"With or Without You" by U2 is another example of sad ‘80s music. “He came in as we were doing the vocals for “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, which was basically about Syd. His only advice to himself: Keep on moving. So there's an underlying sense of mortality to most of the songs. Essentially, it's a farewell song to a love that was never meant to be. We can all feel singer-songwriter Layne Staley’s pain when he sings, “And yet I fight / This battle all alone / No one to cry to / No place to call home.”. And sadness is universal so pretty much everyone can relate. IT IS depressing especially for those currently struggling with something whether it’s with substance abuse or other problems. 1 My Immortal - Evanescence. These classic songs will get you on the dance floor. But, it can be one of the most difficult and painful subjects to discuss. For him, there’s nothing sadder than love lost. We’re like the Monkees or something.” – Drummer Sean Kinney. And we can’t help but think of Staley whenever this comes on. We just get together and fuck around. No matter what the situation, chances are somebody somewhere probably wrote a song about it, putting into words what you can't (probably because you're too busy bawling your eyes out to think clearly). The tune may be catchy but looking closely at the lyrics, you’ll understand why this is easily one of the saddest classic rock songs ever written. But when Mick Jagger steps in with one of his most impassioned vocals, for once it sounds like something's cut through his heart of stone. Being out of love sucks. If you say this track didn’t cross your mind when you saw what this list is about, we’d most likely think you’re lying. They didn’t even recognize him at first and when they did, Roger Waters was so heartbroken he was moved to tears. Sad is okay because we will be very sad but not morbid. Be sure to vote up the sad songs from the ‘80s that you love most. List of 100 Greatest Underrated Rock Songs as compiled by digitaldreamdoor.com. Playlist author: Listanauta. Every single word is like a knife that just cuts you. I need more input. If the band loses some of its identity in the record, the heartbreak at the center of it glows bright. But paired to the song's mournful tone, they paint a pretty bleak picture of whatever wasteland Hendrix is singing about. Lonely songs can be a source of comfort when you're feeling depressed or sad. Brokenhearted Jeff Lynne is obsessed with something in this 1974 hit by Electric Light Orchestra. More than drugs and sex, heartbreak and pain are common themes in rock ‘n roll too. "Georgie stay, don't go away," Stewart sing as the song fades. I’ve heard it said that you can’t really have a true love unless it was a love unrequited. Everyone can relate to the pain of breakup, the passing away of a loved one or depression.So dim the lights, grab a box of tissues, prepare a tub of ice cream and weep your heart out. asks his dad) and eventually finds acceptance in New York City's queer culture. And that opening line -- "Sometimes I feel so happy, sometimes I feel so sad" -- tells you all you need to know about the song, which is played so low and with so little energy, it sounds like almost all life has been drained out of the band. And that's pretty darn sad. AC/DC - Highway to Hell. "Every junkie's like a setting sun," Young sings, knowing the end is near for his friend. The dude in the title track to Bruce Springsteen's 1980 album isn't even 19 years old and he's knocked up his girlfriend. But that’s such a misconception. Home. And after his death a few years later, the line “I’d feel better dead” becomes even more chilling. Despite the whole Oedipal thing going on at the song's conclusion, the fatalism running through 'The End' is downright depressing. And with the power-ballad thrust driving home every ache and pain in singer Dan McCafferty's scarred voice, that hurt he's singing about sounds very real. Or at least temporarily, until another late-night fight rips them even further apart. Elton John's 1982 tribute to his old friend John Lennon -- the garden he refers to is Madison Square Garden, where the pals performed onstage together in 1974 -- was released a little more than a year after the former Beatle was murdered. It’s a harsh reality especially for those who grew up with parents who are always working. I really don’t know. Trending: 2020 Best Rock Albums But things turns downright chilling, and depressing, near the end of this sad song as he gets word of his fate from ground control below -- "Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong" -- as voices echo into eternity. “I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked… I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music.” – Eric Clapton. “The best anti-drug song I ever heard.” – Johnny Cash, Whether you prefer Nine Inch Nails or Johnny Cash, the sadness it gives you is the same – it’s raw and undiluted. But things don't get truly heartbreaking until about midway through 'Empty Garden,' when John sings, "I've been knocking but no one answers / And I've been knocking most all the day ... / Johnny, can't you come out to play?". The Cranberries - Zombie It’s not always about the lyrics – sometimes it’s how it’s sung or played. Here's a list of 10 music offerings about being alone, loneliness and isolation. Scott Harrison/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. Either way, tears flow readily in 'You See Me Crying.'. It’s Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder at their absolute best. Still I'm Sad - The Yardbirds 39. Whenever I was on a long drive I would listen to country music, because words would keep me awake more than just music.” – Sandy Chapin. We love Johnny Cash’s version too especially because he made what’s probably the saddest music video ever (tears welled up in our eyes just a few seconds into it) but nothing just beats the original. 'Trouble' plays over the heartbreaking scene before her death. It’s basically about a father who’s too busy to make time for his son. It’s a musical masterpiece and one of the saddest parts is when Jim Morrison’s scarred voice sings, “Desperately in need / Of some stranger’s hand / In a desperate land.”. But it’s also safe to assume everyone knows who this track is for – Clapton’s 4-year old son Conor who fell from the window of a New York apartment. Few things are more sad than dying alone, especially if you're all by yourself in outer space, floating in a malfunctioned capsule with absolutely no hope of ever seeing your family or friends again. "You'll always be the one / You were the first, you'll be the last," Robin Zander sings as the tears well up over his loneliness. His heartbreaking performance gave Clapton his biggest hit since 1974's 'I Shot the Sheriff.'. It’s very rare for a relationship to withstand the Earth’s gravitational pull and where it’s going to take people and how they’re going to grow. Either way, nobody's walking away unscarred. You can be an emotionally stable grown man who hasn’t experienced heartbreak even once in his life and still end up crying like a baby while listening to this. “The song is about letting go. Whether you know the song’s back story or not, there’s something inexplicably melancholic about it. I think it’s sufficiently complex and universal in its imagery that it could be almost anything you want it to be.” – Jim Morrison. And these verses just stand out, “Operator, number, please: it’s been so many years / Will she remember my old voice while I fight the tears?”. And being in love with someone who doesn't love you back sucks pretty hard too. This list is limited to songs from the 1980s to the present, with only one track per artist. That's the dilemma facing the woman in Bonnie Raitt's colossally sad song about unrequited love. As this list of sad songs demonstrates, there are many reasons to break down in tears -- a broken heart, death, lost car keys after an especially crappy morning. Background - The Southern Rock sound began in the deep south around 1969 blending guitar driven 'rock' with elements of blues, boogie, and to a lesser extent (heard in the vocals), country and soul. Lightning, thunder, blustery winds and chilling weather -- they all pour down on poor Billy Gibbons after his woman leaves him in this epic bluesy crawl from ZZ Top's second album. There’s so much sadness from beginning to end that it will basically destroy you whether you can relate to it or not. Harry Chapin’s wife Sandy did a brilliant job with this storytelling. We don't know why we're crying, we just are. The saddest part of this song is the back story – it was written for former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett who is responsible for giving the band their name. 'Keep Me in Your Heart' is a teary farewell to family, friends and fans. Sad songs of misery, lost or unrequited love, betrayal, anguish, teardrops, helpless or hopeless love appear in every decade and there have been heartaches by the number even before Ray Price and Guy Mitchell sang that tune in 1959. Some of them will stop you cold and hit you right in the feels, others will just make you cry without warning. More than drugs and sex, heartbreak and pain are common themes in rock ‘n roll too. By turns a breakup song, a rumination on the end of childhood and a final observation on death itself, 'The End' can be as obscure as Jim Morrison's infamous "mother / father" line that nobody can really make out. When AC/DC's uncharacteristically sad song 'Ride On' opens, singer Bon Scott is in a hotel room by himself in a strange town, empty bottles by his bed. The crawling melody and Lynne's slow, deliberate vocal add to the sadness. Because it makes them realize that somewhere out there, someone is feeling the same thing. But unlike so many of those other songs, it looks like there might be hope for the couple in the end. A woman broke Scott's heart -- or rather, he broke hers by doing something stupid, she dumped him and now he's on the road, sitting in a hotel room, drinking to forget and doing his damndest to hold back the tears. This tune is an exemplary power ballad, as its chiming guitar arpeggios and … There are a good number of sad ‘80s love songs as well. We won’t be surprised if we suddenly start crying because that’s what it does. One of rock music’s most enduring anthems, Stairway To Heaven is one of the most popular rock songs for funerals. Length: 3 hr 44 min. So we recommend taking out your tub of ice cream, maybe a box of tissues to go with it, and just cry your heart out. It comes full circle when as a grown-up, he becomes too busy for his aging dad. Some of them will 'Pale Blue Eyes' was supposedly written about the first woman he ever loved. 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