Playlist: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

There are 50 ways to make a break up mix. They can be sad or sappy or angsty or optimistic or empowering, or they can be tailored depending on whether you’re the dumper or the dumped. At the question-asker’s request, I’ve designed to this playlist to incorporate the full spectrum of break up emotions, including but not limited to ‘life is over‘ to ‘I deserved better’ to ‘who?

Breaking Up is Hard to Do


Crying – Roy Orbison & k.d. lang
You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Madeleine Peyroux [Bob Dylan cover]
Ex-Factor – Lauryn Hill
Breathe – Melissa Etheridge
Hang Me Up To Dry – Cold War Kids
Where Does The Good Go – Tegan & Sara
Heartbreaker – Pat Benetar
Jimmy Dean – Hunter Valentine
Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
F.O.D – Green Day
Limp – Fiona Apple
Untouchable Face – Ani DiFranco
I Want To Break Free – Queen
Holiday – Hilary Duff
Not In Love – Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith
Shut Up & Let Me Go – The Ting Tings
Tell Everybody That You Know – Kanye West ft. Lil’ Wayne
There You Go – P!nk
Whatsername – Green Day

You can stream the entire playlist here.

Add your favorite break up songs in the comments below.

Have a playlist request? Send it to me via Formspring and someone on the team will make it for you.

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!

Crystal

Founding member. Former writer. Still loves Autostraddle with her whole heart.

Crystal has written 320 articles for us.

102 Comments

  1. It’s totally break up season. Here’s my favs:

    Happy Ending Mika 4:33
    Joyful Sign Girlyman 2:42
    Time To Move On Tom Petty 3:17
    Some Kind of Nerve Melissa Ferrick 3:07
    You Oughta Know Alanis Morissette 4:09
    Unsteady Things Alix Olson 5:00
    You’re The One Paul Simon 4:28
    Done Wrong Ani DiFranco 6:32
    Cynical Chris Pureka 5:03
    Don’t Think Twice Bob Dylan 3:42
    Everybody’s Fool Evanescence 3:16
    Stay or Leave Dave Matthews 4:03
    Gravel Ani DiFranco 3:32
    As Cool As I Am Dar Williams 3:38
    You Went Away Tegan & Sara 2:00
    Twisted Roads Ellis 3:31
    Amazing Grace Ani DiFranco 7:09
    It’s Too Late Carole King 3:54
    Break-up Song Melissa Ferrick 4:13
    Hide and Seek Imogen Heap 4:18

    • OMG YES HAPPY ENDING. it’s been four years but i can still get all worked up when that song comes on.

    • adele bears so much relevance to this entire post. i will personally admit to belting out “melt my heart to stone” about ten minutes after i broke up with my boyfriend of three years. i was in a park. there were concerned parents nearby. it was like the climax to every meg ryan movie ever made.

        • AHHH YES I WAS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD THINK OF THIS. except maybe less when harry met sally and more sleepless in seattle. and he was sort of like the dead wife. which makes me tom hanks. but that means i eventually marry meg ryan, so this metaphor isn’t hopeless, after all!

  2. Clean and Sober – Anya Marina
    Cup of Coffee – Garbage
    Lonely in New York – Sophie Milman

  3. I think UR a contra- Vampire weekend
    Mumford & sons – Sigh no more (THE ENTIRE ALBUM) particularly after the storm, sigh no more, & little lion man…
    turning tables- adele
    delicate- damien rice
    right here- girlyman

    i’m soo into feelings through music.

    • My most recent girlfriend had a dream that she called me during a Mumford and Sons concert during “Little Lion Man” and that I didn’t pick up. Burn.

      …Slash she had that dream after I called her from a Kaki King show during the song “Sunnyside.” Bigger burn, I think, and the epitome of everything.

      “Yeah I fucked up good and well and you put me through fucking hell but good luck finding someone who can love you better than I.”

  4. out of the wilderness- the be good tanyas
    how can you mend a broken heart- al green
    the beauty of the rain- dar williams
    lately- david gray
    my heart- k’s choice

    i’m sure i’ll think of more later. but srrsly. break up season or something like that, eh?

  5. I love this list. I own almost every song on it.

    Other favorites include “Impossible” by Shontelle, “lesson learned” by Alicia Keys and “breakin up” by Rilo Kiley. Highly recommend those for when its time to go.

    • Yesss. Rilo Kiley’s “Breakin Up” is perfect post-break-up.

      That album was awful, but that song is ahhhmazing.

  6. oh mannnn. listening to music post-breakup… healing but also facilitating of The Crazy in so many ways. don’t listen to The National after a breakup unless you want to sit in your room and cry forever. (i’m thinking of many songs, but the chorus in ‘Sorrow’ is beautiful: “Don’t leave my hyper heart alone on the water // Cover me in rag and bone sympathy // ’cause I don’t wanna get over you // I don’t wanna get over you”)

    i was and will be all over this shit. but i’m more in the “finally stopped being crazy and am moving on with my life” phase. :D

    also big hugs to everyone.

    • I have definitely been that person sitting in my room and crying forever to break up mixes composed almost entirely of The National songs. “About Today” has been an official part of my relational mourning periods since at least 2006.

      Good for you on making it to the “moving on” point. High fives and new dates for you!

      • “ABOUT TODAY.” YESSS. That’s the one to sob to. Always an essential.
        I love The National so much. Glad I’m not alone! :D When my gf and I broke up, the first thing my brother said was, “Delete your texts, delete email, and don’t listen to the national.” … ha.

        And thank you! :P Sometimes I catch myself moving backwards and have to steer back on course, but it’s less frequent now. If only I could get those new dates. XD

  7. PATTY GRIFFIN. Must include Patty Griffin! Basically anything her voice has ever graced, but most especially:

    Rain
    Icicles
    Stolen Car (cover)
    Useless Desires
    When It Don’t Come Easy

    OH GOD SO GOOD. So much sobbing. So good.

  8. Konstantine – Something Corporate
    Jude Law And A Semester Abroad – Brand New
    Screaming Infidelities – Dashboard Confessional
    Fuck You – Cee-Lo Green
    Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters

  9. you guys, i’ve been making my own breakup playlist over the past year! sharing all the feelings:

    no need to argue – the cranberries
    we might as well be strangers – keane
    hunter – dido
    get gone – fiona apple
    your woman – white town
    single girls – laura jansen

    granted, i’ve finally moved past the misery of the immediate post-breakup and onto crushing on someone else, so i need a completely different playlist at the moment. BUT THIS IS GOOD, TOO.

  10. I have so, so many. But just a few off the top of my head are:

    More Adventurous – Rilo Kiley
    Almost any Sara Bareilles song (but especially Gravity, Basket Case, Hold My Heart, Breathe Again)
    Almost anything off Adele’s 21
    Ever After Happily – Jay Brannan (gay break up anthem)
    Long Long Time – Linda Ronstadt
    Fuck Was I – Jenny Owen Youngs
    Dashboard Confessional (for the especially angsty 15 year old in all of us)

    Also, fantastic break up songs en español:
    Mediocre – Ximena Sariñana
    Mientes – Camila
    Antes de las Seis – Shakira
    Lo Que Más – Shakira

  11. Honestly I just listen to a hell of a lot of Joy Division, the Cure & the Smiths whilst sitting in my room in the dark. Which of course is super healthy. And then I emerge several months later.

  12. The entire Bodytalk Pt. 3 by Robyn but most especially Call Your Girlfriend, Dancing on My Own, and Love Kills. I think the album was motivated by her breakup with her boyfriend of like 10 years. Its completely amazing.

    • Oh my god, Robyn is so ideal for post break up music. Body Talk has such a delicious bittersweet vibe to most of the tracks that is really unique in pop musc. Indestructible in particular is great for pulling out of a slump. Plus, she’s stellar live!

    • OMG YES to Robyn. Especially ‘Love Kills’, but also ‘With Every Heartbeat’ and ‘Be Mine’.

  13. *The Sour and the Sweet – Forgive Durden
    *When It Hurts Soo Bad – Lauren Hill
    *Over You – Acceptance
    *I Want What’s Bad For Me – City Lights
    *This Conversation is Over – Acceptance
    *Dueces (and the remix) – Chris Brown & Tyga (Drake, Kanye, TI, Rick Ross, Andre 3000) …I prefer the remix, but both will do.
    *Cant Be Friends – Trey Songz
    *Rise Above This – Seether

    And while i’m sure there’s more, i’m too lazy to go through ye old iTunes.

  14. How has no one mentioned the Field Mice yet?

    -The “it looks like things aren’t working” stage:
    ‘Let’s Kiss and Make Up’ http://bit.ly/hBQf46
    ‘You’re Kidding Aren’t You?’ http://bit.ly/93rKPd

    -The “oh shit, we’re actually breaking up” stage:
    ‘End of the Affair’ http://bit.ly/gAwnZ3
    ‘So said Kay’ http://bit.ly/kAOfm

    -The “I miss her so much it hurts, what have I done?” stage:
    ‘Fabulous Friend’ http://bit.ly/ofrQ1
    ‘I Can See Myself Alone Forever’ http://bit.ly/aGjw8
    ‘Emma’s House’ http://bit.ly/5NGrS

    Trust me ladies, twee was made for this <3

  15. For when you just want to cry and cry and cry and cry and cry:
    Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy
    Porcelain Doll- Megan McCauley
    Cold Cold Heart- Norah Jones

    • A Fine Frenzy…mhmmm
      NORAH JONES…. YE-AH ladyface.
      Both of her first two albums are my crying cds.
      Also, Bonnie Raitt, Billie Holiday.

      • Effffff- How did I forget Billie Holiday? Or Ella Fitzgerald?
        Definitely those two as well.

  16. Ooh, Maps. Always Maps. I was in a super-awesome-fun-time break up cycle from about September through…uhh…two weeks ago? I don’t recommend the experience, but I can recommend some more songs:

    Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone – Neutral Milk Hotel
    One More Hour – Sleater-Kinney (I listened to this song so many times. It has all the feelings in the land.)
    Run the Heart – Sleigh Bells
    About Today – The National
    Walkin’ After Midnight – Patsy Cline
    Landed – Ben Folds
    Where Did You Sleep Last Night? – Nirvana cover
    Leeds United – Amanda Palmer
    Touch Up – Mother Mother
    Polar Opposites – Modest Mouse
    Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
    Modern Romance – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
    Paper Bag – Fiona Apple
    Knife – Grizzly Bear
    Pullin’ Pullin’ – Shelley Short
    Acid Tongue – Jenny Lewis
    Goodbye – Best Coast
    Know Better Learn Faster (the entire album) – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
    Just about everything she’s ever sung – Janis Joplin

  17. For wallowing:
    So it goes – Billy Joel

    For empowering, I’m-so-over-this:
    Higher – the Saturdays
    Since U been gone – Kelly Clarkson
    F**k you – Cee Lo Green

  18. Driving North, Shipwreck, and every other song by Chris Pureka really… but those in particular are very relevant.

    And I second Patty Griffin.

    • Burning Bridges. Ohmygod. That song was on repeat through practically the entirety of my last breakup.

  19. Sarah Harmer – New Loneliness
    Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead
    Stars – One More Night
    Julie Doiron – Blue
    Julie Doiron – Heavy Snow
    MSTRKRFT – Heartbreaker
    The Stills – Still in Love
    Gentleman Reg – How We Exit
    Bright Eyes – It’s Cool, Can we still be friends
    Bright Eyes – Haligh, Haligh, a lie, haligh

    and just for fun….
    Paul Simon – 50 ways to leave your lover

    • definitely second ‘it’s cool, we can still be friends’… in fact, almost any bright eyes song is a good break up/be depressed song.

  20. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over – Jeff Buckley (x1000000)
    Somebody’s Crying – Chris Isaa
    Only You – Yaz
    Space Age Love Song – A Flock of Seagulls
    Woke Up New – The Mountain Goats
    Burning Fields – Teen Cthulhu
    Forever F–ked – Logical Nonsense
    Neon Moon – Brooks and Dunn
    Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down – Merle Haggard
    A Perfect Sonnet – Bright Eyes
    The End of the World – Skeeter Davis

    Wow, I could just go on and on.

  21. For when you’re just done – with the relationship or drama around a break up. OK, and maybe still a little bitter.

    Let Me Hold It Open – Cowboy Mouth http://amzn.to/hWiGwL “I’ve taken more than I’m gonna take / You’ve broken more than you’re gonna break / So if you want to make this mistake / Then let me hold it open for you”

    Don’t Wanna Talk – Brendan Benson http://amzn.to/hIeFgu “Don’t wanna talk now, don’t wanna know why / You say you’re lonely, well, baby, so am I / Don’t wanna hear about it, don’t want you coming round / You wanna make me weak, you wanna beat me down”

    I Believe – Chris Isaak http://bit.ly/fCwEfw “I believe that you and I just lost our way / And I believe in a beautiful day / I still believe in a beautiful day / / But not for me and not for you / I know you tried, and I tried, too / Sometimes all our dreams just don’t come true”

  22. Songs For When You Are Still Hanging on by a thread
    Patience- Guns and Roses
    Before it Breaks- Brandi Carlile

    Songs For When its Over
    Where I Stood- Missy Higgins
    I Can’t Make You Love Me- Bette Midler
    I Will- Brandi Carlile

  23. Sorry I Am – Ani DiFranco
    Skinny Love – Bon Iver
    Heart of Glass – Blondie
    Lighthouse – Chris O’Brien
    It’s Not My Fault (It’s My Fault) – Discovery
    Ghost Town – First Aid Kit
    Heartbreaker – Girls
    Remember – Lali Puna
    Elephants As Big As Whales – PlayRadioPlay!
    Gonna Get Along Without You Now – She&Him
    Just The Same But Brand New – St. Vincent
    The Strangers – St. Vincent
    Oh My God – St. Vincent
    Don’t Confess – Tegan and Sara
    Skeleton – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

  24. Crystal I don’t think I’ve told you yet how much I love these! Here are some of my favorites:

    +the early november: i want to hear you sad
    +ingrid michaelson: sort of
    +the killers: mr. brightside
    +kate nash: merry happy
    +third eye blind: blinded
    +cat power: good woman
    +william fitzsimmons: i don’t feel it anymore
    +damien rice: rootless tree
    +counting crows: holiday in spain
    +patrick wolf: the libertine

    • <3 Ingrid!

      Just wanted to share a few (that aren't already on the list – jesus I'm predictable…)from my recently formed breakup/no fucks to give playlist:

      When You're Around – Motion City Soundtrack
      Gives You Hell – All American Rejects
      Our Hearts are Wrong – Jessica Lea Mayfield
      Not Ready to Make Nice – Dixie Chicks
      Tears Dry on Their Own – Amy Winehouse
      Rumour Has It – Adele
      Miss You – Schuyler Fisk

  25. I have so many feeling re: Not In Love ft Robert Smith. Like. Shit. I can’t even. So thank you for reading my heart and including that.

    The #1 Song I Have The Most Feelings About That You Did Not Include would be “High and Dry” by motherfucking Radiohead.

    “All your insides fall to pieces, you just sit there wishing you could still make love…best thing that you ever had has gone away.” (Yes I may have cried to this song 2398787439 times and bought the Amanda F*cking Palmer cover so I could cry twice as much.)

    And then lots of The Cure/The Smiths/Radiohead/Death Cab For Cutie/Mumford & Sons in general

  26. this is such a good mix! definitely have some to add though…. What is it with all these “FEELINGS” ?!

    3 Rounds and a Sound- Blind Pilot
    It’s Okay – Land of Talk (the saddest song I know)
    Kiss With a Fist- Florence + The Machine
    Fuck Was I – Jenny Owen Youngs
    Does This Mean You’re Moving On? – The Airborne Toxic Event
    Fuck You! – Cee-Lo Green (crucial)
    Gotta Have You – The Weepies

  27. I get extra mileage playing along to songs on my guitar – feels more self-expressive and involved, or something. Not that I’ve had a breakup/relationship/whatever in awhile…

    Surprised I didn’t see Damien Rice – Cannonball anywhere! (or I just missed it?) If you haven’t heard Chelsea Williams’ cover, it’s on youtube.

    Tori Amos – A Sorta Fairytale (yeah, this)
    The Fray – Heartless (if it was that kind of situation)
    Sia – Breathe Me (when I’m feeling vulnerable)

    Also this song called “World With Me” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii9LbUTmWPo). Not a breakup song really, but it just calms me and always brings me to the understanding that nothing lasts forever, but that’s okay. And life really is complicated!

  28. oh this playlist…oh the feelings…OH THE FEELINGS OF THIS PLAYLIST.

    here are my 2cents:

    Agua de Annique – Wonder
    Anathema – Electricity
    Anathema – A Natural Disaster
    Antimatter – The Last Laugh
    Blackfield – Where Is My Love?
    Blackfield – Miss U
    The Cranberries – Daffodil Lament
    The Gathering – Saturnine
    The Gathering – Alone
    Katatonia – Dissolving Bonds
    Klimt 1918 – Just An Interlude In Your Life
    Lacuna Coil – Purify
    Lacuna Coil – The Last Goodbye

    a couple in italiano that i adore:
    Giusy Ferreri – Stai Fermo Lì
    Mina – Non Credere

    …but if i’m being honest – the winner of my playlist is THIS >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkHOVJINRD8 (heyyyyy)

  29. “Clean Break” – Jenny Owens Young
    “Call It Off” – Tegan and Sara
    “She Sends Kisses” – The Wrens
    “Dancing On My Own” – Robyn
    “She’s Got You” – Patsy Cline

  30. A few to add:

    50 ways to leave your lover – Paul Simon
    Don’t Speak – No Doubt
    Ex-Girlfriend – No Doubt
    I Don’t Care Anymore – Phil Collins / Genesis
    In the Air of the Night – Phil Collins / Genesis
    In my Life – Beatles
    Vincent – Don McClean
    Tonight’s the Heartache’s on Me – Dixie Chicks

  31. ‘good woman’ by cat power
    ‘make war’ bright eyes
    all the tegan and sara songs
    all the bon iver
    ‘bird stealing bread’ by iron & wine
    90% of my itunes

  32. 1. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    2. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    3. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    4. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    5. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    6. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    7. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off
    8. Tegan and Sara – Call It Off

    etc

  33. For the mournful, still-moping phase:
    Nina Simone – Ne Me Quitte Pas
    Chris Pureka – Burning Bridges
    Les Nubians – Amour à mort
    Ben Harper – Walk Away
    Lauryn Hill – Ex-factor
    Stars – One More Night
    Lucero – Nights Like These
    Pine Hill Haints – The Whiskey Broke My Fall
    Billie Holiday – Good Morning Heartache

    For the upbeat, I-don’t-need-you-anyway phase:
    The Streets – Dry Your Eyes
    Nelly Furtado – All Good Things (Come to an End)
    Justin Timberlake – What Comes Around
    Incubus – Nice To Know You *don’t judge*
    Basement Jaxx – Good Luck
    Norah Jones – Don’t Miss You At All
    Aretha Franklin – I Will Survive
    Nina Simone – Feeling Good

    I feel like these song titles narrate the story of my most recent breakup.

  34. I don’t bother separating out the different kinds of break-up songs because my emotions swing so wildly from one minute to the next (especially right after), it’s all relevent!

    Neptune – SJ Tucker
    Shouganai Yume Oibito – Morning Musume.
    Syabondama – Morning Musume.
    All of Me – Ai Kago
    Untouchable Face – Ani DiFranco
    Adam and Eve – Ani DiFranco
    Sorry I Am – Ani DiFranco
    I Love Myself Today – Bif Naked
    Mine – Bonnie McKee
    Thunder – Bonnie McKee
    Sensitive Subject Matter – Bonnie McKee
    I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt
    Making Circles – Christian Kane
    Jar of Hearts – Christina Perry
    Too Fast For Love – The Donnas
    Shadowboxer – Fiona Apple
    You Look So Fine – Garbage
    Stupid Girl – Garbage
    Special – Garbage
    Redundant – Green Day
    One of These Days – Imani Coppola
    I Let You Go – Iona Leigh
    Over You – Jasmin Tabatabai
    Lie to Me – Johnny Lang
    Crying – kd lang (prefereably the Live By Request version)
    Nicest Thing – Kate Nash
    My Beautiful – Lennon
    Smile – Lily Allen
    Love Me Dead – Ludo
    She’s My Alcatraz – The Mr. T Experience
    Love is Dead – The Mr. T Experience
    New Girlfriend – The Mr. T Experience
    Self-Esteem – The Offspring
    For What It’s Worth – Placebo
    Without You I’m Nothing – Placebo
    Every You Every Me – Placebo
    Fall Back Down – Rancid
    You Don’t Own Me – Rasputina
    Gravity – Sara Bareilles
    I Don’t Wanna Be Friends – Screeching Weasel
    Don’t Get My Hopes Up – SJ Tucker
    Fell On Black Days – Soundgarden
    Loves Me Not – Tatu
    You Went Away – Tegan & Sara

  35. Also, do any of you lovely musically-inclined peeps use last.fm? You set up a profile and it imports the listens in your library (itunes/ipod) and charts what you listen to most and gives you recommendations, then shows you your musical compatibility with other users. My favorite thing it does is give you information on artists when you are listening, helps you clean up your tags etc etc etc. It also streams a radio customized by the music you listen to (I think this function now costs dollas but everything else is free and it does a lot). Anyways, it’s like facebook for music. So yeah. Pretty rad.
    Add me stef_bot

    xo!

  36. Saddest songs!

    Hands down-Dashboard Confessional
    A Perfect Sonnet-Bright Eyes
    Carry Me Ohio-Sun Kil Moon
    Heartbeats-José González
    Your Song-Ellie Goulding
    I’ve Been Eating (For You)-Bright Eyes
    Title and Registration-Death Cab for Cutie
    Almost Lover-A Fine Frenzy
    Falling Out of Love (With You)-The 6ths
    Someone Like You-Adele
    To Be Alone With You-Sufjan Stevens
    Love Is A Losing Game (Original Demo)-Amy Winehouse
    Sad Eyes-Bat For Lashes
    Maps-Yeah Yeah Yeahs
    Hide Your Tears-Dylan Thomas Band
    Leaving You Behind (Feat. Lykke Li)-Amanda Blank
    Mad World-Gary Jules
    Where is My Love-Cat Power
    Needle In The Hay-Elliott Smith
    Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want This Time-The Smiths
    Let It Die-Feist
    Last Goodbye-Jeff Buckley
    Ex-Factor-Lauryn Hill
    Love Will Tear Us Apart-Worm Is Green
    What It Is-Amy Winehouse

    (Hopefully it actually posts this time)

  37. Sad songs!
    Hands down-Dashboard Confessional
    A Perfect Sonnet-Bright Eyes
    Carry Me Ohio-Sun Kil Moon
    Heartbeats-José González
    Your Song-Ellie Goulding
    I’ve Been Eating (For You)-Bright Eyes
    Title and Registration-Death Cab for Cutie
    Almost Lover-A Fine Frenzy
    Falling Out of Love (With You)-The 6ths
    Someone Like You-Adele
    To Be Alone With You-Sufjan Stevens
    Love Is A Losing Game (Original Demo)-Amy Winehouse
    Sad Eyes-Bat For Lashes
    Maps-Yeah Yeah Yeahs
    Hide Your Tears-Dylan Thomas Band
    Leaving You Behind (Feat. Lykke Li)-Amanda Blank
    Mad World-Gary Jules
    Where is My Love-Cat Power
    Needle In The Hay-Elliott Smith
    Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want This Time-The Smiths
    Let It Die-Feist
    Last Goodbye-Jeff Buckley
    Ex-Factor-Lauryn Hill
    Love Will Tear Us Apart-Worm Is Green
    What It Is-Amy Winehouse

  38. This is what I listened to when my relationship with the first (and only) person I have ever been in love with ended last year –

    – The Cure – The End of the World
    – Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
    – Billie Holiday – Lady Sings the Blues / Stormy Weather
    – Nina Simone – Lilac Wine
    – Joni Mitchell – A Case of You
    – Sia – Death By Chocolate
    – Tegan & Sarah ft. Tiesto – Feel It In My Bones
    – K.D. Lang – Season of Hollow Soul
    – Bryan Ferry – These Foolish Things (I can’t believe I just admitted that, even on the internet)
    – Lykke Li – Until We Bleed
    – Bjork – Immature & 5 Years
    – the xx – Shelter

    In other news, I still can’t quite believe I’ll ever fall in love again. Sigh.

    • +

      – Joan Baez ft. Bob Dylan – Love Is Just a Four Letter Word
      – Robyn – Love Kills
      – Bob Dylan – Sarah

  39. ALL k.d.lang.
    But the ultimate album for all facets of a break-up is Last Night On Earth by Noah & The Whale.
    You will cry buckets, but the music makes you feel better.
    Also Simple Things by Joshua Radin. Or at least most of it.
    And You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene.
    And the soundtrack to Submarine by Alex Turner.
    + Most Tegan & Sara, Lykke Li, Will Young and the xx’s album.

    And on another note, I am pro as hell at wailing out ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele.

  40. May I congradulate all of you on your excellent choices in music. I have already spent a significant amount of time on this page listening to the mixture of awesome old songs/fabulous new songs. I may have to mark this page as a favorite simply to listen to every playlist that has been thrown out.
    While I could spent hours alone constructing a playlist of my own, I will simply leave you all with…

    John Mayer – Slow Dancing In A Burning Room *excitement*

  41. Def some:

    The Ocean – Tegan and Sara
    Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
    Make You Feel My Love – Adele
    Love Your Memory – Miranda Lambert
    Strange and Beautiful – Aqualung
    Stay or Leave – Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
    Let It Be Me – Ray LaMontagne
    Blowers Daughter – Damian Rice
    Home to Me – Josh Kelley
    Cross My Mind – Jill Scott
    So What – Ani Difranco
    Sometime Around Midnight – Airborne Toxic Event
    I Just Dont Think I’ll Ever Get Over You – Colin Hay
    Arms of a Woman – Amos Lee

    :(

  42. Oooo…. So many amazing songs already, I don’t think these have been mentioned yet…

    Kaki King- Everything Has An End, Even Sadness
    The BoatPeople- Bulletproof (I love this cover!!)

  43. Okay, so. I am simultaneously miserable and glad that this exists.

    –The entire album of Junior by Kaki King. PERFECT. As stated in a previous comment, I called my ex- during “Sunnyside” because I am a dreadful human being.

    –The entire XX album takes me from beginning to end of my most recent relationship, and I’m not sure whether or not that merits happiness or vomit.

    I HAVE TRAWLED THE OCEANS OF THIS POST AND NO ONE HAS MENTIONED CAKE’S COVER OF “I WILL SURVIVE.” This cannot stand. I think I listened to that song 50 times in the 3 weeks after I was dumped last time.

    Break up songs are good for the soul. You will survive. <3

    • Agreed on everything… Sunnyside sometimes hurts to listen to…. But I love the song… And Kaki King… If you are reading, I love you too….

  44. I finally joined this site after months of lurking just to post in this thread cause I have many feelings, and sometimes these feelings just need to be let out.

    Bookends-Simon & Garfunkel
    Sorrow-The National
    First Days of Spring-Noah and the Whale
    Sigh No More-Mumford & Sons
    Roads-Portishead
    I’ll Be Seeing You-Billie Holiday
    Slow Show-The National
    Coffee & Cigarettes-Michelle Featherstone
    Black-Pearl Jam
    Only(Richard X Remix)-Nine Inch Nails
    Falling-Florence & the Machine
    The Greatest-Cat Power
    Standing in the Way of Control(Soulwax Nite Version Mix)-Gossip
    Paint the Silence-South
    Cry Me a River-Julie London
    I’m Sorry, But I’m Beginning to Hate Your Face-Eagle Seagull
    Chinese Translation-M. Ward
    In Every Sunflower-Bell X1
    Blue Skies-Noah and the Whale
    After the Storm-Mumford & Sons
    5 Years Time-Noah and the Whale
    A Safe Place-Animal Hospital

    They’re a mix of different post-break up feelings. Songs to cry to, to mourn to, to get angry to, to get shitfaced to, and to inspire you, and to move on.

    Speaking of inspiring can the next playlist be about new love, first date or something along those lines? :D

  45. Um I’m coming into this conversation way late but anything by the Magnetic Fields. ANYTHINGGGG. I’m going to try to sleep this off.

  46. ∆ Some Devil by Dave Mathews – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhbzoltxZms
    ∆ Colorblind by Counting Crows – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0s7ycdUcHk
    ∆ ANYTHING by Will Bevan .. http://youtu.be/x4B0yj15FPw or http://youtu.be/j5yP-lfj_wU
    ∆ Flying Lotus http://youtu.be/RXwOsYZhbGY

    ∆ Beneficial herbs by Kasbian
    ∆ Into dust Mazzy Starr
    ∆ Another world or Hope there’s someone – antony and the johnsons
    ∆ Just another Pete Yorn
    ∆ Hands Clean – Alanis

Comments are closed.