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April 23, 2012
The 25 Greatest Breakup Songs of the 2000s
Cry us a river.
We recently assembled the greatest love songs of all time, but let's face it: while love has inspired some great songs, the majority of classics come from a darker place. Our rules this time were simple: a breakup song can be vengeful, dignified, devastated, or whatever else, as long as the lyrics make explicit reference to a relationship that is ending or has ended. Again, we limited it to one song per songwriter (not necessarily per band). Come back next week for the best breakup songs of the '00s, and let us know what we missed in the comments. Also, feel better. You're going to get through this, and to help with that, here's a Spotify playlist of this week's list, and here are the greatest breakup songs of the '60s, the '70s, the '80s, and the '90s. — The Nerve Editors
25. Lady Gaga, "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" (2009)
While most of Gaga's tracks are about a romance she knows will eventually go bad, this early tune is about actually breaking up. What makes "Eh, Eh" great is its appropriation of bubblegum pop to say something decidedly un-sweet. Plus, the song's hilarious music video set the tone for what was to follow: our romance with Gaga would be anything but boring. — Rachel Krantz
24. Arcade Fire, "Crown of Love" (2004)
"Crown of Love" is for everyone who's simply fell out of love. It captures the contradictory realities of indifference and volatile emotion. "If you still want me, please forgive me" is all you can say to someone when you've moved on before they have. — Jeremy Glass
23. Coldplay, "The Scientist" (2003)
I'm not made of stone. I don't like Coldplay, but I have a particular weakness for piano-driven ballads, and who among us can't identify with "take me back to the start?" Besides, no less an authority on heartbreak than Willie Nelson has covered "The Scientist," so there's that. Anyway, go ahead and play it a couple of times. I won't tell anyone. — Alex Heigl
22. The Killers, "Mr. Brightside" (2004)
Jealousy and infidelity are the death row and lethal injection of every relationship, respectively — and "Mr. Brightside" reminds you to move on ASAP when you get cheated on. According to Brandon Flowers, "Mr. Brightside" is a true story; when paired with a hot riff, that story reminds us that anger, envy, and sadness can actually be danced away. — J.G.
21. LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great" (2007)
The meaning of this particular breakup song has been under debate for while. Maybe the "someone" is a guy's new lover, maybe it's the old lover who's been left behind, and maybe it's about a failed pregnancy. Regardless of the song's subject, when someone great leaves your life, you'll find yourself surprised by the weird things you miss about them. — J.G.
Tags
Breakups
Commentarium (55 Comments)
The first songs that came to mind for me were:
- Heartbeats by The Knife
- Little Motel by Modest Mouse
and, most of all:
- The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot by Brand New
Still don't disagree with this list, and it's a lot more difficult to write a list for the 00's due to the sheer variety of music available.
Yeah. It's interesting, though -- with the '00s, people are a lot nicer. There's less vitriol and more genuine interest in sharing songs: I've picked up some great reader recommendations from the later lists.
I might have done All I Want for LCD instead of someone great. But that's a mere matter of preference for one song (slightly) over the other. Good list though.
"sleep all summer" by national and st. vincent
Good list.
I know this is just me, since the whole rest of the world seems to love it, but I just find the cutesy non-rhyme in Mr Brightside (where he almost but then doesn't say "she's touching his dick") just too coy and twee. Ruins the whole song for me. I prefer Lily's potty mouth, I guess.
If this global industry were less US- and UK-centric, I'd have hoped to see Missy Higgins's 'Scar' here, such a great chronicle of growing wiser from bad, controlling relationships. Plus 'Wish You Well' by Bernard Fanning ("why'd you give up on me so soon?").
"Where I Stood" would have worked, too.
The Past Is A Grotesque Animal: Of Montreal. 12 Minutes of Pain.
I 2nd that nomination- such a throttling song.
Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. So many Youtube covers.
I don't know why she isn't huge. Great voice and great songwriting.
She was incredible.
You literally took the words right out of my mouth! Such an amazingly beautiful song.
First song I thought of was Hopeless by the Wrens.
"Miss Me" totally crushes it, too.
"She Sends Kisses" is what I thought of.
Bob dylan- Standing in the doorway
Damien Rice- Rootless tree (fuck youuuuuu)
good woman- Cat Power
YES on Rootless Tree. That songs gives me chills.
"Let me out 'cause it's hell in your arms."
Yes. Damien should be in this list. Even his lovesongs feel like breakup songs!
Personally, I would have included Postal Service's Nothing Better, and Stars' Your Ex-Lover Is Dead both in the top 5
All of that time you thought I was sad, I was trying to remember your name.
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save
My personal fave: Goldfrapp's "Rocket". Strap that bastard down & light it up! Hilarious video.
Wow, I'm old or something. I could barely relate to this one.
Burn by usher didn't make it?! Dude! That song got so much airplay, and for the first 50 times it was still pretty sad
Amy Winehouse, "Tears Dry On Their Own" Should have been Number One!
AMEN
Elliot Smith's 'somebody that I used to know' off the Figure 8 album...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_FpORpi5l0
For Justin Timberlake, I really love "What goes around, come around", especially the live versions. Cry Me A River seems like kicking someone with a mental illness when she's down. Also, it's a little too deliberately ridicule for my taste. What Goes Around is angry and wallowing, just the way I like my breakup music.
Overall, a great list, and a great exercise in nostalgia reading through it. I probably would have included some combination of these songs, though:
Robyn / Be Mine
Bat for Lashes / Daniel
Bat for Lashes / Sad Eyes
Radiohead / There There
Ani Difranco / Soft Shoulder
Shellac's "Prayer to God" - now THAT'S catharsis. Maybe it doesn't count because it's post-breakup and best for when you see the ex with someone new?
word
WHERE THE HECK IS GOTYE'S SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW?!
I forget - which year in the 2000s was that released again?
Did everyone block "Beautiful" by James Blunt from their memories? Or is it not break up-y enough?
No, we blocked it from our memories.
I figured. I was in beauty school when it came out, we played it so many times it will never be forgotten :(
Beck's "Sea Change" is the most heartwrenching whole album about a break-up.
The list is generally OK but I really, really disagree with the inclusion of that Lady Gaga song. It's just awful.
So long as you do have a rilo kiley song, breakin' up would have been a great choice, too
I love this list- too old and unhip to recognize many of these (your 80s list was the soundtrack to my teenage heartbreak) but am totally enjoying listening to them for the first time. Hope I won't have to compile them for any future heartbreak! Enjoyed the writeups and commentary, too- thank you.
is this a sick joke??? where the hell is the all time break up girl power classic, Leave (Get Out) by teen senstation JoJo? Rectify this immediately!
haha! that just made my day.
the mountain goats? pretty much anything off of "get lonely" is perfect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bSdRizGYb0&ob=av3e
"the first time that i made coffee for just myself, i made too much of it/ but i drank it all, just because you hate it when i let things go to waste."
I'd prefer "Your Belgian Things," from We Shall All Be Healed. I am always crushed by "I wish you had a number where you are; it's hard with no one here to help me through it."
I don't think Someone Great is a breakup song, really; it always seemed to me like it was about death. I Can Change might have been a better choice (although even that is more like a "pre-breakup" song, anyway.)
john mayers "gravity" or "im gonna find another you"?
What about "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's with its wonderfully passive aggressive: "She won't love you like I loved you."
It's actually "They don't love you like I love you," and it's a plea from Karen O to her musician boyfriend to not go on tour. It's more of a love song than a breakup song. Which is why we put it on our Greatest Love Songs of the 2000s list.
mariah carey's "we belong together". pretty honest for a major pop song...
"i can't sleep at night when you are on my mind,
bobby womack's on the radio
saying to me "if you think you're lonely now"
wait a minute, this is too deep
so i turn the dial trying to catch a break
and then i hear Babyface,
I only think of you
and it's breaking my heart,
I try to hold it together,
but I'm falling apart"
We've all been there.
While these lists tend to stay clear from the harder music genres, I have to point out that the title track from Converge's Jane Doe (2001) is the most intense break-up song ever, capping off the most intense break-up record ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR9Bspqbps
The Spill Canvas...take your pick of their catalog of emo angst, although All Hail the Heartbreaker is the breakup song I return to time and time again. Also Bound to Happen, Polygraph Right Now, and All Over You are great as well.
where's Frightened Rabbit? Especially Backwards Walk!
That whole album is brutal. I might prefer "Good Arms vs Bad Arms" or "Keep Yourself Warm," but yeah, they should be here.
I love that you turned this into a spotify playlist
For me Kelly Clarkson has the top she always has the best break up songs in the business, Behind these hazel eyes, because of you, already gone and STRONGER are incredible examples of it, this last song is a huge hit of 2012 and one of er best songs ever. Luv her.