Music Lovers Share Which Song Is A Bona Fide Heartbreaker

Let me be real for a second.

Every time I listen to Bjork's "Unravel," my heart breaks a bit.

Have you ever listened to it?

It's on Homogenic, her third studio album, and it's incredible, passionate, smartly produced and a great showcase for her stupendous voice.

That song? An emotional rollercoaster, for sure.

There's tons of great music out there, though, and even more sad and gorgeous songs to discover.


People shared their thoughts after Redditor humanbear07 asked the online community:

"What song genuinely breaks your heart everytime you hear it?"

"Ann Wilson has such an amazing voice..."

"There's a few, but the isolated vocal track for Heart's 'Alone' is especially heartbreaking to me. Ann Wilson has such an amazing voice and her emotion really made that band."

FartAttack911

A classic!

Doesn't grow old.

There have been quite a few excellent covers of this one over the years, too.

"The first words give me chills..."

"Most songs by the late Jeff Buckley are sad on their own, and even more devastating in context. But the one that hits me the hardest is his cover of 'I Know It's Over' by the Smiths."

"The subject of the song is up for interpretation no matter what, but Jeff Buckley's premature death adds an element to it that seems to be about his life, whether he planned to or not."

"The first words give me chills the most— they happen after the classic reverby Jeff Buckley intro, the kind Hallelujah fans will be familiar with. He takes his time with this one, like he does with that."

Danielmav

No love for "Lilac Wine"?

C'mon, people.

It's clearly the best track.

"Ever since my husband..."

"'Merry Christmas, Darling' by the Carpenters. Ever since my husband Tom died in 2012, my heart breaks every Christmas since. We loved Christmas."

MysteriousTax5613

Karen Carpenter's voice hits differently when you realize how tortured her life was.

Gone too young.

"My Dad told me..."

"In My Life by The Beatles. My Dad told me when I was a teenager that he wanted it played at his funeral. I still can't listen, and when that day comes and I HAVE TO listen to it to honor his wish, I'm going to be a blubbering mess."

pennylane3339

Sounds like you have an excellent relationship with your dad.

Cherish it.

"My grandmother died..."

"He Stopped Loving Her Today, by George Jones. My grandmother died almost 20 years before my grandfather, and we played it at his funeral. Just typing this chokes me up a bit."

TimfromTampa

Songs have even more meaning (sometimes painfully so) when linked to specific moments in our lives, particularly the moments when we've lost people we care about.

"I'm not a Christian..."

"'Bridge Over Troubled Water' by Simon & Garfunkel. Not a Christian, but when I hear it, I understand why people believe."

holeontheground

A beautiful song, and timeless, too.

"My sister's husband..."

"Always on my Mind by Willie Nelson. My sisters husband chose to have it played at her funeral. And yes he was a crappy husband and she died young in a car accident."

kearlysue

Sounds like art imitating life, no?

"He's an amazing songwriter..."

"Jason Isbell has so many it's honestly hard to choose one. Speed Trap Town, Decoration Day, Cover Me Up. He's an amazing songwriter."

RoamingBison

I don't know him–it's time to look him up and see how I feel.

"I can already feel tears..."

"One More Light by Linkin Park. I can already feel tears coming to my eyes just by typing this."

azavaloka

Chester Bennington's death was such a shock.

His music lives on.

"My brothers passed away..."

"Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd."

"My brothers passed away in a car accident shortly after coming home from Afghanistan. Reminds me of them every time I hear it."

Nessahtron

Sorry for your loss.

Hopefully hearing the song brings you peace.

Hearing a beautiful song can be an immensely moving experience.

And hearing a sad song can, for many people, help them cope with the pain of heartbreak better than they would have otherwise.

Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

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