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April 2, 2012
5. Harry Nilsson, "Without You" (1971)
When he first heard Harry Nilsson sing, Little Richard was supposed to have said, "My! You sing good for a white boy!" That is a dramatic understatement. "Without You" is such a commanding performance carried off with such tenderness that when Nilsson's voice cracks on that heroically high note at 2:09, you're a little unsure as to whether it was too tough on him physically or emotionally. Either way, wow. — A.H.
4. Rolling Stones, "Angie" (1973)
While most breakup songs come from a place of anger or devastation, in "Angie," Jagger/Richards insist on ending the relationship on a joyful note: "Ain't it good to be alive?" As Mick croons the story of his relationship's painful past, it only serves to emphasize how much better things are going to be now that the relationship is over. It's a breakup song for grownups. — Natasha Ochshorn
3. Joy Division, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (1979)
This must be the most sepulchral song ever to have become a massively influential international hit. Maybe it's only in retrospect, but it's almost impossible to hear "Love Will Tear Us Apart" without thinking that someone's about to kill himself. — P.S.
2. Fleetwood Mac, "Landslide" (1975)
Unlike most breakup songs, "Landslide" speaks from the moment right before things actually fall apart. Stevie Nicks wrote it while stranded on a mountain in Colorado, contemplating the coming end of her relationship with Lindsay Buckingham; it's melancholic and uncertain, but like many of Nicks' songs, it also has an appealing toughness. Time makes you bolder, after all. I thought this song was sad and pretty when I was half the age I am now; today, I see more in it than that. — P.S.
1. Bill Withers, "Ain't No Sunshine (When She's Gone)" (1971)
"Ain't No Sunshine" is in an unusual key — "pure minor," which is rare in pop music. Maybe it's that, or Withers' devotional repetition of "I know" in the third verse, but the song comes across less as vintage '70s R&B and more as something older; something sacred, even. — A.H.
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Breakups
Commentarium (48 Comments)
I like the list (most of it) but what, no Stevie Wonder's "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Need You?)"
Also:
The Delfonics: Didn't I Blow Your Mind
Al Green: Call Me (Come Back Home)
The Chi-Lites: Oh Girl
Daryl Hall & John Oates: She's Gone
and (seriously): The Carpenters: Superstar
I second all the above picks.
No Roxy Music? I don't get it.
"All I Want Is You" would've been #26.
Cool, or you could have gone with "Just Like you" or "A Song for Europe"
Kiss and Say Goodbye by The Manhattans?
I will survive deserves a much higher ranking. It's a classic for a reason.
all great songs of course, but The Carpenters Superstar is a glaring omission... Plus I would add Bad Liver and a Broken Heart by Tom Waits...
Although I appreciate your justification for Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again," there's no way I could leave off "Go Your Own Way." I remember when Rumours came out when I was a kid and that song still resonates 35 years later. It feels so personal because the two parties involved are in the same band and are singing it together.
I agree leaving "Superstar" off is a blaring omission. It would be in my top 10.
Or Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide"
Oops. Just noticed "Landslide" on here. Oh well, whatever, nevermind. :-)
Can't you read?
Skipped over it by mistake bmac. Big fucking woop. Don't cream your jeans there bmac.
Where the f*** is "Wish You Here"? Not a breakup song in the classical sense because it's about a friendship rather than a romantic relationship, but damn that's what makes it so devastating.
Meant "Wish You Were Here." Sorry about that.
Definitely agree on that. But I will say that "Wish You Were Here", despite being about friends, COULD be interpreted as a break-up song between lovers. So you are correct, and it can be interpreted many ways, which is the beauty of the song.
I'd have put "Single Again" by Gary Stewart on the list.
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" wasn't released until April 1980 (according to Wikipedia). Even if it was recorded first in 1979, it wasn't really released to the public in it's complete form until 1980. Technically, aren't you kind of cheating?
You are right. They were cheating. We (The FBI) will take care of this accordingly.
Love,
The FBI
For Dolly, I would have swapped in "Jolene." I think it's a breakup song (wife confronts mistress begging not to take her man?); and all due respect to Dolly (and Whitney), "I Will Always Love You" isn't only an inferior tune, it's fucking grating.
I love these lists, but on this one I was really hoping to see Meat Loaf "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad," it's a devastating sentiment.
I agree it should be on a list, but is was released in 1977. It should be on THAT list, but it isn't. Peace.
The Main Ingredient - Everybody Plays the Fool. Duh.
I have been waiting for the 70s list to be released just to confirm "It Makes No Difference" would make the cut. Just a brutal song and Danko's voice makes it even more so.
I tentatively went through this list knowing that THE greatest break up song of the 70s wasnt going to be on here and boy did NERVE drop the ball on this one! How could Al Green's "For The Good Times" not be on here? That song is the quintessential ode to a love affair ending and all the emotions that go along with it. Shame on you, NERVE. I have to say I am truly disappointed.motto rintod
Never, ever heard that song. Ever. And I'm 51. Heard everything else. Not that one.
you spent five decades with your head in a bucket?
you'll be needing some counseling, man, that's terrible what those people did to you.
So you know Buzzcocks but you somehow never heard about Joy Division? You must be missing out on a whole bunch of Manchester bands, not to mention any of those influential post-punk bands.
How is that possible? I bet my mom knows that song, for god's sake.
Point of order: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' come out in 1980. I think Mr 'never heard of it' is pullin yer legs. Nobody's that dumb. Also, I respectfully suggest Chris Bell's 'I am am the Cosmos'. Cheers.
I love Tangled Up in Blue, but I would have to go with If You See Her Say Hello, off the same record, which is Dylan at his best regretful heartbreaking melancholy.
Janis Joplin? How does a girl fix herself, anyway?
She was a junkie in the Chelsea hotel. "You fixed yourself, you said - well, never mind; we are ugly but we have the music..." She cooked her hit, tied her self off and shot up. It ain't a pretty song, sweetheart.
No "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac? Seriously?
It's because who wrote this probably just pulled this list from their iPod.
Did you read the intro? Or the writeups?
I think they did read the writeup and intro and are not swayed by your (feeble) argument.
Carol King "It's Too Late"...a sin of omission...
So just on a songs per breakup basis, is Rumours the all time best creative output from a single breakup?
Well, two breakups.
One of my favorites, by the Kinks: http://youtu.be/GqgNyYXTK4s
Landslide is one of my favorite songs ever.
I read Stevie Nicks say "Landslide" was abouWt setting free from her PARENTS whom sh.e was visiting in CO.
Stairways to heaven, from Led Zeppelin!!!!
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon.
Yeah, there is no way "Landslide" is a break-up song, it was more about her dealing with uncertainty around her entire life at that point.
"Silver Springs" is the song that came from the Stevie/Lindsey break-up - and in my opinion it is the greatest break-up song of all time, let alone the 1970s. It didn't make the Rumours album, but it was the b-side to "Go Your Own Way." To this day, when you see Stevie sing it while Lindsey is playing it you can see them go through it all over again.
I thnk Olivia Newton-John's "I Honestly Love You" should be on this list.
2 relatively obscure songs from Supertramp's "Crisis? What Crisis?" album top my list, mainly because I associate specific breakups with each song. "Ain't Nobody But Me" and "Another Man's Woman"