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We all know that even though not every relationship is meant to last, the end can still be extremely painful, even if it was a toxic relationship that you knew needed to end. That’s where listening to the best breakup songs can help; sometimes it just helps to know we aren’t alone with our heartbreak.
We’re sorry you’re hurting, but you can feel better by listening to some of the best breakup songs ever written. Some are classics, some are newer, all are essential breakup music staples that help to soothe the soul after a bad breakup.
These aren’t in any particular order or rank; they all deserve a spot on this list of the 50 best breakup songs to heal your heartbreak.
Best Breakup Songs to Help Heal Your Heartbreak
- Someone Like You by Adele
- I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
- I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt
- Foolish Games by Jewel
- Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton
- Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood
- Dosed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- All By Myself by Celine Dion
- Kerosene by Miranda Lambert
- Don’t Speak by No Doubt
- Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
- It’s Too Late by Carole King
- This Year by The Mountain Goats
- Irreplaceable by Beyonce
- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift
- Roses by Outkast
- Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus
- Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor
- Torn by Natalie Imbruglia
- Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins
- Borderline by Alison Krauss
- Believe by Cher
- You’re So Vain by Carly Simon
- True Love Waits by Radiohead
- Yesterday by The Beatles
- We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
- Take A Bow by Madonna
- Purple Rain by Prince
- Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers
- End Of The Road by Boyz 2 Men
- Hurt by Johnny Cash
- I’m Goin’ Down by Mary J. Blige
- Only The Lonely by Roy Orbison
- It Must Have Been Love by Roxette
- I’ll Never Love Again by Lady Gaga
- Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye
- Rolling In The Deep by Adele
- Nobody Knows by The Tony Rich Project
- If You See Her, Say Hello by Bob Dylan
- The Winner Takes It All by ABBA
- Goodbye To Love by The Carpenters
- I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
- Always On My Mind by Willie Nelson
- Stay by Rihanna
- Crazy by Patsy Cline
- Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley
- Black by Pearl Jam
- You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette
- Stay With Me by Sam Smith
- Who’s Sorry Now? by Connie Francis
It doesn’t matter if you missed All of the Red Flags or if it was just time to amicably split ways: breakups hurt. Whether you need to sob-sing your sadness or rage-sing your anger, hopefully, there will be plenty here in this list of the best breakup songs that are perfect for you.
A Few Words of Encouragement
Keep your head up! Relationships are hard, but with every single one, you gain valuable insight into who you are and what relationships are all about. Spoiler alert: it includes hard work, but it is very meaningful hard work and the Return on Investment is *Chef’s Kiss*
In the meantime, you can check out some tips for how to mend your broken heart and get over your breakup. Be gentle with yourself, give yourself time to grieve, but keep moving forward… you’ve got this!
P.S. If you’d like to stay in the Wallowing Stage a bit longer, put on a romantic movie and let the emotions flow. As Lorelai Gilmore so wisely told Rory post-breakup: You need to wallow.
Check out these links for more about relationships:
- 5 Signs You’re Ready for a New Relationship
- What is Real Love? A Practical Guide for Humans with Hearts
- 101 Toxic Relationship Quotes to Remind You You’re Not Alone
- 26 Common Relationship Myths You Need to Stop Believing Immediately
- Does He Love Me?: 10 Signs He Loves You + How to Deal if He Doesn’t
- 6 Characteristics of an Emotionally Unavailable Man
- How to Build Trust in a Relationship (Even if it’s Broken)
- 10 Podcasts about Marriage and Relationships
Amy Hartle is the author of Do You Love Me? How To Stop Seeking Reassurance in Relationships, a book on reassurance seeking and relationship anxiety. Both her book and this blog are born of personal experience; Amy shares expert relationship advice from the lessons learned during her own 10+ years with her husband, as well as couples travel tips and romantic getaway recommendations, all gleaned while traveling the world together.