top 100 saddest songs of all time

well she does have a habit of quietly walking offstage in the middle of concerts, so you may have a point there (I kid). I've listened to her solo stuff so often while falling asleep that it's hard for me to hear it as anything but chill-out music — it's like I've conditioned myself to tune out the content/lyrics/emotions in favor of the vibes, maaaan. the same thing happens when I listen to certain music regularly while exercising. using music for purely functional purposes has its drawbacks.

oddly I don't like most of Mazzy Star's stuff, especially when they're in retro-psych mode, and I don't like Opal's heavier material (on Happy Nightmare Baby). Rain Parade completely bores me. sorry, Dave Roback, but I don't think I like you.

Man, Taking Tiger Mountain brings the tears every time. Every time! And I'm mostly unemotional? Sort of?

No xpost

Carol - "So Low"

"Flooding" by Kristin Hersh, the piano demo.

"In This Hole" - Cat Power
"Holding" - Grouper
"For Martha" - the Smashing Pumpkins
"My New Freedom" - Elliott Smith
"Something in the Way" - Nirvana
"The End of the Rainbow" - Richard & Linda Thompson
"Sawdust & Diamonds" - Joanna Newsom
"God" - John Lennon
"This Night Has Opened My Eyes" - The Smiths
"Buzz Saw" - Xiu Xiu

People have some odd ideas on what constitutes a sad song.

A harder challenge would be coming up with some sadder than any of the songs on Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked at Me.

Yeah :-(

I mean, Phil abandons/dismisses any attempt at making "art" on that record, because it's been rendered completely meaningless and useless to him. understandably. I couldn't get through 4 songs.

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowell is probably a contender for saddest album.

otm, I could listen to that one twice all the way through, and haven't revisited it since. songs are good, I just can't sink into that mood.

Little Green, Joni Mitchell – The wistful optimism is just heartbreaking

oh man, I was gonna mention that one. "A Case of You" as well, even if it's more bittersweet. "Little Green" is similar to "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" - the complicated emotions that come with having an abortion / giving up a child for adoption.

River too -- subject matter is kind of run-of-the-mill as far as sad songs but the treatment is especially heartbreaking.

joni mitchell - other people's parties

Inconsolable - Jonatha Brooke

Zabelle Panosian, Groung (The Crane)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GizgyxGSrFs

The Train by Sinatra, off Watertown, a brutally sad album all told.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXP-417oiv0

Franz Schubert - 'Der Leiermann' (from Winterreise):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIIS-UgixGE

The Band - It Makes No Difference

the winner

Bruce Springsteen, “Brilliant Disguise”

Randy Newman - “Marie”

just thinking about that song, christ..

The Last Ride- Todd Rundgren

Kathleen Edwards - "Alicia Ross"

Josh Ritter - "The Curse"

Rickie Lee Jones - "Skeletons"

also legit surprised not to see John Prine’s “Hello in There” in this thread.

Sandy Denny - "All Our Days"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsxeL-59GbM

also legit surprised not to see John Prine’s “Hello in There” in this thread.

It's here.

Peter Hammill, "This Side of the Looking-Glass"

Everybody's Been Burned by the Byrds
so sad it's haunted

billy Bragg - tank park salute

Jason Isbell - "Elephant"

The Perfect Disaster - Down (Down)

Dory Previn - "Beware of Young Girls" or "Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign"

anything by sibylle baier. colour green is the darkest LP i've ever heard, and that's coming from a regular elliott smith listener.

A couple days ago, my daughter was singing "Maybe" from Annie, and I actually irl teared up. That song is inappropriately sad. It should be illegal except under tightly controlled circumstances.

41. This Mortal Coil - Holocaust (no I haven't heard the original but I can't see how it could possibly be any more sad - "your mother's dead", the rise and fall of strings and piano and one excellent performance by Howard Devoto)

― Bimble..., Wednesday, December 22, 2004 6:20 AM (fourteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Fucking hell, I can't imagine knowing this song without being aware of the Big Star original. It's the pinnacle of devastation.

The Specials - I Can't Stand It

most of the "sad songs" people talk about are to me encouraging and uplifting, which i guess says a lot about me. people with the saddest voices in the world like robert wyatt singing about how it'll be ok, no really, just make me think "yeah, they have a point, it will be ok". to me a really sad song is something like "you can make it if you try" by sly and the family stone.

I think I sort of know what you mean. Like, “what a wonderful world” fills me with deep deep despair

Sad songs say so much, even when they’re in another language (Turkish, in this case):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdngjh5cy5E

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