comes to Oasis, this is the song! Many people would say so...
71	TroublemakerOlly Murs ft. Flo Rida		In this upbeat, high-energy song, I...
72	Just Like A PillP!nk		By the American singer P!nk...
73	Gust of WindPharrell Williams		Two albums by Pharrell Williams...
74	creepRadiohead		It has also been covered by many female artists in Japan...
75	Anywhere Away From HereRag’n’Bone Man & P!nk		A saving song that leads from dark, depressive tunes to hope
76	You know meRobbie Williams		A song that sings of boundless, overflowing regrets, and the rest…
77	Lost BoyRuth B		A Canadian female singer, moving songs
78	No Ordinary LoveSade		As shown in the music video, underwater…
79	Too Good At GoodbyesSam Smith		Autumn often makes me feel kind of wistful, and...
80	Lose You To Love MeSelena Gomez		A timeless song that heals the emotions of high school life, Selena Gomez
81	I’m Not Human At AllSleep Party People		We’re an indie band from Denmark. Everyone...
82	Rihanna ft. Mikky EkkoStay		Calmly, as if assigned a role to myself...
83	Because I Love YouStevie Wonder		This is the song we performed at the music recital in middle school...
84	BotherStone Sour		On losing oneself and, at the same time, finding oneself…
85	B.Y.O.B.System Of A Down		If I can sublimate my darkness/anguish to this extent, I’ll feel so relieved...
86	Dead & GoneT.I. ft. Justin Timberlake		T.I. and Bieber’s breezy pop tune “Dead & Gone”
87	RedTaylor Swift		A song about memories with an ex-lover, set in winter...
88	Don’t Let Me DownThe Chainsmokers ft. Daya		Speaking of autumn, it's also a comfortable season to spend time in, and…
89	The HillsThe Weeknd		A song depicting a celebrity ruled by hedonism
90	SoberTool		Rather than “you get sick when you listen,” it’s more like “you’re already sick…”
91	Favorite SongToosii		A love song that portrays the poignancy and hope of youth
92	Until The World Goes ColdTrivium		Since the vocalist is half Japanese, the in...
93	Redneck CrazyTyler Farr		A man's warped innocence and raging passion, betrayed by love
94	She (Ft. Frank Ocean)Tyler, The Creator		A distorted love story in Tyler’s music
95	Say It Ain’t SoWeezer		A full-on Weezer vibe with a somewhat lonely melody...
96	PILLOWTALKZAYN		ZAYN, who left One Direction...
97	StayZedd, Alessia Cara		Autumn is a season when the scenery is beautiful, with things like colorful foliage. So...
98	Adam’s Songblink-182		Blink is an American rock band…
99	i hate u, i love u ft. olivia o’briengnash		A dark piano heartbreak song, a bittersweet love ballad
100	Car Radiotwenty one pilots		A musical work depicting experiences from my college years