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Grab some tissues — you're going to need them. Join us as we count down our picks for the most heartbreaking and melancholic tunes from the world of rock! From gut-wrenching ballads to deeply personal anthems, these songs have moved generations of listeners to tears. Do any of these hold a special place in your heart? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Oh Beth, what can I do? Beth, what can I do?
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be counting down our picks for the most melancholic tunes from the world of
00:14rock.
00:14Oh man, watch the flag tattoo every day.
00:20Number 19. Borderline, Thin Lizzy.
00:25Midnight in the big city.
00:32The music of Ireland's Thin Lizzy has always retained a certain emotional resonance that felt different from their 1970s arena
00:40rock contemporaries.
00:41This was thanks largely to the sensitive lyricism that was often present within the lyrics of frontman Phil Lynott.
00:48This could be seen on classic Lizzy tunes like Still In Love With You, as well as on Borderline.
00:54Back on the borderline, one more time.
01:00This latter tune was taken from Lizzy's follow-up to their gold-selling jailbreak LP, Johnny the Fox, and tells
01:07the tale of a lovelorn and despondent man drinking away his sorrows.
01:11This melancholic song couldn't feel more removed from the bravado and machismo of 70s radio rock, and this distinction helps
01:19make Borderline feel like a fresh listen, even today.
01:22Back on the borderline, one more time.
01:29Number 18. One More Light, Linkin Park.
01:33Should have stayed, were the signs I ignored.
01:41The demise of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington shortly after the release of this seventh studio album made One More
01:48Light feel almost like a coda of sorts for fans.
01:52Followers of this formative rap metal group that were devastated by Bennington's death felt even more troubled after listening to
01:59how One More Light directly referenced the subject of self-destruction.
02:09Friends, fans, and family alike were left with emotions that were likely difficult to process, although the healing power of
02:16music also probably helped One More Light lift those same fans up a bit from their sorrow.
02:21Who cares if One More Light goes out?
02:26Well, I do.
02:30Number 17. Wake Me Up When September Ends.
02:35Green Day.
02:36Summer has come and passed.
02:40The innocent can never last.
02:44The medium of music video can have a huge impact with how we process certain songs and how they make
02:51us feel.
02:52Wake Me Up When September Ends was notable for having an incredibly sad music video, one that deals with a
02:57young man heading off to war and the love he leaves behind at home.
03:09The reality behind this Green Day hit was equally sad, however, since Wake Me Up When September Ends was actually
03:16written about the death of Billy Joe Armstrong's father.
03:18This makes the song hit fans on a number of different levels.
03:22Wake Me Up When September Ends.
03:39It was a popular prom theme back in the 1970s, despite lyrics choices that feel anything but romantic.
03:46Love Hurts was originally by the Everly Brothers and received the cover treatment from artists like Roy Orbison and Graham
03:52Parsons before the Scottish rock group Nazareth arranged it into a power ballad for the ages.
04:05It's a song that states in no uncertain terms how long heartbreak can take to heal and how much pain
04:12breakups can cause both individuals in a relationship.
04:15Sure, Nazareth's version of Love Hurts may have also served up an opportunity for prom attendees to get a little
04:22closer to their dates, but make no mistake, this tune's a weeper.
04:49The situation with Soundgarden's Fell on Black Days feels similar to that of One More Light by Lincoln Park.
04:56specifically how both tunes feel confessional in tone.
05:00Both bands lost their singers under tragic circumstances
05:03with Fell on Black Days dealing specifically with mental health struggles and depression.
05:08Today, this Soundgarden song almost comes across like a cry for help
05:13from the group's frontman, Chris Cornell,
05:15a sentiment that's unfortunately shared by many of the band's fans around the world.
05:27We're hoping that somebody out there can find some comfort within the music
05:31that Soundgarden decided to share with the world.
05:34Oh, I know that this could be my, be my fate.
05:42Number 14, Soldier of Fortune, Deep Purple.
05:47I have often told you stories about the way.
05:54The Mark III era of Deep Purple was notable for the inclusion
05:58of future Whitesnake singer David Coverdale within their ranks.
06:02The music crafted by Purple during this era wasn't glam or hair metal, however,
06:07but instead could be marked by some real pathos and emotion,
06:10such as on this closing track of their 1974 album, Stormbringer.
06:15Though blindness is confusing, it shows that you're not here.
06:22Soldier of Fortune makes the most not only of Coverdale's sensitive, bluesy voice,
06:27but also of guitarist Richie Blackmore's generational guitar talents.
06:31It's a weary and sad tune about getting older, feeling forgotten,
06:36and lost in a world where one no longer knows their place.
06:40At the same time, however, we can't help but return to this place of sorrow
06:44every time we revisit Mark III era Purple's greatness.
06:49Guess I'll always be a soldier of fortune.
06:55Number 13, Space Divest, Dream Theater.
07:00I've been falling through beaches and mountains,
07:03I've been just playing my heart all west.
07:09The progressive metal titans in Dream Theater didn't play Space Divest for years
07:14after the departure of that song's composer, Kevin Moore, back in 1994.
07:19Now, the reasons for this may have been how personal Space Divest felt to Moore as a songwriter,
07:24but there's also no denying how this song also evokes so many frequently sad emotions.
07:30There's no one to take my blame if they wanted to.
07:37The experimental nature of Space Divest utilizes spoken word samples to interesting effect,
07:43but it's more how Moore's evocative piano playing melds with vocalist James Labrie's palpably tender vocals.
07:50Then there's that closing coda of Space Divest,
07:54as Synthesizer flourishes turn what's already a great song into one of DT's all-time classics.
08:00And I'll never be young again
08:08Number 12, The Living Years, Mike and the Mechanics
08:12Every generation
08:18Blames the one before
08:21There's no denying how Mike Rutherford's great looping guitar lick
08:25assists The Living Years from Mike and the Mechanics
08:27in being one of the 1980s' most awesomely underrated tunes.
08:32Beyond this, however, it's also how The Living Years speaks so poignantly
08:36about heavy subjects within its lyrics.
08:38Subjects like regret and anger about
08:40not patching up an estranged relationship in time before that person passes away.
08:52This brings up emotions about being left behind,
08:55about how we become distanced from those friends or family that once meant so much.
09:00Mike and the Mechanics had something to say with this one,
09:03and a lot of people seemed to be listening.
09:12Number 11, Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton
09:27It's the song we honestly wish was never written.
09:31We say this because the inspiration behind its composition is just so terribly tragic and sad
09:36that it barely seems plausible.
09:39The death of Eric Clapton's young son, Connor, made headlines around the world.
09:43But it's how the guitarist makes his instrument cry in this song that makes us shed real tears.
09:49Time to bring it up
09:52Time to bring it up
09:57Meanwhile, the lyrics for Tears in Heaven speak to just how unfair it is
10:02that Connor Clapton's life didn't get a chance to begin
10:04before it ended in the blink of an eye.
10:07There will probably be few ballots as sad as this one to come down the pipeline.
10:11And for that, we're actually pretty grateful.
10:23Number 10, Nothing Else Matters
10:27Metallica
10:28The word sad can mean a lot of things, as we'll see throughout this list.
10:40In the case of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, sadness is evoked in a way best called contemplative.
10:47The song's open construction is of the barest bones variety, utilizing an open string arpeggio
10:54that can basically be played by anyone.
11:04However, it's how the arrangement flourishes as the song goes on
11:09that allows Nothing Else Matters to connect with its audience.
11:13The orchestral accompaniment by composer Michael Kamen
11:16underscores this song's emotional core of yearning and desperation,
11:21while songwriter James Hetfield undertakes a rare outing on lead guitar.
11:33It's subtle, but wonderful stuff.
11:37Number 9, Nutshell
11:39Alice in Chains
11:40And what's almost certainly a tragic theme running through this video,
11:54here we have yet another example of a modern rock frontman dying before their time,
11:59and a tune left behind to remind fans of what they lost.
12:03Nutshell spoke directly to Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley's struggles with substance use disorder,
12:09while also opening up about other mental health issues, such as depression.
12:19The song's dark atmosphere and almost oppressive vibe allows for Nutshell to wash over the listener,
12:26serving as either a cautionary tale or source of comfort for those dealing with similar issues.
12:32If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead.
12:40Number 8, Last Kiss, Pearl Jam
12:44Where or where can my baby be?
12:48The Lord's a call if I'm here.
12:52It had been a while since a fatalistic song like Last Kiss had hit the airwaves back in 1999 when
12:59Pearl Jam covered it.
13:00We're out on the date of my daddy's car
13:03We had to travel very far
13:06This 1961 tune from soul rocker Wayne Cochran
13:10was a crowning jewel from the teenage tragedy songs of its day,
13:14a la Leader of the Pack.
13:20Pearl Jam's version retains this raw desperation of a car ride gone horribly, horribly wrong,
13:27particularly within the vocal delivery of lead singer Eddie Vedder.
13:31The lyrical material may be morbid and depressing, but that is typical with this type of song,
13:37and Pearl Jam nails the sincerity required to make their take on Last Kiss feel enduring and vital.
13:46So I've got to be gone
13:48So I can see my baby when I leave this world
13:53Number 7, Everybody Hurts, R.E.M.
13:58It's a chorus that everyone knows and to which all can relate.
14:03When your day is small
14:08In the night
14:11Everybody Hurts from R.E.M.
14:13Everybody Hurts from R.E.M. was one of those songs from Alternative Rock's Halcyon Era
14:16that felt like it was everywhere, and with good reason.
14:20Don't let yourself go
14:24The tune captures the 90s grunge and college rock crowd's desire for musical sincerity,
14:31particularly in the wake of the comparatively vapid, emotionally nebulous power ballads of the 1980s.
14:41Everybody Hurts just strikes a resonant chord within us, uniting listeners via its melodicism and poignant lyrics.
14:51It's arguably the best-known hit from R.E.M., and this definitely isn't a bad thing.
14:57So hold on, hold on
15:02Number 6, My Immortal, Evanescence
15:07I'm so tired of being here
15:10It ultimately doesn't really matter if you're listening to the demo version of My Immortal by Evanescence
15:17that appeared on their debut album Fallen, or the re-recorded band version.
15:22Both tunes will make you cry.
15:24These wounds won't seem to heal
15:27This pain is just too real
15:30This is a foregone conclusion, and one that seemed to follow around My Immortal since it first hit airwaves back
15:37in 2003.
15:38It's the impassioned vocals of lead singer and songwriter Amy Lee that seemed to connect with audiences.
15:45You cried a light, wipe away all of your tears
15:50This is a feat at which Lee always excelled, and My Immortal's rather stark arrangements allow the richness of her
15:57voice to shine through.
15:59Meanwhile, the band version rocks out near the end for a little emotional release, but both versions of My Immortal
16:06contain plenty of pathos.
16:13Number 5
16:14Rainbow Eyes, Rainbow
16:17The voice of Ronnie James Dio is much missed by the heavy metal community.
16:27This is thanks largely to his ability to alternate easily between power, passion, and tenderness.
16:34Rainbow Eyes is perhaps Dio's most poignantly fragile vocal performance, and a highlight from his career with 70s rock legends,
16:43Rainbow.
16:48The song possesses great guitar work from Richie Blackmore and some wonderful orchestration, but who are we kidding?
16:55This is The Dio Show, full stop.
17:04The man's tender singing lends some emotional heft to Rainbow Eyes, and makes it stand out from so many other
17:11classic rock songs of the day.
17:13We just can't make it through this one without some waterworks happening, and we're okay with that.
17:24Number 4
17:26Landslide
17:27Fleetwood Mac
17:28This song just grabs and holds on to the listener right from Lindsey Buckingham's opening guitar work.
17:34I took my love, took it down
17:37Fleetwood Mac's Landslide is one of those songs where the guitar playing is just magically melancholic, a folky rootsiness that
17:45feels at one with the earth, as well as our deepest emotions.
17:49And I saw my reflection in snow covered hills
17:55The live version from 1995's The Dance is honestly even better, perhaps because of emotional hindsight and age, but also
18:04due to the talent of both Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
18:07Well, I've been afraid of changing
18:12The latter's lyrical poignancy is palpable, while the song's rhythmless arrangements never take away from just how powerful Landslide still
18:21feels so many years later.
18:23A landslide
18:26Bring it down
18:29Number 3
18:31Hurt
18:31Nine Inch Nails
18:33There's no denying that Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt from 2002 was a transformative, powerful version of this song from
18:42Nine Inch Nails.
18:43I hurt myself today
18:47Yet, there's a darkness at play within Trent Reznor's original that remains unique.
18:59Reznor managed to make the industrial music genre sound commercially viable, which is no mean feat.
19:05He did so through songs like Hurt, a grand and evocative ballad that sounds practically cinematic in scope.
19:12Reznor sounds intentionally vulnerable, while the creepy piano accompaniment lends Hurt a vibe all its own.
19:20If you could have it all
19:25There's nothing fake about this one, and Hurt hits those raw notes within us all.
19:37Number 2
19:38The Show Must Go On
19:40Queen
19:42Queen demonstrated their emotional mettle with grand movie score ballads like Who Wants To Live Forever,
19:48and The Show Must Go On feels the most confessional.
19:57This was a song written and recorded near the end of Freddie Mercury's life, and the band seems very aware
20:03of this fact.
20:04As a result, The Show Must Go On feels simultaneously celebratory, reflective, and tragic.
20:17Mercury's vocal in particular sounds ragged in the best possible way, a powerful performance from a dying man still very
20:25much in charge of his talents.
20:31It's virtually impossible to not get choked up listening to The Show Must Go On, especially knowing the struggles through
20:39which Mercury was going during its recording.
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21:021.
21:04Hallelujah
21:05Jeff Buckley
21:06The Bloom wasn't yet off the rose for the seemingly endless covers of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah back in 1994 when
21:15Jeff Buckley released his definitive version.
21:20The song's remarkable melancholy hadn't yet been discovered by the masses at this point, and this makes Buckley's performance feel,
21:29pardon the pun, like a secret.
21:36Of course, the real tragedy of Buckley dying young makes his Hallelujah feel even more fatalistic.
21:44But we honestly wouldn't still be talking about Jeff Buckley if he wasn't great.
21:56Comparisons have been made between Buckley and another lost young talent, Nick Drake, and they're easy to understand.
22:02That said, Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah stands on its own two creative feet with strength, power, and yes, sadness.
22:17Do any of these songs retain any special significance for you?
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