Do you ever get those melancholic emotions that leave you feeling wrecked yet strangely fulfilled? Many of us go through difficult emotional times, and music can be an incredible way to cope. To help in these moments, we’ve compiled a list of the 25 most emotionally charged songs—from tracks about heartbreak to ones about perseverance. These are pieces that tap into our deepest emotions and leave us with chills when listening.
1. “Love Is a Losing Game”
One user stated, “‘Love is a Losing Game’—Amy Winehouse. That song crushes me.”
Another Redditor replied, “Second this.”
2. “If We Were Vampires”
One user added “If We Were Vampires by Jason Isbell. As my husband was dying from aggressive brain cancer, the lyrics haunted me.
“‘Knowing that this can’t go on forever, Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone. Maybe we’ll get 40 years together. Then one day I’ll be gone, Or one day you’ll be gone.’
“He’s gone. [It’s awful].”
One user responded, “Jason Isbell is a genius songwriter. That being said, his lyrics really hit the heart. I lost my Dad in 2019 to dementia and plan on getting a tattoo of an hourglass with the lyrics. ‘Maybe time running out is a gift.’ Condolences on your loss.”
3. What a Wonderful World
“What a wonderful world.
“I was difficult to comfort as a baby for a handful of medical reasons; I’ve been told that song was the only one that silenced my crying and had a chance of putting me to sleep. Aside from that, I’ve always had a strong emotional reaction to it since I can remember,” one Redditor shared.
One user replied, “The particular lines that gut me are: ‘I see friends shaking hands, Saying, “How do you do?” They’re really saying “I love you” and … I hear babies cry. I watch them grow. They’ll learn much more Than I’ll ever know.’
“The first because Love really IS all the point, and the second because, oh my, I HOPE so, but I also have never wanted children because of the despair I feel about our near future on this planet.
“Overall, just such a bittersweet feeling every time.”
4. “To Build a Home”
One user stated, “‘To Build a Home’ The Cinematic Orchestra.”
Another user responded, “A masterpiece.”
One commenter reacted, “Way too far down the list!”
5. “Funeral”
One Redditor posted, “‘Funeral’—Band of Horses. Listened to it all the time when I was super depressed.”
One user commented, “This one I have to skip if I want to keep my composure. A good friend of mine died of an overdose while I was out of the country. I had to take a long train ride to get to the nearest airport for his funeral.
“This song came on my headphones just as the train broke down, and I just lost it. Had to leave my compartment to avoid crying in front of half a dozen strangers. Every time I hear it now, I’m back standing between train cars, staring at the desert through tears and sunglasses, trying to think what to say to his kids. Great song, though.”
6. “Nutshell”
One online user stated, “‘Nutshell’ by Alice In Chains.”
Another user commented, “Same here, but the Unplugged version.”
One added, “Unplugged is the way to go for this one.”
7. “Somewhere Out There”
One user shared “‘Somewhere Out There’ from An American Tail. EDIT: Also, TIL that was Linda Ronstadt in the end credits version!”
One user replied, “This song introduced me to the notion that songs could make you feel things.”
8. “Vienna”
“‘Vienna’ by Billy Joel. My son is in his last year of high school, and then he’ll leave for university. I miss him already,” one user shared.
“You know, I never heard this song until during the pandemic. I still don’t know how. I thought I knew every Billy Joel song. Hearing this for the first time was like a message. The line to cool it off before you burn it out felt so direct and relevant to my life at the time. I was in such a hurry to make something of myself. It’s a great one and now one of my favorites by him,” another user commented.
9. “Who Wants to Live Forever”
One user shared, “‘Who Wants to Live Forever’—Queen.
“My Dad was a fan of the band, and we often listened to them together in the car when I was young. He was terrified of dying and fought the cancer as hard as he could, but it got him anyway. I cry like a kid with a skinned knee whenever I listen to that song.”
Another user replied, “I’ll add the song ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’ to that.”
10. You Are My Sunshine
One Redditor stated, “You Are My Sunshine.'”
One added, “This is mine. My mom used to sing that to me as a kid when I was upset or scared or whatever, and it would calm me down. Just watched her die from cancer last year.”
11. “The Night We Met”
Another user shared “‘The Night We Met’ by Lord Huron.”
One user replied, “The thing about this song is—it doesn’t punch you in the gut. It’s somehow already inside you, and tears through your heart are on its way out. ETA: ‘I had all and then most of you, some, and now none of you’ is one of the most piercing lyrics EVER because so many can relate to it.”
12. Cat’s in the Cradle
One user mentioned, “Cats in the cradle. As a son and a father of teenagers, brutal.”
One user replied, “‘You see, my new job’s a hassle, and the kids have the flu, but it’s been nice talking to you, Dad. It’s sure nice talking to you.’ [Crying].”
13. “Pictures of You”
“‘Pictures of You’—The Cure,” posted one Redditor.
Another user replied, “Just seeing the title brings tears to my eyes. I saw The Cure several times live with my Dad growing up. This is the song that will forever memorialize him for me. He passed last year, and as much as I want to play it now, I can’t bring myself to do it. One day.”
14. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”
One user shared, “‘I Will Follow You Into the Dark’—Death Cab for Cutie.”
Another user added, “This one and ‘What Sarah Said.'”
One user shared, “I find following you into the dark a bit oddly happy/comforting. ‘What Sarah Said’ is unlistenable to me. Great song, but I don’t need to be that sad on any given day.”
15. “Rainbow Connection”
“‘Rainbow Connection’—Kermit The Frog,” one user posted.
Another Redditor added, “My date was blasting this when he came to pick me up for our first date. Our 25th wedding anniversary is in November.”
16. “Wish You Were Here”
One user posted, “‘Wish you Were Here’—Pink Floyd.
“It was the first song I played on guitar after my grandpa died. Didn’t even get through the intro before starting to cry.”
One user added, “Also, ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ And although it brings a more chilling and scary vibe, it’s still soul-touching.”
17. “Fourth of July”
One user shared, “‘Fourth of July’ by Sufjan Stevens is probably my top example. Get well soon, Suf! <3.”
another user replied, “Scrolled way too far before finding Sufjan here. It’s ‘Cashmir Polaski Day’ that hits hard for me.”
18. “Somewhere Only We Know”
One user commented, “‘Somewhere only we know’—Keane. Edit: I initially misspelled the band name – my bad!”
One user commented, “I remember the first time I heard this song. I was 14-15, and it had me so in my feelings at the time and meant a lot to me. I heard my 12-year-old daughter listening to it, and I wanted to cry.”
19. “Adagio for Strings”
“Recently, on a quiet weekend afternoon, contemplating life, getting older, and time ticking away, I found myself lost in thought, the world around me fading as classical music filled the room.
“As the first notes of ‘Adagio for Strings’ began, I was transported. The crescendo mirrored the ebb and flow of my emotions, giving me a profound moment of connection. It was as if the song had been composed just for that precise moment in my life.
“And then I continued cleaning the kitchen. Lol,” one Redditor posted.
20. “Unplugged”
One Redditor stated, “‘Unplugged’, [by] Nirvana. [And] ‘All Apologies.'”
One user replied, “‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’—starts off like a lullaby and ends in voice-cracking sadness and pain. I remember reading Kurt thought the audience hated it bc they were stunned into silence and didn’t react for a few seconds. Then, I went down a rabbit hole researching Lead Belly. More pain, sadness and death.”
21. “The Living Years”
One user shared, “‘The Living Years’ still gets me. Don’t listen to it if you have even a slightly complicated relationship with your Dad.”
One user commented, “I played this for my pops shortly after it came out. My Dad was the kind of guy who didn’t really listen and hear music and lyrics. He listened to the radio for noise. So I had to explain it to him. He said thanks. Many years later, right before he passed away, he asked me about this song. I was shocked. I thought Pop didn’t think about meaningful s-, but he was asking. I told him again, and he asked if I still felt that way. I told him most definitely, and all kinds of other stuff started to come out about how he taught me life stuff and skills I’d need. Working on cars or doing home repairs, etc., … he said he always thought he was a bad father. Not true. I told him he was the father and my sister needed him to be, and we loved and respected him our entire childhood and all through our lives because of how he was. I was in tears over that for days. But yeah. Tell them while you can. It’s kind of important.”
22. “Rest High on That Mountain”
“‘Go Rest High On That Mountain’—Vince Gill,” one user posted.
Another user shared, “The version from George Jones’ funeral where poor Vince Gill keeps choking up and Patty Loveless is all ‘I got you.'”
23. “Without You, I’m Nothing”
One Redditor posted, “‘Without you, I’m Nothing’ by Placebo.”
One replied, “Wow, one doesn’t see too many Placebo enjoyers.”
24. “Samson”
“‘Samson’ by Regina Spektor,” posted one Redditor.
Another user shared, “‘Eet’ by Regina Spektor always gets me.”
One user replied,” Omg. Omg. Okay, I’m going to faint. I loved this song so much in high school. I was so obsessed with Regina Spektor.”
25. “One More Light”
One user shared, “‘One More Light’—Linkin Park.”
One user commented, “Lost my Dad to suicide when I was 11. I was a big fan of Linkin Park growing up, but somehow, I never heard this song for years. When I was 18, my boyfriend talked about them in the car and mentioned this song. He was shocked I hadn’t heard it, but he was hesitant to play it for me because he knew about my Dad and he didn’t wanna hurt my feelings. I insisted, thinking I would be fine, so he played it. As soon as it started, I rested my head against the window and just watched the world as we drove down the highway. I was silent the whole time. I didn’t look at him, but I think he knew I was crying because he put his hand over mine and just held it tight.
And then the line ‘And you’re angry, and you should be, it’s not fair’ was sung, and I f- lost it. We pulled over, and I just sobbed. And my boyfriend was crying too for a man he never and will never have the pleasure of meeting.
“I was a child when my Dad died. I didn’t really grieve for him properly. He was my best friend, and suddenly, he was just gone forever. For years, it felt like a part of my soul got ripped out from me and torn apart, then shoved back in with no remorse. I truly didn’t think I would make it in this world without him. But then I started picking up the pieces of his loss when I was 18/19. It’s been 11 years now since he died; I’m 23 next month. I’m better, but man. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of him. To say I was shattered when Chester passed is an understatement. This world has a habit of taking the best people away from us far too soon.”
Do you agree with the songs listed above?
Share your thoughts below!
Source: Reddit.
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