If you’re going through a breakup, you can go out with your friends and try to forget about the hurt. On the other hand, you can do what I do and submerge yourself in the heartache until it consumes you. Sounds fun, right? I know it seems self-mutilating, but sometimes, you just need to sink into your feelings and let them take hold of you. You’d be amazed how much better you can feel after a hearty cry. Check out 25 breakup songs that might just ease your pain a little.
1. “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
“Back to Black” is one of the most iconic and heartbreaking breakup songs of all time. Amy Winehouse’s beautiful crooning brings these dark and tragic lyrics to life as she sings about her lover leaving her for someone else as her heart breaks over and over again.
2. “Happiness is a butterfly” by Lana Del Rey
This song captures the pain of a relationship ending that was never quite official. Modern romance is complex, and it’s just as hard when one of these situationships falls apart. Lana’s sultry voice captures the sadness of letting something you thought was love slip through your fingers.
3. “Pictures of You” by The Cure
This classic breakup song by The Cure is a must-listen when you’re going through a tough breakup. The lyrics are painful, as they talk about staring at old pictures and basically torturing yourself with the memories of love and happiness.
4. “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron
Lord Huron sings about how jarring and sad it is when you feel like you have someone all to yourself, only for them to leave you with all your feelings and pain. He sings about wanting to return to the beautiful moment when they first met.
5. “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers is a folksy breakup song about how hard it is to be happy when the love of your life is no longer in your life. He sings about how he knows things will never be quite as sunny or cheerful without her.
6. “Somebody I Used to Know” by Gotye
This breakup song became an instant classic when it came out because it truly captures the pain of a breakup. This track is perfect if you’re in the mood to simply wallow in your heartbreak and don’t have any intentions of trying to cheer yourself up yet.
7. ”Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac
As always, Fleetwood Mac offers poetic lyrics that are beautifully tragic and moving. In “Silver Springs,” the narrator talks about how they want to pathetically follow the person they love, even if they get rejected. They want their lover to remember them forever, even after they’re gone.
8. ”Quiet Light” by The National
This somber song has a beautiful simplicity and balance to it that will bring you to tears or comfort you while you cry. The lyrics discuss feeling alone when sitting in the quiet because you miss the person who used to always be beside you and how the smallest thought about an ex can unravel you in an instant.
9. “I miss you, I’m sorry” by Gracie Abrams
This heartbreaking song is about a relationship that the narrator never thought was going to last, but now that it’s over, they can’t believe it and wish they could go back. The song has many lines about how easy it is for “forever” to fade away.
10. “Ready to Go” by Noah Cyrus
“Ready to Go” is a tragic song about someone who knows the relationship is over and is just waiting for their partner to leave. It has a doomed and passive feeling, as the narrator says they always knew their partner would leave them, but they still refuse to leave first.
11. “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor
This is the perfect song if you’re swimming in your sad feelings and just want to cry your eyes out. This song was originally recorded by Prince, but Sinead O’Connor delivers a soft and agonizing sound that will make your heart ache even more.
12. “Eventually” by Tame Impala
“Eventually” is interesting because it doesn’t have the typical sad sound. The narrator is the one breaking up with their partner, but they feel awful and try to console their partner by saying they’ll both feel better and be happy… eventually.
13. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” by Taylor Swift
Of course, I had to include at least one song from the queen of breakup songs. In this painful 10-minute song, Taylor Swift sings about all the good times she remembers and how those memories only make the pain of the breakup hurt even more.
14. “October Passed Me By” by girl in red
“October Passed Me By” is particularly sad because it’s a sequel to the sweet, romantic song “we fell in love in october.” It recounts how their relationship fell apart and how it still hurts the narrator to think about the good times and the bad times.
15. “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers
If you’re trying to accept a breakup, this song can help. In the moody track, Phoebe sings about how she saw the breakup coming, and she knows it’s the right thing for both of them, but it doesn’t hurt any less. It’s a song that mourns the relationship and is full of grief.
16. “Feel Something” by Clairo
Many of Clairo’s tracks are sad, but this one might take the cake. This song talks about a complex relationship where one of the people was never really putting their whole heart into it and being vulnerable. Clairo sings about how she’s trying to move on but feels so numb.
17. “Caroline” by Arlo Parks
“Caroline” is an interesting breakup song because the narrator is witnessing a breakup, not a part of one. The narrator is on the street one day and watches a couple get into a massive fight, and the girl ends up running away as the man sits with what he’s done.
18. “I’ll Still Have Me” by Cyn
If you need a breakup song that will remind you everything is going to be okay, “I’ll Still Have Me” by Cyn is perfect. She sings a soft ballad about how she never thought the relationship would actually fall apart, but she knows that she’ll be alright because she still has herself.
19. “Slide Away” by Miley Cyrus
“Slide Away” is about the end of a relationship between two people who are too different. It hurts to lose their partner, but the narrator knows that it is for the best because they are heading in different directions and want different things out of life.
20. “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo is another queen of breakup songs, and “drivers license” is her most popular one. She sings about how she drives around and thinks about how her ex got over her so fast while she still loves him with a burning passion. It’s enough to bring you to tears, and while it has teenage =-vibes, it’s suitable for anyone going through a rough breakup.
21. “Incomplete Kisses” by Sampha
Sometimes, relationships end so abruptly and suddenly that everything still feels incomplete. “Incomplete Kisses” is about exactly this, as the narrator talks about how everything feels unfinished because the relationship disintegrates so quickly and without any closure.
22. “It’s Too Late” by Carole King
This track is from the perspective of someone who knows the relationship is ending, and it’s too late to fix anything. The original version by Carole King is beautiful, but I also recommend the cover by Sofia Mills, which has a soft but twinkling sound that brings more complexity to the lyrics.
23. “Kill Bill” by SZA
If you’re fuming mad at your ex, SZA has you covered. This song is about feeling unstable and crazy after a breakup, fantasizing about revenge and violence. While you shouldn’t murder your ex, this song can offer a wonderful catharsis for your anger and pain.
24. “Happiest Year” by Jaymes Young
On the other hand, the lyrics of this song are about thanking someone for a beautiful relationship, even though it’s over. This track is painfully soft and slow with a grateful tone that might help you appreciate your ex even though you’re still hurting.
25. “coney island” by Taylor Swift
Another heartbreaking song from the queen of love songs, “coney island,” is about a relationship falling apart because neither partner listened to or appreciated the other. It’s about miscommunication and how sometimes people tragically drift apart. The lyrics are poetic and painful in the best ways.