The Crying Game
Over the weekend the music staff at Yahoo posted a list of what they considered to be the “20 Most Heartbreaking Songs of All Time.” I rarely agree with any of the music related lists that the Yahoo music editors publish, but this particular list was just plain awful.
Naturally we’re all moved by different things and songs that deeply effect me won’t have the same effect on everyone, but that doesn’t explain the pure awfulness of the Yahoo list. To counter the bad taste it left in mouth, I couldn’t resist compiling my own list of “20 Heartbreaking Songs.” I would never assume to call them the “most” heartbreaking songs ever recorded, but they’ve all made a big impact on my over the years. These songs can literally stop me in my tracks and I can barely listen to them without getting teary-eyed.
20 Heartbreaking Songs (the links will take you to YouTube music clips)
1. Judy Garland - Over The Rainbow (Her 1955 recording)
2. Tim Buckley - Song To The Siren
3. Swans - Goddamn the Sun
4. Johnny Thunders - You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
5. Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
6. Francoise Hardy - All Over the World
7. The Boys Next Door - Shivers
8. Tom Waits - Time
9. The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
10. Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By
11. Nico – These Days
12. Joy Division - Atmosphere
13. Morrissey - Every Day Is Like Sunday
14. Elvis Presley - Unchained Melody
15. Roy Orbison - Crying
16. Tom Waits - Somewhere
17. Sinead O’Connor - Troy
18. Gary Jules - Mad World
19. The Replacements - Skyway
20. R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
21. The Sisters of Mercy - 1959*
*bonus