Imagine listening to a song as sad as Pearl Jam’s “Black” or “Without You” by Mariah Carey and not shedding a single tear because you’re “stuck” in a happy relationship with a perfect partner who brings you breakfast in bed and is everything you ever wanted. Boring! A little heartbreak here and there keep singers like Adele and Billie Eilish at the top of the charts.
Without crying your heart out to certain songs, can you ever say you’ve fully experienced them? I listen to some songs that make me wish my heart was broken into a thousand pieces so I could feel the singer’s pain and appreciate the art even better. Here are 24 songs that could make you feel that way.
1. “Un-Break My Heart” by Toni Braxton
This timeless gem by Toni Braxton is the broken-hearted people’s anthem. If it wasn’t as popular as it was, Brandy could still sing every word. It’s not just the words; something about Toni Braxton’s painful honesty breaks your defenses and makes you cry like you thought you never could. Just be careful with this one so you don’t call back your ex and cry on the phone.
2. “I Drink Wine” by Adele
Ugh. It is literally impossible to compose this list without Adele, the queen of sad songs. Adele is among my top three female singers, but I NEVER listen to her — unless I’m home and the blinds are shut. Sure, she’s got many sad songs; even the lead single “Easy On Me” on the album this song also appears is a heart-wrenching ballad. But this song? This song is the underrated tear-jerker on the album that will have you wishing you were really drunk on wine so you could be numb to the emotions.
3. “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo came into the music scene and made us feel things we thought we were past feeling. She sings, “I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one / And I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone.” And come on, how can you keep up the tough guy demeanor?
4. “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi could be singing a happy song, and the deep emotions in his voice would still tear you apart. It’s the guttural touch of his voice; how it always sounds as though it is tottering on the verge of tears. It’s never a good feeling when someone walks away, just when you were getting used to being someone they loved.
5. “Sandcastles” by Beyoncé
Nothing would prepare you for the intensity of this song. So you think you’ve seen the vulnerable side of Queen Bey on tracks like “Pretty Hurts” and “Jealous.” But this song introduces you to a deeper, rarer glimpse of that vulnerability. You can feel the profound pain as she sings about you-know-what in the surprise album documenting her husband’s infidelity.
6. “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors
Sometimes, you feel the walls closing in on you and the Earth shaking beneath you, and all you wish for is one person to hold your hand and promise you it will be fine. These lines get to me every time: “Mother, I know / That you’re tired of being alone /Dad, I know you’re trying / To fight when you feel like flying.”
Let this song guide you through the purple rain.
7. “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri
So you’ve fallen in love with a player and hate yourself for it. You hate yourself for falling for their lies and sweet charm when you knew all along it was never true. We’ve all been there. Christina Perri certainly has. This song about being just another item in a playboy’s jar of hearts would get you in all the right places.
8. “Happier” by Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran has a way with emotions. It’s why many critics hate his music. They call it overly saccharine or sentimental. We think they’re just jealous. “Only a month we’ve been apart / You look happier.” Wouldn’t that make you want to smash something or scream?
“Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you / But ain’t nobody love you like I do,” he sings. What could hurt more than pining after a lover who’s moved and is happier with someone new? The ginger-headed one did something here.
9. “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” by Paloma Faith
The title says it all. Only love can make you smile at an empty screen for no reason and make you weep like a baby the next minute. It must’ve been a deadly kiss when you can’t go a minute without thinking about the person you shared all your lonely nights with. Love is like torture sometimes. This song is the cure to bring yourself face to face with the pain, which brings you one step closer to healing.
10. “Neither One of Us” by Gladys Knight and The Pips
Some of us can’t help but hold on to a love we know is dead for ungodly reasons. Maybe we’ve gotten used to the familiar security of the relationship or just don’t want to be the one who says goodbye first.
11. “Nothing Compares to You” by Sinéad O’Connor
Yes, Prince did a phenomenal job recording the song, which he also wrote. But here, the flowers go to the Irish singer. The pain of losing love felt more visceral as she was grieving her mother’s death.
12. “How to Cry” by Sam Smith
A few years back, I learned that numbness after a breakup was a real thing from first-hand experience. If you’re like me, you’ve asked yourself, “Does it mean I never truly loved them?” No. It’s completely normal to feel that way — you just need to learn how to cry, scream, shout and let it all out. Let Sam Smith show you.
13. “True” by Brandy
What’s worse than being in love with someone who doesn’t love you back? When everyone knows this but you. In this song, Brandy asks the question many victims of love are too scared to ask: “Is it true that I’m not the only one?” At least, Sam Smith knew.
14. “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars
You only know what you have once it’s gone. Bruno Mars may seem like the gentleman who brings his lady flowers and holds the door open for her, but in this song, we see that he’s only human, too, and sometimes the good ones get away before we realize they’re gone.
15. “Somebody Else” by The 1975
Like Happier, this song is about a past love finding new love, and moving on. You’ve admitted it’s over, but you still can’t picture them with somebody else, can ya? Listen to this while you cry into your pillow. We can’t promise you it will help you feel better, but we can promise it will help you feel.
16. “Do You Remember?” by Phil Collins
“There was always something more important to do / More important to say / But “I love you” wasn’t one of those things / And now it’s too late.”
No, I’d rather not get into this.
17. “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey
“Summertime Sadness” is the song to listen to when you’ve accepted that special one is gone… but you get one more night with them, one last dance. Make it count.
18. “Only You” by Yazoo
Here’s another song about a lost love that will have tears cascading down your cheeks, racing after each other. Letting go of someone you love is harder when they’re all you ever knew.
19. “Think Twice” by Celine Dion
Rollings Stones definitely didn’t think twice before excluding Celine Dion, one-third of the vocal trinity, from their 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list (all grudges aside). Celine Dion proves why she’s one of the greatest every time she picks up a microphone. “Don’t think I can’t feel that there’s something wrong,” she sings. “You’ve been the sweetest part of my life for so long.”
You know things are changing, still, goodbye’s the hardest word to say, and you can only hope they think twice before leaving you all by yourself.
20. “How To Save a Life” by The Fray
Sighs. Where to begin? “How to Save a Life” details how our decisions and emotions affect our friendships and relationships. Have you ever been too angry to reach out to a friend or stormed out of an argument even when you knew they needed you?
Sometimes, there are no second chances in life, and you don’t want to be stuck saying, “Had I known.” We all need someone, and someone may need you more than you think — here’s your sign to reach out to them. That’s how to save a life.
21. “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy, Faith Evans & 112
This song is dedicated to rap legend The Notorious B.I.G. and anyone who’s ever lost someone they cared about. There’s no better way to grieve than by blasting this on your stereo and praying for them.
22. “Living Next Door to Alice” by Smokie
Change is new and exciting, but it can also be so scary. “For 24 years I’ve been living next door to Alice,” the singer says. Everyone has their Alice, who had to move and take with them a greater part of their life. It’s worse when you never got the chance to tell them how you feel.
23. “Every Light in The House” by Trace Adkins
The song begins: “I told you I’d leave a light on / In case you ever wanted to come back home / You smiled and said you appreciate the gesture.”
Ouch. Still, you can’t stand the thought of being away from them. This country gem is for lovers who can’t help but keep the light on, hoping for another chance.
24. “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James
“I was losing the man that I loved / And all I could do was cry.”
It hurts feeling helpless, doesn’t it? Knowing the one you love is slipping away from you into the arms of another, and there’s nothing you can do about it… except, maybe, cry.
Boloere Seibidor, fondly called B.S. is a Nigerian-based writer and poet. Her favorite topics to cover include music, especially Hip-Hop, film, lifestyle, and fashion. She’s been published by Feral Journal, Fantasy Magazine, The Temz Review, and most notably, Wealth of Geeks. She enjoys romantic dinners, movie nights, and touring new sites. When she’s not writing, she’s delving back in time to the underground world of Hip-Hop, watching TikTok, or visiting the cinema.
