Breakup songs by Western bands. World-famous classics and popular tracks.

In Your LetterREO Speed Wagon

Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon

A single released by REO Speedwagon in 1981.

The song is in a major key and has a breezy pop feel, so it’s easy to assume it’s about something fun, but it’s actually a perfect breakup song.

It cheerfully sings, like, “Ah, I got dumped.”

Goodbye to YouSCANDAL

Scandal, Patty Smyth – Goodbye To You (Official Video)

Scandal was a popular band that featured the sole female member, Patty Smyth, as the vocalist, and showcased a strongly American pop sound characteristic of the early 1980s.

This piece is a song released in 1982.

Amid its brisk, crisp, and upbeat major-key tone, it bids a “goodbye.”

SummerSUM41

Sum 41 – Summer Music Video

Sum 41 is a Canadian punk rock band that has been actively performing from 1996 to the present.

Their vocalist, Deryck, gained further recognition after being known as Avril Lavigne’s ex-husband, though they divorced after three years.

With that in mind, listening to their songs makes them feel like deeply bittersweet heartbreak anthems.

AddictedSimple Plan

Simple Plan – Addicted (Official Video)

Simple Plan is a Canadian band that’s so popular they could be considered one of the country’s defining acts, having performed at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

The vocalist, Pierre, has a boyish voice that makes their breakup songs sound especially heartrending.

I Remember YouSkid Row

Skid Row – I Remember You (Official Music Video)

A rock ballad about the end of a relationship.

It was released in 1989 by the American heavy metal band Skid Row and reached No.

2 on the New Zealand charts.

It has been covered by artists such as DJ Deckstream and The Ataris.