Most Moving Western Songs Ranking [2025]

Cruel SummerTaylor Swift36rank/position

Taylor Swift – Cruel Summer (Official Audio)

A song sung by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift that portrays the frenzy and anguish of a secret love.

It’s well known that the track became a massive hit years after its 2019 release, but despite its glittering, summery rush, the pain of a relationship that must be kept hidden is distilled into the single phrase “Cruel Summer.” The frustration of a love you can’t tell anyone about and the precarious feeling of being feverishly drawn to someone tighten listeners’ hearts.

The lyric “I love you, isn’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?” is heartbreakingly poignant.

Its anguished cry, carried by passionate sound, gently embraces the hearts of those struggling with the ache of a love where happiness and anxiety are entwined.

Wake Me Up When September EndsGreen Day37rank/position

Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends [Official Music Video] [4K Upgrade]

A gem of a Green Day ballad themed around love for a father and the pain of loss.

It’s based on Billie Joe Armstrong’s real experience of losing his father at the age of ten, and the title comes from what the boy, shut away in his room, said to his mother.

Beginning with delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios and gradually building into a grand arrangement, the structure is a masterpiece that expresses the passage of time and the healing process through music.

Released in June 2005 as the fourth single from the album American Idiot, it peaked at No.

6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It’s a song I’d recommend to anyone who has lost someone dear or is facing a turning point in life.

BeautifulChristina Aguilera38rank/position

Christina Aguilera – Beautiful (Official HD Video)

My heart is gripped by her fleeting yet beautiful singing voice.

This is a song by Christina Aguilera, the American singer-songwriter who was named one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” by Rolling Stone.

It was released as a single in 2002.

The song speaks about the importance of living true to yourself.

Please give it a listen when you’re feeling down or worn out.

Isn’t She LovelyStevie Wonder39rank/position

Stevie Wonder-Isn’t She Lovely Lyrics

This is a classic song by the legendary soul musician Stevie Wonder, also widely known in Japan by its localized title “Kawaii Aisha” (Cute Aisha).

With its outstanding melody, light and breezy arrangement, and heartwarming lyrics expressing a father’s boundless love for his daughter, it enjoys particularly high popularity in Japan—helped in part by its use in commercials.

It’s a gem that almost everyone has heard at least once, so if you were to spring a Father’s Day surprise while this song is playing, you’d surely have a wonderful time.

Hero Of WarRise Against40rank/position

Rise Against – Hero Of War

Inspired by the 2006 documentary “The Ground Truth: The Killing Ends,” this song focuses on the PTSD of soldiers returning from war.

It was not released as an official single, and its music video was released on Myspace in 2009.

Yesterday Once MoreCarpenters41rank/position

Yesterday Once More

This classic song, which sings of love and nostalgia for music, is one of the Carpenters’ signature works, released in May 1973.

Created by the American brother-and-sister duo, it is imbued with deep affection and longing for pop songs of the 1950s and ’60s, beautifully balancing Karen Carpenter’s warm, tender vocals with Richard Carpenter’s delicate arrangements.

It reached No.

2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit.

It’s a must-listen for everyone who loves music—and for those moments when you want to look back on your youth.

BrickBen Folds Five42rank/position

Ben Folds Five – Brick

A track released in 1997 by the American alternative rock group Ben Folds Five.

It was inspired by frontman Ben Folds’s experience in high school with his girlfriend’s abortion.

The track reached No.

6 on the U.

S.

charts.