Following on from the top 10 depressing scenes in movies, we have top 10 depressing rock songs. Light a few black candles, dim the lights, and weep!
10. New Order Leave Me Alone
New Order were an English rock group formed by members of Joy Division in the wake of their lead singer, Ian Curtis’ suicide. They were known for their minimalist aesthetic and melding of post-punk and dance.
Their 1983 album, Power Corruption and Lies truly established them as a new and original band, and helped them break free from the shadow of their predecessor. Despite the album’s electronic tinged tracks, it was the final song, the guitar led, sorrowful, Leave Me Alone that stood out the most.
9. Suicide Frankie Teardrop
Influential synth duo, Suicide, caused a stir with the release of their self-titled 1977 album, with its stand out track, the 10 minute Frankie Teardrop.
Composed of a simple drum machine beat and Alan Vega’s lacerating vocals, Frankie Teardrop tells the disturbing story of one factory worker’s murder/suicide. Best listened to at high volume and with lights out, the song’s raw and unique style sends shivers down your spine, up until its shocking climax which leaves you in a catatonic state of pure disbelief. You wont feel well after this.
8. Johnny Cash Hurt
Music icon Johnny Cash sadly passed away in 2003, but left a legacy of unforgettable music practically unrivalled by any other country music star.
His last hit was 2002’s Hurt, an unlikely cover of a song by industrial band Nine Inch Nails. The song’s poignant acoustic guitar and Cash’s fragile vocals have made the song arguably more popular than the original. Cash’s death shortly after it was released make the song even more tragic.
7. The Beatles Eleanor Rigby
All the lonely people, where do the all come from? The Beatles never got sadder than this examination of those lonely people that the world forgets. The song is entirely a string quartet arrangement and definite stand out track on their Revolver album, and helped transform The Beatles from a simple pop act to something much more special.
6. Metallica Fade to Black
Released on their Ride the Lightning album, this partly acoustic song was such a departure from the trademark thrash metal that fans originally deemed it a ‘sell out,’ although it has become a fan favourite now.
5. Dire Straits Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits’ war elegy appeared on their 1985 album of the same name. There are three version of the song, a long, medium and short version. The shorter version has been included here.
4. Jeff Buckley Hallelujah
Another cover that has outlasted the original, Jeff Buckley took Leonard Cohen’s biblical hymn and made it his own song about the futility and pain of love, stripping away Cohen’s synth and bass to replace it with a single high pitched guitar.
Buckley only produced one studio album in his time, accidentally drowning in a tributary of Mississippi River in 1997.
3. Elliott Smith King’s Crossing
Starting with a slow amalgam of seemingly random noise, Elliott Smith’s mournful tale of self-destructive drug addiction constantly changes harmonies and beats to reflect the characters constantly changing thought patterns. The wall of noise technique overwhelms the listener with feelings of distortion, and after it’s all over, Smith has one last epilogue to haunt you.
2. Radiohead How To Disappear Completely
The feeling of not wanting to be there, of being in a situation so painful that you wish you could tell yourself ‘I’m not here’ and be whisked away. Yorke’s meandering, dreamlike voice works wonders on this song, as the crescendo builds and builds to its emotional climax.
In a 2006 BBC interview, Yorke said that this was “the most beautiful thing we have ever done.”
1. The Smiths How Soon is Now?
The Smiths were an 80s rock band from Manchester, England whose jangly guitar riffs and depressing lyrics, courtesy of singer Morrissey, made them one of the most notorious band of the era.
Their undoubted masterpiece is this six and a half minute caterwaul of pure sadness. As Johnny Marr’s trademark guitar riffs are replaced with a chilling reverb effect, as Morrissey sings about those of us who long for love but don’t know how to find it. Perhaps it’s most despairing moment comes around the half way point, ‘There’s a club if you want to go/You could meet somebody who really loves you/So you go and you stand on your own/You leave on your own/You go home and you cry and you want to die.’
Contributor: JT
Tomorrow Wendy, either the original by Andy Prieboy or Concrete Blonde’s version. Its a song about a girl who knows she’s dying of AIDS.
The most painful lines:
Only God says jump
So I set the time
cause if he ever saw it
It was through these eyes of mine!
And if he ever suffered it was me who did his crying
Thanks to the folks that have already thrown out some Irish influence out there. You want depressing, listen to Irish music.
Flogging Molly; If I Ever Leave This World Alive, The Son Never Shines (on Closed Doors)
The Pogues; And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda (repeat, I know, but this is a beautiful song)
Dropkick Murphys; Curse of a Fallen Soul, Last Letter Home
Just to name my favorites
How about “Close Your Eyes”, by Alice Cooper and Lita Ford. Also “Don’t Close your Eyes” by Kix. Both great ’80s tearjerkers.
No Mazzy Star?! I love Mazzy Star, and Hope Sandoval is beautiful… but it IS music to commit suicide to, let’s face it…
holocaust by big star is a downer, yet great. anything by Bon Jovi depresses me big time.
Yeah, Randall, I think Into Dust would be a worthy addition.
“The Kids” or “the Bed” by Lou Reed from the album Berlin.
Heck, the ten songs on that album probably *are* the top ten most depressing rock songs ever. Definitely the most depressing album ever made.
i say again. some slender rest by two gallants, also waves of grain by two gallants.
OK, after a cursory check of these comments, I may have one that everybody else missed: “DOA” by Bloodrock, a Texas band from the early, early 70s. It’s apparently about a plane crash, with the narrator missing a limb and bleeding out, his girlfriend lying dead near him. The refrain is “I remember … We were flying along, and hit something in the air …” I heard it in the dead of winter when I was 13, and I really think I could have used therapy afterwards. It’s beyond depressing, made worse by the fact that it’s the ONLY listenable song on the album, which, yes, I bought, ’cause I like pain, I guess.
Kelsi (way up there at like number 24) is right about bright eyes. I would probably say Bright Eyes’ saddest is “Lover I don’t have to Love”, I mean he talks about being a train wreck for the whole song, and then lyrics like “I want a girl who’s too sad to give a f^ck.
nick drakes ‘suicide is painless’. that stuff is a downer
judee sill-the kiss
big star-take care
radiohead-how to disappear completely(anyone with the answer should e mail james blunt forthwith)
cat power-maybe not
lambchop-my blue wave
stephanie dosen-lakes of canada
the handsome family-weightless again
elliot smith-i better be quiet now(james blunt anyone?)
the smiths-i won’t share you
leonard cohen-hey thats no way to say goodbye
Wow, I don’t know any of those songs xD
Um, you’ve missed ‘Drifting Further Away’ by Powderfinger (Album: Dream Days At The Hotel Existance)
I can not forgive you for that.
what about the
pogues – and the band played waltzing matilda … the dude gets hid legs blown off in a war he didnt want to be in
or redgum – i was only 19 … same kinda thing
rolf harris – two little boys, its about the english civil war, the two boys who were childhood mates end up fighting on opposite sides
How about Yaz and Alison Moyet? Only you and Midnight from the Upstairs At Eric’s album are sufficiently depressing and sad. As well as a couple from their second album. And Everything But the Girl has a couple of real downers as well.
Good list, but none of those songs bring on even a fraction of the tears that Blackbird by the Beatles does for me. The covers of Blackbird are even worse as far as sob factors go. Eleanor Rigby doesn’t make me sad in the least.
creep: chill out guy, you have no idea what kind of work goes into these lists. everyone has their own opinion on music. just because this list doesn’t reach your expectations doesn’t mean its lame.. besides, everyone can make their own top ten lists in the comments.
Oooh, there are some good ones in the list and in the comments! Here’s a couple of suggestions of my own:
Vincent by Don McLean
Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World
The Nowhere Man by The Veils
John Wayne Gacy Jr by Sufjan Stevens
Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
actually, I could totally go on but the songs are probably not really Top 10 material… just depressing.
what about:
Elvis – in the ghetto
Foo fighters – my hero
jon bon jovi – dying aint much of a livin
Mother – John Lennon
Mr. Lonely – Bobby Vinton
Those two came to mind instantly, could probably think of more but, as usual, if I try and think up more, my mind draws a blank. Must have a touch of old timers disease.
Trouble Breathing- Alkaline Trio
Sunrise, Sunset- Bright Eyes
Anne- John Frusciante
Bedshaped- Keane
Thoughts of a dying atheist- MUSE
Priest and Paramedics- Pedro the Lion
I do- Pedro the Lion
Spinning Plates – Radiohead
I might be wrong- Radiohead
True Love Waits- Radiohead
Talk Show Host- Radiohead
Black Star- Radiohead
Zero- The Smashing Pumpkins
I CAN’T BELIEVE NO ONE PUT ZERO BY THE PUMPKINS!!!!
Oh and…
I know some of these aren’t very well known. But they are extremely beautiful and depressing songs.And yes I listed a lot of Radiohead songs. but Thom Yorke is the f-in man.
WARNING: Do not listen to if suicidal!!!!!!
I’d have to put Lost Realist by Trapt on there.
“Will the dice ever roll?
Will the lights ever lower?
(unintelligible) at a loss to resist
I’m playing the part of a lost realist”
how about Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven. I mean come on its written for his son who died at the age of five.
3 Doors Down – Away From the Sun
The video is depressing too. I am a little disappointed that no one else has mentioned it.
How about I Won’t See You Tonight pt. 1 by Avenged Sevenfold? Or Disappoint by Assemblage 23?
the river by the boss, aka bruce springstein hope i spelled it right
Pictures of You by The Cure is really depressing too.
Knockin on Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan (G n
R not bad either)
How’s it gonna be – Third Eye Blind
The Ledge – The Replacements
Name – Goo goo dolls
Dust in the Wind – Kansas (until Wil Ferrell sang it in Old School)
Last Kiss – Pearl jam (although the J Frank Wilson is more errie)
Maybe more sad than depressing perhaps.
Johnny Cash sucks. He did a cover of an amazing song. Then he died. Wow.
Well, Courtney, Johnny Cash had a career that lasted 10 times longer then any of the trash pop bands you see now a days will ever have, and you say he sucks? God damn I hope I suck that bad in my life time. All of his number one hits, millions of albums sold, what a poser!
Maybe you don’t care for his music, but saying Johnny Cash sucks is like saying Elvis sucks, or that the Beatles were a bunch of fakes.
Die
Courtney: Welcome to the site. You may not have read many comments around the place yet, but we try to be tolerant of other’s views here – it always leads to interesting discussions and sometimes hot debate. People will extend that courtesy to you – so please extend it to others
courtney: you do realize that that comment makes you the lesser person.. i can name many new artists who have taken wonderful songs and ruin them, and in fact i perfer his version of hurt over the one NIN did
What an eloquent reply =/
Here’s yet another vote for Lou Reed’s “The Kids”. Visceral like Throbbing Gristle. Again, the entire album is a type of “sad” that I’ve never heard in popular music. Here’s Wikipedia:
“”The Kids” tells of a “miserable rotten slut” having her children taken from her by the authorities, and contains a particularly upsetting mid-section featuring the sounds of children shouting for their mother. This segment is so harrowing that a legend has arisen telling how producer Bob Ezrin went home one night and told his children that their mother had (in different versions) either left them or died, and recorded their response. Later, Ezrin dispelled this myth, stating that he had just asked them to cry for the recorder, and that his younger child got carried away with the game. In actuality, Joshua Ezrin, Ezrin’s youngest son, was outside the screen door of their house for a few minutes, and while he was pleading to be let back inside, his cries were recorded and put on the album.”
I maybe need to listen to some Jonathan Richman after just thinking about this song…
On the other hand, “Tears in Heaven”…man, I don’t know. That’s some brutal personal history to try to put on wax. It’s a song you can’t criticize, right? Except, well, I hate it. I feel for the man and his family, but the first time I heard it, I felt so manipulated.
I can name a few songs that are extremely depressing, though not popular enough to be on this list:
Our Lady Peace: Are You Sad?
Matthew Good Band: The Fine Art of Falling Apart
Matthew Good Band: Fated
Matthew Good Band: Strange Days
Matthew Good Band: Prime Time Deliverance
Matthew Good Band: Advertising on Police Cars
A Perfect Circle: Stranger
Anything by Staind
Golden Slumbers by the Beatles always makes me cry, as well as Yesterday. And While my Guitar Gently Weeps. Gee, the Beatles had some really sad songs. Vincent by Don Mclean is another one. I cannot get through that without looking like an idiot. The Quiet Room by Alice Cooper. I could sit here all night and think of songs. Wow, how sad, might go to bed and have a little sniffle.
Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
without this song this list is utter crap
Tears in Heaven is in this list-duh!
not really rock at the time but dylan’s “the ballad of hollis brown” is messed up when you factor in that it was based on a true event as were several of his early talking blues songs. my guess he was’nt included on this list because so much of his work is depressing.its why i listen to him so much,when i hear it i can’t help but feel my life isn’t so bad.
I know this is strange but… “Hey You” by Pink Floyd (from their album ‘The Wall’, and the rock-opera b the same name), actually kept me from killing myself after my ex-wife left me. Very depressing song, but also very beautiful.
I didn’t see it in the comments but “Desperado” by the Eagles makes me tear up every time.
I agree with the person who said “Goodbye my Lover” by James Blunt, I sobbed the first time I heard it.
“i am rock” by simon and garfunkle ,damn, just messes me up when i hear it.
No women ? I would add Clapton’s song to his son, Tears in Heaven. And Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. If the line “Why is the bedroom so cold ?” isn’t depressing, I don’t know what is. Lou Reed’s song about his pal Billy is also a truly depressing song. Since Cash is on the list, I’d suggest Give my love to Rose.
I have no idea why, but the so-happy-it’s-creepy vibe of “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed makes it somehow depressing…
Great list, great comments.
radiohead-how to disappear completely is so beautiful. I had to laugh at this
“(anyone with the answer should e mail james blunt forthwith)”
I really didn’t care for Johnny Cash’s cover of Hurt.
To me something is depressing when there is no hope, so I find “Brothers In Arms” sad, but not hopeless, as they find comfort in each other.
That said,
Simon’s I am a Rock
Tons of stuf by the Smiths and the Cure, and especially,
In The Ghetto,
Are depressing!
suzi: you are right about Brothers in Arms – it is a great song – thanks for mentioning it
Very hard to find, but easily the most depressing song I’ve ever heard in my entire life.
Birdbrain- “My Gun”.
From the band’s final album in 1997, it’s essentially the lead singer playing acoustic and saying he’s going to kill himself, with a trumpet solo that only adds more sadness.
This list is great btw
crimmas: thanks
I have not heard the song “My Gun” – did the singer kill himself or was it just the theme of the song?
I know a lot of people may disagree with me , but Blind Melon “No Rain” always get to me, especially on rainy days!
“In the Sun” by Joseph Arthur is an amazing depressing song. Also, any song by the band Manchester Orchestra is both incredibly sad and well written.
Smashing Pumpkins: Night Mare
Great list, but the only songs that realy depress
me A Tout Le Monde by Megadeth and Cortez the Killer by Neil Young
FOR *****S SAKE TRENT REZNOR WROTE HURT , HE SHOULD GET THE RECOGNITION NOT CASH (THOUGH I LOVE HIS COVER) IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME AS THE THE INDIVIDUAL WHO *****ING WROTE IT
YEAH !!! How can I forget , also Down in a Hole & Dirt by Alice in Chains are too depressing
Hard to see Suicide ‘Frankie Teardrop’ as depressing. I’d call it unsettling or perhaps even scary. Do a blog on scary music!
“Me & a Gun” by Tori Amos.
How Soon is Now
is an awesome song and yah i guess its kinda of depressing lol
Oh wow I cant believe that All Of Me by Evanescence wasnt on there. Zoe Jane by Stained. Or Ozzy’s song about suicide it made a guy commit suicide. And none of Queens songs??? why??
simple plan – Untitled
Seether – Broken
Sugarcult – Counting Stars
Manic Street Preachers – Suicide is Painless
and a whole bunch of songs by Cold (A Different Kind of Pain, Another Pill, Tell Me Why, Happens All The Time, When Angels Fly Away…..)