This list is based on a collection of some published and unpublished “saddest song” lists. Since the degree of pain that is caused by a hand, a personal and individual experience almost every list of this kind has been much debate – according to personal preferences, experiences and reactions to sad songs.
But the songs listed here – are some of the unanimous “saddest songs of all time” after a number of music critics and after on-line comments and forum posts on the Internet – especially in the Top 100.
Beyond the “Top 100″ or so, the songs are in a somewhat arbitrary ranking. But the extent to which sad songs are ‘classified’, is primarily the degree of perceived pain, and secondarily on their (perceived) quality and popularity.
A classic piece of inestimable value estimates can be classified in this list in a song from the most recent rule-less appreciation – just because the levels of perception of the sad song ‘sadness’ (and perhaps their emotional, evoking the capacity), and not necessarily because a song like ‘less’. Obviously there could be a more recent songs such as “better” than a classic long-lasting and valuable. So the original intent of this list should be kept in mind – any misunderstanding of what this ‘list’ is avoided.
Songs included a higher rank in the list can be very sad. Sad songs in the space below list can be a ‘sad melancholy, “may also be enjoyable and memorable – in the sense cathartic.
- “Tears in Heaven” Eric Clapton (1992)
- “He Stopped Loving Her Today” George Jones (1980)
- “Hurt” Nine Inch Nails (1994) | Johnny Cash (2002)
- “Everybody Hurts” REM (1992)
- “Crying” Roy Orbison (1962)
- “It’s Over” Roy Orbison (1964)
- “Alone Again (Naturally)” Gilbert O’Sullivan (1972)
- “Yesterday” The Beatles (1965)
- “If” Bread (1971)
- “Honey” Bobby Goldsboro (1968)
- “Cat’s in the Cradle” Harry Chapin (1974)
- “Dust in the Wind” Kansas (1977)
- “Last Kiss” Pearl Jam (2006)
- “Nothing Compares 2 You” Sinead O’Conner (1990)
- “Hallelujah” Jeff Buckley (1994)
- “Everything I Own” Bread (1972)
- “Mad World” Gary Jules (2003)
- “Eleanor Rigby” The Beatles (1966)
- “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” Hank Williams (1949)
- “Superstar” Karen Carpenter (1969)
- “Iris” Goo Goo Dolls (1998)
- “Memories” Elaine Paige (1983) | Barbra Streisand (1981)
- “Love Hurts” Nazareth (1975)
- “Drive” The Cars (1984)
- “Dance With My Father” Luther Vandross (2003)
- “I Can’t Make You Love Me” Bonnie Rait (1991)
- “Whiskey Lullaby” Braid Paisley & Alison Krausse (2004)
- “In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning” Frank Sinatra (1955)
- “Teen Angel” Mark Dinning (1959)
- “Goodbye to Love” The Carpenters (1972)
- “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” Elton John (1976)
- “Drugs Don’t Work” Verve (1997)
- “Let it Be” The Beatles (1969)
- “Wild World” Cat Stevens (1970)
- “Your Song” Elton John (1970)
- “She’s Leaving Home” The Beatles (1967)
- “Pink Moon” Nick Drake (1972)
- “Solitaire” The Carpenters (1975)
- “This Woman’s Work” Kate Bush (1990)
- “Concrete Angel” Martina McBride (2002)
- “Against All Odds” (aka “Take a Look at Me Now”) Phil Collins (1984)
- “I’m a Fool to Want You” Frank Sinatra (1951)
- “Goin’ Out of My Head” Little Anthony & The Imperials (1964)
- “Creep” Radiohead (1992)
- “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” Elvis Presley (1960)
- “Bright Eyes” Art Garfunkel (1979)
- “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand (1978)
- “Candle in the Wind” Elton John (1973 & 1997)
- “For the Good Times” Ray Price (1970) | Elvis Presley (1972)
- “Annie’s Song” John Denver (1974)
- “Lime Tree” Bright Eyes (2007)
- “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” Boyz II Men (1991)
- “Crazy” Patsy Cline (1962)
- “The End of the World” Skeeter Davis (1963)
- “I’ll Be Missing You” P. Diddy & Faith Evans (1997)
- “Only the Lonely” Roy Orbison (1960)
- “Don’t Cry Daddy” Elvis Presley (1969)
- “Send in the Clowns” Judy Collins (1973)
- “I know It’s Over” The Smiths (1986)
- “In the Ghetto” Elvis Presley (1969)
- “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” Meat Loaf (1977)
- “My Immortal” Evanescence (2003)
- “Always on My Mind” Willie Nelson (1982)
- “Leaving on a Jet Plane” Peter, Paul and Mary (1969)
- “Sounds of Silence” Simon & Garfunkel (1966)
- “Kiss and Say Goodbye” The Manhattans (1976)
- “Don’t Speak” No Doubt (1996)
- “Asleep” The Smiths (1987)
- “Faithfully” Journey (1983)
- “I Dreamed a Dream” Susan Boyle (2009)
- “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Bonnie Tyler (1984)
- “Pictures of You” The Cure (1989)
- “Christmas Shoes” Newsong (1996)
- “Gloomy Sunday” Billie Holiday (1941)
- “Strange Fruit” Billie Holiday (1939)
- “Bring Me to Life” Evanescence (2003)
- “Leader of the Band” Dan Fogelberg (1981)
- “Imagine” John Lennon (1971)
- “If I Had Only Known” Reba McEntire (1991)
- “Butterfly Kisses” Bob Carlisle (1997)
- “The Tracks of My Tears” Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1965)
- “I Will Always Love You” Dolly Parton (1974) | Whitney Houston (1992)
- “The Rose” Better Midler (1979)
- “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” Reba McEntire (1991)
- “The Way We Were” Barbra Streisand (1973)
- “I Fall to Pieces” Patsy Cline (1961)
- “I Believe (For Every Drop of Rain that Falls)” Frankie Lane (1953)
- “Back to Black” Amy Winehouse (2006)
- “Because of You” Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson (2005)
- “The Living Years” Mike & The Mechanics (1988)
- “No Surprises” Radiohead (1997)
- “Vincent” (aka “Starry, Starry Night”) Don McLean (1971)
- “In the Real World” Roy Orbison (1989)
- “Fade to Black” Metallica (1984)
- “Alyssa Lies” Jason Micheal Caroll (2006)
- “One” Metallica (1990)
- “Adam’s Song” Blink 182 (2000)
- “Danny Boy” Elvis Presley (1976)
- “Open Arms” Journey (1982)
- “With or Without You” U2 (1987)