Tear-jerking Western breakup songs: recommended classics and popular hits

We are the WorldUSA For Africa

U.S.A. For Africa – We Are the World

When you’re feeling down from a broken heart, listening to this globally sung song about peace should make your personal negative feelings seem insignificant.

Being dumped starts to feel like a trivial problem.

I highly recommend it.

366 daysHY

HY – 366 Days (Official Music Video)

This song puts the feeling of being unable to forget a past lover into ultra-straightforward lyrics.

It was the theme song for the 2007 drama Akai Ito, so many of you might already know it.

After a broken heartCHIHIRO

CHIHIRO – After a Broken Heart (Official MV)

Keeping the title as is, this is CHIHIRO’s “Shitsuren no Ato,” packed full of all the familiar feelings and experiences that come with heartbreak.

If you listen to it right after a breakup, you’ll probably find so many relatable moments that it’ll feel like a storm of empathy.

And once you listen, you might just get caught in the tear-jerking trap…

Cry your heart out with this song, let yourself sink into the sadness, and hopefully move on to the next step.

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Cry me a riverJustin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake – Cry Me A River (Official Video)

When you’re heartbroken, you may want to soothe your soul with a beautiful male singing voice.

For those people, I recommend Justin’s “Cry Me a River.” Its catchy chorus melody is great for anyone who wants to cry but can’t—try humming along.

Lovers AgainEXILE

EXILE / Lovers Again (Short Ver.)

Back when EXILE had seven members, they had a lot of classic love songs.

Among them, this is the definitive heartbreak song.

The track tells the story of a man who initiated a breakup but, overwhelmed with regret, comes to realize once again how precious his former lover is.

It shows us that heartbreak can take many different forms.

Don’t Look Back in AngerOasis

Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger (Official Video)

It’s a classic that everyone knows.

There are many ways to interpret it, but you can also see it as a heartbreak song.

Rock ’n’ rollers should listen to this track, spit out “What’s done is done,” and make a fresh start.

Love DrizzleShonan no Kaze

Shonan no Kaze “Koi Shigure” MUSIC VIDEO

This is a song about parting with someone I loved very deeply.

Just listening to it is painful because it’s such a pure love song, but in the end it’s a song that faces heartbreak.

It’s the kind of song you’ll want to listen to after a breakup, when you’re able to think about both the other person’s happiness and your own.