Ten REALLY Good Breakup Songs

I've been rocking a lot of break up songs these days. Ha, don't ask.

Even when you aren't going through one, sometimes these tunes can bring you back to those ultra dramatic moments in your life and I mean that in both bad and good ways.

For some reason, when we go through these times, breakup songs are all we want to listen to. Our friends get mad at us, our family gets concerned, but we don't care. We want our daily dose of sad song medicine.

Perhaps we want to hear about a situation we can relate to or a chance to point out that at least we aren't as messed up as the couple in that song, but whatever it is, these little nuggets can be quite cathartic. So you can call me Dr. Phil for the day. Wait, please don't do that. I hate that guy.

Here is a list of ten great break up tunes:



The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight 

General Message: Man sees his ex leave a party with someone new...then goes bananas.
This is the song that put these guys on the map as the real deal. I've said before that I saw them at my favorite concert venue (the 9:30 Club) down in DC last autumn. Amazing feeling to all of their songs, but this one is bound to give ya goosebumps. I love the crescendo in this piece with such a quiet intro until by the end he's practically shouting, "You just have to see her." You can completely feel his despair when he belts out that she makes sure he saw her leave with someone else. "Your friends say what is it, you look like you've seen a ghost." Gahh those are nice lyrics.



Ryan Adams - Come Pick Me Up

General Message: Dude can't decide where he stands with chick who is toxic to his health, mind, general well-being.
Just a beautiful song. Breakup or no breakup. I love how he first says "Screw all my friends, they're all full of sh*t" like he wants to see her despite the protests of his buddies, but then later it becomes, "Screw all my friends, behind my back," and you're all, hmmm? God, this is an amazing song.



Alanis Morisette - You Oughta Know

General Message: Chick is all "hey, guy, you said you'd be all these things with me and now you're those things with her."
The queen of angst in the mid 90s, Alanis supposedly wrote this little ditty about Dave Coulier. Yes. The guy who played Uncle Joey on Full House. Yup, this guy. Makes that part about what she did to him in the theater pretty damn disturbing.



Dierks Bentley - Every Mile a Memory

General Message: He remembers his relationship by seeing things in his everyday life that remind him of his lady.
I LOVE this song. Probably one of the best "modern country" tunes out there filled with beautiful imagery for such a sad little number. Sappy without being gross. My kinda stuff.



The Gin Blossoms - Found Out About You

General Message: Dude is all about his lady...but she's all about other dude(s).
Gosh, this is one of those tunes that always gets me. "Did you love me only in my head?" Whenever I hear that line it punches me in the gut, but in a good way. Don't judge. Pretty damn good song and perfectly describes the feeling you get when you realize someone isn't at all the person you thought you were with.



The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It

General Message: About coming to terms with growing up and moving on...in all areas of life.
You're going to tell me that I just wanted to pick my all time favorite song for this list and that it's a weak choice for a breakup tune, right? I know this is a stretch, because it's not an explicitly clear breakup song, but even if it is the breakup of childhood ideals ("dreams aren't what they used to be") or something of that nature, it still deals with a separation. He does sing that "someone will drive her around, down the same streets that I did," so there must be some breakup issues involved.



Paolo Nutini - Rewind

General Message: This guy can't sleep and gets hammered every night to forget about his relationship, but longs for a way back to when things were going well.
I can't believe he was only a teenie bopper when he wrote and recorded this song. Simple, but beautiful.



Jack Johnson - Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

General Message: He loves her, but she's not having it.
Sounds peppy and upbeat, but it is actually a sad little breakup tune.



Damien Rice - Rootless Tree

General Message: Dude is in a dead end relationship that is weighing on him and he gets mad and swears.
I have always thought that Damien Rice has the most real lyrics of any modern singer out there and this song only solidifies it. From the giant f-bomb usage to the lyrics that condense to "then hate me so good that you can let me out, cause it's hell when you're around," it's so depressingly beautiful. Warning: this song has some serious potty language, so don't play it on full volume at work, mmmk?




Lindy - Beautifully Undone

General Message - He tries to say he never thinks about her anymore, but he repeats it so often that it seems like it's all he thinks about.
Probably the least famous of the tunes on this list, the little gem is a keeper. You get the vibe when he says "the only reason I kept coming back to you, was cause I thought I was in love," that this is an on again/off again type of relationship. And who hasn't had one of those? Siiiigh.





So there's my list of ten really good breakup tunes. Notice how I didn't say the best ever breakup tunes, just my top choices for right now. I didn't really delve into any classics, pretty much just the mid 90s-now.

Anyways, what are your top breakup songs? Let the world know!

Of course by world, I mean the handful of people who might read this list.