Yahoo Lifestyle The Ultimate Sad Girl Playlist for When You Need a Good Cry
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You, my friend, are in need of a good cry. Instead of doom-scrolling social media, let's let some songs help us through it. It's absolutely no secret that the last two three several years have been intense, and that's me being generous—which means you obviously need a sad song playlist to get you in your feels and help you stay there until it's all better. Or, at least, until you're on the path to feeling better. When it feels like life kicked you in the teeth in a major way (#relatable #everyday #whenisitfriday), sometimes it helps to let it all out before you figure out how best to proceed.
And the good news? You don't even need to search Spotify, inevitably stumbling across two to three mediocre sad-girl playlists maximum, because we have one riiiight here that's 100 percent tested and guaranteed to make the tears flow. We've got the latest, just-released angsty jams—turns out COVID-19 gave singers a lot of material to work with—but we've also got the classics on here that have been making you weep for literally years. Yes, of course Adele is on here, how could you even doubt it?
So draw the curtains, curl up under the covers with your favorite stuffed animal, and have a packet of Kleenex at the ready—these sad songs are about to take you on an emotional, sob-filled rollercoaster ride. Bonus: Text a friend and have them join in on the sing-along cryfest. You're welcome.
"Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell
Nobody is doing it for girls who need to cry like Joni. She taught Emma Thompson in Love Actually how to feel. She did that!
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"ceilings" by Lizzy McAlpine
Lizzy McAlpine has been dominating the sad girl music scene for a while now. And while this song has become sort of joyful thanks to TikTok, it's still really friggin' sad. It's still about a relationship that's over and imagining something that is no longer real in the present
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"In The Kitchen" by Renee Rapp
This song has a good dose of sad sad: "So I'll dance with your ghost in the living room/And I'll play the piano alone/But I'm too scared to delete all our videos/'Cause it's real once everyone knows" and angry sad: "Ain't it funny how time shows you, you know nothing/'Cause I used to love you, but now you're dead to me/Strangers to lovers to enemies." That makes it kind of the perfect breakup song.
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"Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day
People looooove to make jokes about this song. You know, the "it's October 1, tell Billie Joe Armstrong to wake up" jokes? That's lowkey rude IMHO. This is a song about how depressing the anniversary of a traumatic event is. Sometimes all it takes to remind you of something horrible is a crisp in the air. It's not about taking a nap.
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"Hang Me, Oh Hang Me"
Inside Llewyn Davis is a sad movie about a sad folk musician played by a sad Oscar Isaac singing sad songs. And you can listen to those sad songs whenever you want. This one is particularly dark, as you may have guessed from the title.
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"Matilda" by Harry Styles
It's a sad song that tells a sad story that's not about romantic heartbreak, necessarily, but about the heartbreak one might feel from family and childhood trauma. Does it make it a little less sad to think about how it may be inspired by the Roald Dahl book? Not really! That girl had a sad life! Everybody say "thank you, Harry."
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"Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton
Now THIS sad song is for belting along. Try and not to, I dare ya.
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"Cathedrals" by Jump, Little Children
This slow, moody little song understands how tired you are when you're sad. It's exhausting. It feels like walking through ruins. It's that "feeling that you should just go home" that feels like relief and defeat at the same time.
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"Easy on Me" by Adele
Don't let the title fool you. Adele's telling her son about why his parents divorced, and everyone on the planet heard the lyrics and immediately burst into tears. It's effective.
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"The Luckiest" by Ben Folds
I mean, this is definitely about loving someone desperately, but it's also about what your life would be if you didn't have them and all the screw-ups that led you to this moment. (deep shuddering sob)
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"Birthday Cake" by Dylan Conrique
This song is actually drawn from real-life (a friend's mom died from cervical cancer). And it is just as much of a gut punch as you think it's gonna be.
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"hope ur ok" by Olivia Rodrigo
Sour is full of teenage rage anthems... and then all of a sudden on the last track, she becomes a geriatric millennial sipping wine, scrolling Facebook, and thinking about the friends she lost touch with. It's so sad. It's so sweet. Many tears.
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"New Year's Day" by Taylor Swift
Nobody:
You: Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I would recognize anywhere.
Me: 😭
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"It'll Be Okay" by Shawn Mendes
I mean, it's probably not a coincidence Shawn came out with this right after he broke up with Camila Cabello, since this song discusses the possibility of ending a romantic relationship. "I will love you either way." Immediate recipe to burst into tears.
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"Glimpse of Us" by Joji
Have you ever broken up with someone, started seeing someone new, and not been able to get your ex out of your mind? This basically captures it perfectly.
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"See Her Smile" From 'tick, tick... BOOM!'
This song from the off-Broadway musical tick, tick...BOOM was not included in the 2021 film, and yes I will be forever bitter that I never got to hear Andrew Garfield go full emo with this one. But I digress. It's a sad song about how you feel helpless when someone you love is hurting and you can't do anything about it.
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"Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog
Why is this tiny green muppet making me CRY????? I'm kind of enamored with secretly depressing songs that you might not know are sad unless you really listen to the lyrics. This is one of the best. It's a sad sneak attack.
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"Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
This one goes out to all the depressed extroverts out there and the popular and/or perpetually happy kids who are hurting inside. Burnt out from putting on a brave face? Belt this song out.
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"Baby Mine" From 'Dumbo'
There are a lot of sad Disney songs, but this lullaby takes the cake.
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"Stormy Weather" by Etta James
Etta James is one of the most indulgent, emotional performers. She's perfect for wallowing in your biggest feelings. Even "At Last," her most famous song, sounds sad even though it's technically a happy song. But "Stormy Weather" is for sure sad. It's the musical equivalent of a big, healing cry session.
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"The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel
This song's for when you're sad but like... functioning enough to go journal in a coffee shop in the hopes it makes you feel better.
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"Not a Day Goes By (Reprise)" by Stephen Sondheim
The late composer was known for writing show tunes that hit our most sorrowful emotions with razor-sharp precision. But while you may know "Send in the Clowns" or "Being Alive" (thank you, Adam Driver), I want to call out a deeper cut. This song is about the moment you realize it's actually really effing hard to get over someone. That specific pain is the worst. And if musicals aren't your thing, here's indie songwriter Eleri Ward's haunting cover.
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"Stay" by Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko
Bringing out the big guns, obviously. Chances are you've cried to this song *at least* once, don't even lie.
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"Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera
Literally rip my heart out and throw it on the floor because I cannot deal with how gut-wrenching this iconic duet is. Reduce me to a puddle, why don't you!
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"Small Bump" by Ed Sheeran
You've heard "The A Team," and yes, that one was beyond sad. But Ed singing from the perspective of a couple who suffered a miscarriage? That's next level sad.
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"Buy the Stars" by MARINA
Perhaps one of the most underrated pop stars of our generation (and that is no exaggeration), MARINA is excellent at delivering music that pulls on your heartstrings. "Buy the Stars" is no exception—try to keep your composure at the 2:40 mark, I dare you.
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"Old Money" by Lana Del Rey
Lana has a way of putting even the baddest of bitches in their feelings. I mean, how could she not when she sounds like an actual angel descending from the heavens while singing this tearful ballad? Asking for a friend.
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"I'll Never Love Again" by Lady Gaga
If you're like me, hearing this at the end of A Star Is Born left you a soppy, wet-faced mess in the back of the theater. Won't spoil it for those who have yet to watch, but uh...yeah, you'll be messed up for days weeks months after the end credits roll.
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"26" by Paramore
For those though days in your 20s where life is unexplainably hard and you desperately crave the sweeter, carefree moments of your childhood. 😞
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"Stay" by Miley Cyrus
We included "Stay" in our list of Miley's best songs for a reason (because it slaps). It was criminally underrated then, is criminally underrated now, and deserves your sad girl energy more than ever.
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"Lithium" by Evanescence
The geniuses behind "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal" created yet another golden track to accompany your existential dread. The push and pull of fighting with your sorrows? Now that's what I call Relatable™.
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"Ruby" by Foster the People
"Happiness ain't free/ Everybody fights just like me" honestly hits real different after a 3 AM weeping sesh.
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"Casanova" by Allie X
Poured the entirety of your soul into a person who chewed you up and spit you out? This song is exactly what your exhausted heart needs.
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"everything i wanted" by Billie Eilish
It would've been waaaay too easy to put "when the party's over" on this list, but Billie's voice in this track sounds like her chest is tight from holding back a sob, and that's enough to let the tears flow.
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"Love in the Dark" by Adele
Let's be real—you came to this list with the full intention of seeing multiple Adele appearances. Ask and you shall receive.
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"The Scientist" by Coldplay
Sure, "Fix You" might be the iconic Coldplay staple that people always flock to, but "The Scientist" demands just as much respect, 'mmkay? (FYI: It sounds even sadder after your third—fourth? fifth??—glass of wine.)
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"Falling Short" by Låpsley
Hmmm, guessing she wasn't talking about my height when she wrote this. 😶
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"Look After You" by The Fray
There's a running commentary that every single big song by The Fray sounds exactly the same, but TBH that doesn't even matter because they're the KINGS of sad bangers.
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"Forever & Always (Piano Version)" by Taylor Swift
Feel free to fight me on this (and lose) but the piano version of "Forever & Always" is infinitely better than the slightly angrier original version. It really gets across the pain of an unreciprocated breakup and shows just how much Joe Jonas hurt Taylor's teenage feelings. It just goes there, you know?
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"A Little Bit Longer" by The Jonas Brothers
Speaking of a Jonas, "A Little Bit Longer" is entirely from Nick's perspective about him almost going into a coma from his type 1 diabetes at age 13. If you don't weep for the song itself, weep for BB Nick.
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"Clair De Lune" by Flight Facilities
Flight Facilities might be known for making danceable electronic music, but "Clair De Lune" is different—the second you hit play, a shot of melancholy is injected into your veins, instantly placing you into a trance. True story.
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"Liability" by Lorde
BRB, blasting the living sh*t out of this (and demolishing the nearest box of tissues, of course) until I can see Lorde on tour IRL.
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"Rainbow" by Kacey Musgaves
Originally, Kacey wrote "Rainbow" to personally encourage herself in times of hardship, but that later changed. "It turned into a song as a little message to myself, and then ended up being a song for anybody with any kind of weight on their shoulders," she told Taste of Country. (Ah, so that's why it makes me blubber like a big ol' baby!)
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"It's All in Vain" by Wet
There's truly nothing more depressing than being with someone physically and still feeling lonely...aka the feeling that Wet flawlessly captures in this hauntingly beautiful track.
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"Somebody Else" by The 1975
If you had to listen to one single piece of music by The 1975 for the rest of your life, it better be "Somebody Else." Die hard fans agree, casual fans agree, hell, even frontman Matty Healy listed this in his top 10 faves from the band...so uh, take that for what you will.
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"When Did I Lose It All" by Pale Waves
"I wanna marry you, but not now" — Pale Waves/my boyfriend 😭
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"Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri
I'm going to age myself by a million years for saying this, but I first heard this song on VH1 back in 2009 (*cough* when they used to play actual music videos *cough*) and was instantly blown away. The pain in Christina Perri's voice! The emotion of the lyrics! They don't do it like this anymore, kiddos.
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"Something in the Way" by Nirvana
Legend has it that "Something in the Way" was originally based on a stretch of time when Kurt Cobain was sleeping under a bridge in his home state of Washington. People can't agree on if that rumor is true or not, but imagine how lonely Kurt must have felt if it was. :'(
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"Stone Cold" by Demi Lovato
Still cursing out the Recording Academy to this day for failing to give Demi a Grammy for this track. My "allergies" act up every. Damn. Time.
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"Read All About It, Pt. III" by Emeli Sandé
Is that a draft? Oh, no...turns out it's just the chills running through my body at the sheer emotion in Emeli Sandé's voice.
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"Dust Is Gone" by MØ
"Lean On" isn't the only vibe that MØ is capable of delivering, you guys. Burn a candle as this deep cut of hers involuntarily causes your throat to tighten.
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"Mind Games" by BANKS
If you're reading this, imma need you to stop sleeping on BANKS RTFN because she is a literal goddess that has a song to fit each one of your moods. "Mind Games" is just one of the few that will get you feeling every single emotion.
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"If I Ever Feel Better" by Phoenix
Depressed, feeling generally empty on the inside, and a little hopeless...but make it funk. Boom.
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"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac
Alright, so this isn't the saddest of sad songs, but it's like...you know that moment you're like "Shit, I'm an actual grown-up now and life came at me so fast?" This song feels like that. Thank you, Stevie.
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"ghostin" by Ariana Grande
A heartbreaking song in which Ariana explores the hardships of dealing with the loss of her ex while in a new relationship. Rest in peace, Mac Miller 💔.
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"She Used to Be Mine" by Sara Bareilles
"She is hard on herself / She is broken and won't ask for help / She is messy, but she's kind / She is lonely most of the time"...Sara, just saying, you really didn't have to expose me like this.
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"This Night Has Opened My Eyes" by The Smiths
You know what's worse than feeling sad? Feeling not happy yet not sad at the same time, much like Morrisey describes. I'll take "ennui" for $500, please.
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"1901" by Birdy
Not to make you feel bad, but Birdy recorded this when she was 15 (!) years old. Yep, feeling hella unaccomplished right about now.
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"Runaway" by AURORA
Ah yes, yet another child prodigy to make me feel badly about my lack of songwriting abilities. :') Just gonna go ahead and rub this into your big fat wound right about now, but AURORA literally wrote this when she was twelve. Twelve!!! Goodbye, logging TF off.
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"You & I" by One Direction
Um, where my Directioners at??? If Zayn's high note at 2:58 doesn't leave you a bleeding mess, then you aren't a real one. I said what I said.
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"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star
Fun fact: I cried while listening to this in the shower once. Do with that information what you will.
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"I'm in Here" by Sia
Before Sia started churning out hit singles and hiding her face behind elaborate wigs, she made enigmatic songs like this one—another gem from VH1's golden days :').
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"Chamber of Reflection" by Mac Demarco
If I had a dollar for each time Mac forlornly sings the word "alone" on this track, I'd be approximately $15 richer.
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"Good to Love" by FKA Twigs
Hahaha, what? Me?? Crying??? Nope, I just have FKA's ethereal voice and otherworldly talent in my eyes.
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"Malibu Nights" by LANY
Bet you didn't expect to hear a song on here that's entirely about Dua Lipa breaking a man's heart, but here you are.
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"Praying" by Kesha
Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes, Kesha sings of the sexual harassment, emotional distress, and employment discrimination she faced.
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"Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson
Specifically for when the emotional traumas from your childhood are weighing down your fragile spirit.
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"Don't Speak" by No Doubt
In need of a dramatic song for your next at-home karaoke sesh? Hello, "Don't Speak" is two parts perfect, one part sad-angsty, all parts crowd pleaser.
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"Youth" by Daughter
Hipster YouTube ate this up back in when it started making the rounds back in 2012, and with good reason—with lyrics like "if you're still breathing, you're the lucky one," there's literally no way to not get choked up while listening.
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"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.
I mean...where is the lie.
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