Tear-jerking unrequited love songs in Western music: recommended classics and popular tracks

Watching You Watch HimEric Hutchinson

Eric Hutchinson – Watching You Watch Him [Official Music Video]

This song delicately portrays the heartache of unrequited love.

Through lyrics and melodies that tug at the heart, it expresses the sadness and inner conflict of a protagonist watching the person they love have their heart stolen by someone else.

Featured on Eric Hutchinson’s April 2012 album “Moving Up Living Down,” this track draws you in with its poppy, catchy sound while conveying the ache of longing through its vocals.

Anyone who’s ever fallen for someone but couldn’t express their feelings will likely find themselves relating to it.

It’s a song I especially recommend to those struggling with the pain of unrequited love.

Just So You KnowJesse McCartney

Just So You Know

This song is about uncontrollable, uncontainable feelings when you fall for someone you shouldn’t.

In the music video, Jesse falls in love with his friend’s girlfriend—he struggles and suffers, yet finds himself increasingly drawn to her, which is heartbreakingly poignant.

SatisfiedJewel

Jewel – Satisfied

It’s a very gentle song that says it’s enough if you face your feelings honestly and tell the other person how you feel without regrets, whether your love works out or not.

Listening to it before a confession will give you courage, and if you listen to it alone after confessing and getting your heart broken, I think it will be very healing.

FallingKeri Noble

Keri Noble – Falling (Cover) by Gabriel and Kiana Valenciano

A song by Keri Noble that delicately captures the ache of unrequited love.

The protagonist’s complex feelings after falling in love gently resonate through her clear vocals and the sound of the piano.

Featured on the album “Fearless,” released in March 2004, this piece vividly portrays the uncertainty and fragility of romance.

You can’t help but relate to a protagonist who should be confident, yet is shaken by love.

Perfect for those experiencing a crush or wanting to sink into the bittersweetness of love.

Listening to this song might just give your own heart the courage it needs.

Leaving My Love BehindLewis Capaldi

Lewis Capaldi – Leaving My Love Behind (Lyric Video)

This is an unrequited love song by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi.

The lyrics convey the feelings of a man who senses a change in her heart and tries to confirm whether she still loves him.

It’s a love song that makes you realize how difficult it can be to put feelings into words and confirm each other’s emotions in a relationship.

Lewis Capaldi’s heartrending vocals really pierce the heart, don’t they?

EmotionsMariah Carey

Mariah Carey – Emotions

Among Mariah’s many songs, this track stands out as one of her signature hits and a go-to anthem for girls in love.

With her soaring vocals and those uniquely Mariah high notes, she delivers a crisp, uplifting performance that captures the giddy, floating feeling of falling in love.

SugarMaroon 5

Maroon 5 – Sugar (Official Music Video)

Unlike classic unrequited-love songs, this is a pop track where the singer practically seems ready to drop to their knees and beg, “Please, I just want you to stay with me.” Both the music video and the song itself are bright and comedic, making you laugh at how desperate they get, while also making unrequited love feel fun.