Broken heart song

Greatest Breakup Songs of all time

From distraught soul singers to rockers ready to burn love to the ground, these are the best brokenhearted songs ever written.

Like the jaded evil twins of love songs, breakup anthems run the full gamut of emotion. Sadness and grief, sure, but like the events that inspire them, breakup songs come in all flavors. Some are rightous cries of joy following the end of a rough union. Others are pensive meditations on human connection. And some just want to burn the very concept of love to the ground.

The best breakup songs ever, ranked

• “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
• “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Elliott Smith
• “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
• “Neither One of Us” by Gladys Knight & the Pips
• “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” by the Righteous Brothers
• “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
• “Someone Like You” by Adele
• “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande
• “The Tracks of My Tears” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
• “Ex-Factor” by Lauryn Hill
• “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette
• “It’s Too Late””by Carole King
• “Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Pain In My Heart” by Otis Redding
• “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
• “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” by Al Green
• “Tangled Up in Blue” by Bob Dylan
• “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” by Leonard Cohen
• “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé
• “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift
• “Always on My Mind” by Willie Nelson
• “Crying” by Roy Orbison
• “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt
• “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” by the White Stripes
• “Without You” by Harry Nilsson