Breaking up is hard to do. When a relationship comes to a painful end, however, there is one bright side — you get to enjoy breakup songs with a newfound vigor.
It’s true: Grammy winners such as Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo andSZA just hit different once you’ve actually gone through the tender-hearted scenarios they so poignantly describe in their lyrics. Maybe you, too, have had an ex hang on to your old scarf because it smells like you, even after calling you up again just to break you like a promise. Or, maybe you had to watch as your partner left you for the older blonde girl they had previously told you not to worry about, possibly right before you passed your driver’s license test.
Or God forbid, maybe you’ve even been dumped by someone you uhh … had an intimate moment with at a theater, a la “You Oughta Know” (which is absolutely, without a doubt, 1,000% on this list). Hey, Billboarddoesn’t judge.
But just as not all breakups are sad, neither are all breakup songs. Just ask Lizzo, whose self-love, leave-his-behind, booty-shaking bangers will transform listeners from heartbroken to happily single and ready to mingle. Alternately, allow Beyoncé’s discography to remind you just how much you’re worth. Or better yet, take a cue from Ariana Grande and simply say to your ex, “Thank you, next.”
Whether you’re angry, relieved, wallowing in grief or gleefully moving on from your latest romantic split, allow Billboard‘s 75 favorite breakup songs to ease you through the aftermath.
Dionne Warwick - "Walk On By"
Even when you feel like falling apart, Warwick’s timeless hit will help you keep it moving. Listen here.
Taylor Swift - "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
Rumor has it Ms. Swift wrote this song to spite a pop music-hating ex-boyfriend, even going so far as to deliberately pen a main hook that’s so contagious, you can’t get it out of your head no matter how hard you try. And if that was, in fact, the intention — congratulations to Taylor on a job well done.
(For the record, she told Billboard in 2012 that the song was inspired by an unwanted studio run-in with an ex’s friend. “He made some comment about how he heard how I was gonna get back together with my ex. And after he left I was talking to Max [Martin] and Shellback [the song’s co-writers and producers] and was like, ‘We are never ever getting back together!’ she said at the time. “And after that happened I just grabbed my guitar.”)
Selena Gomez - "Lose You to Love Me"
“Lose You to Love Me” is a stunning tribute to emerging from a breakup stronger than you were before. Written on Valentine’s Day in 2019, this track marked Selena Gomez’s first ever Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. Listen here.
Gracie Abrams - "I Miss You, I'm Sorry"
With her breakthrough track “I Miss You, I’m Sorry” paving the way, Gracie Abrams is steadily becoming the Gen Z queen of heartbreak songs. Listen here.
Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler - "You Were Good to Me"
It seems like most breakup songs focus on getting dumped, but Zucker and Cutler recognize how hard it can be to be the person who leaves on this devastating duet. Listen here.
Lady A - "Need You Now"
“Need You Now” takes place in the aftermath of a breakup, in that horrible transition period where the only person who can comfort you is the reason you’re sad in the first place. Listen here.
Joni Mitchell - "River"
Part Christmas song, part breakup song, full-on masterpiece. Listen here.
Lewis Capaldi - "Someone You Loved"
Lewis Capaldi’s pain seeped through every crack in his gut-wrenchingly raspy voice on this breakthrough single, which became the Scottish artist’s first ever Hot 100 No. 1. Even if it was about his grandmother, most listeners have applied the song to their ill-fated romances.Listen here.
Kanye West - "Love Lockdown"
Kanye’s dark period brought us this career curveball — a sharp left turn from the euphoria ofGraduation that changed the rap game forever. Aside from paving the way for Drake and Kid Cudi’s sensitive careers, Ye bared his soul and showed us how even the biggest egos can succumb to heartbreak. Listen here.
King Princess - "Talia"
One of five tracks on King Princess’ breakout project Make My Bed, “Talia” is the WLW heartache song to end all WLW heartache songs.
Neil Sedaka - "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
The message and hook of this Sedaka classic are so straightforward that they’re reassuring — no matter how hairy and complicated a breakup is, we can all take comfort in the fact that splitting up is hard for everyone. Listen here.
Conan Gray - "Maniac"
Sometimes, relationships definitely do not end on good terms. If you’ve ever had an ex talk trash about you after you called it quits, this standout single on Conan Gray’s Kid Krow is the song for you. Listen here.
Etta James - "Stormy Weather"
James easily laid down the most piercing cover of this Great American Songbook staple. Listen here.
The 5th Dimension - "One Less Bell to Answer"
“One Less Bell to Answer” recognizes the specific pain of knowing you’re better off without someone, but still missing their presence. Listen here.
Joji - "Glimpse Of Us"
“Glimpse Of Us” is a certifiably epic breakup song. Singing over stripped back piano about pining for your ex after moving on with someone else, Joji found his first ever Hot 100 top 10 hit in 2022 with this emotional rollercoaster of a ballad. Listen here.
A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera - "Say Something"
“Say Something” is just as dramatic and grief-stricken as the worst breakups feel in the moment. Listen here.
Linda Ronstadt - "You’re No Good"
Ronstadt’s 1974 take on “You’re No Good” is easily the most famous cover of the song, hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100. It brilliantly calls out a rotten ex while also acknowledging that those in glass castles maybe shouldn’t be throwing stones. Listen here.
Harry Nilsson - "Without You"
Listening to this song, it’s hard not to envision an overwrought heartbreak scene in some B-movie. Cheese factor aside, the sound of Nilsson’s voice blasting through this Grammy-winning Badfinger cover is the sound of someone who literally “can’t live anymore.” Listen here.
Drake - "Marvins Room"
Drunk texting isn’t a good idea, even if you’re Drake. Listen here.
Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
Debilitating epilepsy and his own infidelity were ruining Ian Curtis’ life when he wrote the harrowing words to “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” now seen as one of indie rock’s most lasting statements. The single was released three months after his suicide in March 1980 and its title was inscribed on his tombstone. Listen here.
Jeff Buckley- "Lover, You Should’ve Come Over"
Released in 1994 on Grace, the only album Buckley made before his premature death, “Lover” is a breathtaking postmortem on a relationship the rocker clearly hoped would get resurrected one day. Listen here.
Ariana Grande - "Thank U, Next"
Released just after Grande’s highly publicized breakup fromSNL‘s Pete Davidson, “Thank U, Next” was as much of a cultural reset as any one song can be. It reimagined how one can look back on their past, failed relationships — with an appreciation for the lessons learned in place of bitterness — all while earning the pop star her first ever Hot 100 No. 1.
Mary J. Blige - "I’m Goin’ Down"
Blige’s 1994 cover of Rose Royce’s original gets increasingly heart-wrenching from start to finish, with the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul going from spiraling about her breakup to fully pleading with her ex to take her back. Listen here.
Jojo - "Leave (Get Out)"
“At 13, I didn’t even have my first kiss yet,” a 22-year-old Jojo told Billboard in 2013. “What the f–k was I talking about? ‘Get out’? Get out of where — my playground?” She’s grown older and wiser, but her 2004 hit is still a breakup playlist essential. Listen here.
The All-American Rejects - "Gives You Hell"
If The All-American Rejects taught us anything, it’s that it can be okay to notwish someone well. Where’s your picket fence, love? Listen here.
Harry Styles - "Falling"
A standout single from Styles’ sophom*ore albumFine Line, “Falling” remains one of the boy band star’s most vulnerable songs to date.
Beyoncé - "Irreplaceable"
To the left, to the left. This 2006 Bey banger remains one of her most take-no-sh-t, give-no-f–ks songs ever — and that’s saying something. Listen here.
Carole King - "It's Too Late"
“There’ll be good times again for me and you/ But we just can’t stay together, don’t you feel it, too?/ Still I’m glad for what we had and how I once loved you.” Sad but hopeful, real and raw, King gives a masterclass on dealing with the end of a relationship with a healthy mindset. Listen here.
FKA Twigs - "Cellophane"
Pain. Listen here.
Frank Ocean - "Ivy"
Sometimes, it’s the right person at the wrong time. Frank Ocean explores a tale of young romance that was doomed from the start on “Ivy,” reminding us that no one ever really forgets their first love. Listen here.
Phoebe Bridgers - "Motion Sickness"
What happens when you finally start realizing your ex mistreated, manipulated and took advantage of you the whole relationship? As Phoebe Bridgers expertly puts it, “emotional motion sickness.” Listen here.
Roy Orbison - "Crying"
Orbison didn’t actually cry in the recording booth, but the way he runs through the titular word in this Hot 100 No. 2 hit from 1961 gives you all you need. Listen here.
Billie Eilish - "Happier Than Ever"
The whisper-soft first half of the title track to Eilish’s second studio album is definitely good, but the screaming, punk rock, unhindered catharsis, rip-your-ex’s-heart-out-and-spit-on-it second half? Greatness.
The Police - "Every Breath You Take"
Before it was sampled in Puff Daddy and Faith Evans’ Biggie tribute “I’ll Be Missing You,” Andy Summers’ immortal guitar line soundtracked one of the ’80s biggest soft rock jams (both songs went No. 1 on the Hot 100). It’s a stirring tale of post break-up devotion… perhaps a little too much devotion, considering Sting admitted its undertones of control and surveillance. Listen here.
Patsy Cline - "I Fall to Pieces"
What’s more difficult, the actual breakup or the act of moving on? Patsy Cline makes a good case for the latter. Listen here.
The Airborne Toxic Event - "Sometime Around Midnight"
Of all the post-breakup songs on this list, this is the one you listen to when you just need to rage. Listen here.
Paramore - "All I Wanted"
When you would’ve done anything for a person and they still walked away? That’s a hurt only Paramore can remedy. Listen here.
Dinah Washington - "After You've Gone"
Dinah was one of countless singers to record this American Song Book classic, but her singular voice makes her version arguably the most comforting. Listen here.
Giveon - "Heartbreak Anniversary"
Cheers to everyone reminding you of them, no one else coming close to comparing, and not ever being able to just “get over it.”
Katy Perry - "The One That Got Away"
Lots of people dream about being someone’s “the one that got away,” but Katy Perry’s hit single (No. 3 on the Hot 100) of the same name reveals that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Listen here.
The Supremes - "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Even in her early days with The Supremes, Diana Ross’ passion couldn’t be denied. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” is one of the most desperate, impassioned Motown songs you’ll hear, so it’s no surprise it grew with the times. After the Supremes took it to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1966, Vanilla Fudge’s psychedelic, sludgy cover took it to No. 6 in 1968; in 1987, Kim Wilde brought it back to the top of the Hot 100 with her version. Listen here.
Noah Kahan - "Stick Season"
Whether it’s been weeks, months or years, “Stick Season” is a requiem for everyone who’s still. Not. Over it. Listen here.
Justin Timberlake - "Cry Me A River"
The end of the Justin-Britney relationship coalesced in the start of the Justin-Timbaland connection, and we can’t argue with the results. Ice-cold sarcastic shade rolls off JT’s tongue over studio work from Timb that hints at the wonders of the years to come. Listen here.
Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Inspired by Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps,” Kelly Clarkson’s anthemic breakup rocker hit No. 2 on the Hot 100. Listen here.
Bonnie Raitt - "I Can’t Make You Love Me"
Raitt paints a vivid picture of the final hours between two people on very different pages regarding their relationship. Side effects may include: lots and lots of tears. Listen here.
Lizzo - "Truth Hurts"
With her breakout, Hot 100-topping single, Lizzo reminded everyone that there’s nothing wrong with knowing you’re too good for someone.
Gotye feat. Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used to Know"
“Somebody That I Used to Know” had the world in a chokehold for weeks (eight weeks at No. 1, to be exact) not only because it’s incredibly catchy, but also because it addresses one of the rarely talked-about, hardest parts of any breakup: the shock of being lovers one moment and strangers the next. Listen here.
Usher - "Burn"
“Climax,” “U Don’t Have to Call” — there are plenty of Usher songs we could have picked for this list, but thisConfessions slow jam (which topped the Hot 100 for eight weeks) just hits the hardest. In the chorus, he pledges to let the breakup run its course, but by the next verse, wonders what it’ll take to get his shorty back. Love is confusing. Listen here.
Elvis Presley - "Always On My Mind"
In true Elvis fashion, the icon’s mournful croon made this song — previously recorded by Brenda Lee — a hit on Hot Country Songs, reaching No. 16 in 1972. Listen here.
Bruno Mars - "When I Was Your Man"
“When I Was Your Man” doubled as an apology letter to all the ladies who haven’t been treated right by their partners, as well as a warning call to all the men who don’t prioritize what’s most important. Thank you, Bruno Mars. Listen here.
Natalie Imbruglia - "Torn"
When being in a relationship makes you feel lonelier than if you were on your own, queue up this one from Natalie Imbruglia. She gets it. Listen here.
Fleetwood Mac - "Landslide"
“Landslide” is technically a Fleetwood Mac song, but all credit goes to Stevie Nicks’ stunning, soul-shaking lyricism about forging ahead in the face of utter heartbreak. Listen here.
Gloria Gaynor - "I Will Survive"
A “Since U Been Gone” for an earlier generation, “I Will Survive” was a women’s strength anthem for the disco era. Really though, this track would have been pure fire in any generation. Listen here.
Sinéad O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U"
O’Connor scored her first and only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 — where she stayed for four weeks — with her haunting take on Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Listen here.
Carly Simon - "You're So Vain"
Who is this song about? Mick Jagger? Warren Beatty? Simon’s never told us for sure, but that’s probably helped this song’s legend grow. Who doesn’t know someone that could fit the “so vain” bill? Okay, maybe not the parts about the Learjet and the yacht. Listen here.
The 1975 - "Somebody Else"
Matty Healy hits you right where it hurts on this one. Not wanting to be with your ex, but not wanting them to be with anyone else either? Ouch. Listen here.
Leonard Cohen - "Hallelujah"
Mournful, sullen and devastating, Leonard Cohen’s world-famous lyrical masterpiece is one of the most-covered songs of all time. Listen here.
Toni Braxton - "Un-Break My Heart"
Toni’s timeless slab of emotion over a luscious R&B beat earned her 11 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996 and 1997.
Barbra Streisand - "The Way We Were"
This cinematic classic from The Way We Were starring Streisand and Robert Redford could be the national anthem for a country called “Right Person, Wrong Time.” Listen here.
Fleetwood Mac - "Go Your Own Way"
Even if you’re not breaking up with another member of your internationally famous rock band, it’s easy to get behind “Go Your Own Way” — which conveniently doubles as a great running song (just ask Forrest Gump). Listen here.
Dolly Parton - "I Will Always Love You"
Two decades before Whitney Houston’s Bodyguard rendition brought it back into the spotlight (and to the top of the Hot 100), Dolly wrote and performed this sentimental standard about her professional split from Porter Wagoner, the country legend who discovered her (Parton later performed the song in the 1982 movie musical The Best Little whor*house in Texas). She’s well known for her sassy sense of humor, but Dolly’s got heart, too — and this song took her to the top of Hot Country Songs in 1974 and 1982. Listen here.
Olivia Rodrigo - "Drivers License"
Come on, you knew this song would be on here. Rodrigo’s debut single reigned the Hot 100 for eight weeks in 2021 thanks to its show-stopping bridge and all too relatable lyrics about still being in love with the person who dumped you for someone else.
Mariah Carey - "We Belong Together"
“We Belong Together” is one of Mariah Carey’s many, many Hot 100 No. 1s (19 to be exact), but with lyrics like “Who am I gon’ lean on when times get rough? / Who’s gon’ to talk to me ’til the sun comes up?,” few of them are as heartbreaking. Listen here.
Imogen Heap - "Hide and Seek"
Heap’s musical pinnacle feels like a fever dream, as do the most crushing breakups. Listen here.
The Beatles - "Yesterday"
Just after the love-at-first-sight giddiness of “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” The Beatles’Help! (U.K. version) hits you with the heartbreak of “Yesterday.” Paul McCartney’s two-minute acoustic confession proves just how quickly emotions can shift, even on a track listing. Listen here.
*NSYNC - "Bye Bye Bye"
Ever need a song to get hyped before breaking it off with someone who doesn’t deserve you? *NSYNC will give you the courage to say bye, bye, bye. Listen here.
Adele - "Someone Like You"
Unlike many of the songs on this list, this one isn’t bitter, or even sarcastic. Adele’s anthem to taking the high road — despite the heartbreak it entails — is one of the truest ballads the 2010s have given us so far. Listen here.
Lorde - "Supercut"
The combined pain of saying goodbye to a relationship and reconciling yourself to the mistakes you made isn’t an easy thing to capture in just one song, but Lorde is no ordinary songwriter. Her sophom*ore album Melodramais filled with nuanced notes on rediscovering and reclaiming yourself after a breakup, from “Green Light” to “Liability” — but there’s just something special about “Supercut” that’s made it a time-tested fan favorite in particular. Listen here.
Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know"
There had been plenty of breakup songs before Alanis, but few female artists in the mainstream really went there like she did here. Mr. Duplicity is still feeling the burn. Listen here.
Amy Winehouse - "Back To Black"
One of Winehouse’s most celebrated songs with frequent collaborator Mark Ronson, “Back To Black” was able to capture the specific, blackhole type of hurt that comes when you fall back to your vices to comfort you after a breakup. Listen here.
Whitney Houston - "I Have Nothing"
In addition to being one of Houston’s most stunning vocal performances, “I Have Nothing” is the epitome of continuing to fight for something long after it’s already over.
SZA - "Kill Bill"
SZA’s first No. 2 single, “Kill Bill,” is the standout single from her critically-acclaimed album SOS (which, for the record, is chock-full of excellent breakup songs). It finds the R&B/pop star shamelessly living out a fantasy many of us have had at some point, if we’re honest with ourselves: murdering an ex in cold blood. Listen here.
"I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5
“I Want You Back” is one of The Jackson 5’s first and biggest hits. It’s a lighthearted reminder that sometimes, we’re the ones in the wrong when it comes to a breakup — and any heartache can be soothed with a little dancing. Listen here.
Robyn - "Dancing On My Own"
There’s a reason this track has stuck with people so profoundly ever since it came out in 2010. Few other artists have so masterfully blended pulsing dance club beats with the total, utter devastation of watching someone you still love move on to someone else. Listen here.
Taylor Swift - "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)"
It truly takes an incredibly talented musician to score two songs on this list — and a duly talented heartbreaker to be the subject. Swift’s 2022 ten-minute track served as an extended version of the original one she released in 2012, meaning five minutes’ worth of searing, specific details of her and her ex’s crash-and-burn relationship were brought to light 10 years after the fact. It’s a lyrical masterpiece that scored the pop star the record for the longest song to go No. 1 on the Hot 100.
