Songs That Will Make You Cry And Songs To Cry To
Emotional songs that help us feel a catharsis are some of the real-life magic of this world. Songs that make you cry are special in that they have much more emotionally charged. They are rare. There tends to be only a few truly great songs that make you cry each decade. In this post, I’ve collected some of the most emotionally charged songs. Enjoy.
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
There is something about the loss of the potential of a parent-child relationship that’s incredibly nostalgic, and that is wonderfully highlighted in this song. The first time I heard this song, I was sixteen or seventeen, driving in my car, still listening to this on a tape, rewinding it back each time, feeling like crying.
Bon Jovi – Always by Bon Jovi
This is a song which many people can identify with: having a great and passionate relationship, and messing it up by being your own worst enemy, and not being able to fix your own flaws. The song is Bon Jovi screaming at the top of his lungs about all the regret he has, and how much he will still love the woman he lost through his own follies. So relatable!
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan
This is a song about death. This song only has six lines, but they are vivid and relatable. “Knock-knock-knocking on heaven’s door.” There is a mournful feel to this song from the outset starting with sad “oohhs” that continue as backup vocals throughout the song.
Remember When by Alan Jackson
This is my favorite country song. I am no expert in country music, but I feel that this song is what much of country music aspires to be. It’s sincere and focuses on human topics.
Runaway Train by Soul Asylum
This is a song about suicide. It’s sung emotionally. You can hear the raw emotion in the lead singer’s delivery. This is the kind of sincerely that you don’t find in many modern songs because of so much auto-tuning and computer editing.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
This song is a little different than other songs on this list. This song will make you cry because it paints a picture of loneliness within which you still find something to enjoy and be happy about. It’s modest, coy, likable, and relatable.
Jeremy by Pearl Jam
This is a song with deep meaning. It is another song about suicide, which is always a difficult topic to face. This particular song makes you want to cry because as we have seen with other songs, the lead singer’s delivery is incredibly emotional. The lead singer seems to be weeping as he is singing. Perhaps not so much weeping as screaming out to the world about something that is so not right.
Everybody Hurts by R.E.M
It’s a relatable song. The chorus of this song is what stands out the most. Everybody hurts, and it’s conveyed beautifully by the lead singer’s vocal performance in such a way that inspires the listener to sing along, feeling like they are not along, but in a chorus of everybody else who hurts – forming a support group of sorts.
Tears In Heaven By Eric Clapton
This poetic song is actually about shedding tears. It’s about Eric Clapton’s young child who passed away. It’s a truly sad song, and you can feel Eric’s sorrow coming through in it. He performs it with great sensitivity and sincerity.
Ode To Endless Search by Alex Genadinik
This is a song about leaving a bad relationship that haunts you even after you left. It poetically builds on a metaphor of a woman’s cold eyes being like two cold evening stars pursuing the her of the song wherever he goes on his road away from that relationship.
Karma Police by Radiohead
This song feels sad and mellow even before hearing any of the lyrics. It creates a crying mood without literally crying. The subject of the lyrics isn’t on a topic as painful as other songs of this list, but the feel of this song is certainly a melancholy and a sad one.
November Rain by Guns N’ Roses
This is a sad breakup song. There are many of those, but the intense energy of this song is what sets it apart. It blends the instrumental parts and the vocal performance to create a tremendous emotional lift that resonates with the listener.
