107 Cathartic Breakup Songs (That You'll Hopefully Never Need)

*Grabs the Kleenex*

Breakups are a universal part of the human experience, but let's not sugarcoat things: They freaking suck. Sometimes the only things that can help you through one are a blanket, the ice cream/pizza/wine of your choice, and some breakup music.

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I hope you never need them, but just in case, here are some of the most cathartic breakup songs of all time, divided by mood so that you have something for every stage of your emotional journey.

Lots of breakup songs are sad, but they don't have to be! Some of the very best ones are empowering and triumphant, and others verge on full anger. Whatever kind of emotional release you're looking for, there's a breakup song for you.

CATEGORY 1: Songs for when "We need to talk"

Your relationship isn't working out and it's time for an awkward, sad conversation. These songs might sum up your feelings perfectly.

1. "Doing It Wrong" by Drake

Young Money / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "When a good thing goes bad, it's not the end of the world / It's just the end of a world that you had with one girl"

2. "Burn" by Usher

Arista / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "It's been a long time coming, but we done been fell apart / Really wanna work this out, but I don't think you're gonna change / I do, but you don't, think it's best we go our separate ways"

3. "Purple Rain" by Prince

Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I never meant to cause you any sorrow / I never meant to cause you any pain / I only wanted one time to see you laughing"

4. "With or Without You" by U2

Island / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "My hands are tied / My body bruised, she got me with / Nothing to win and / Nothing left to lose"

5. "Heart Crush" by BJ the Chicago Kid

Motown / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Sometimes we want to work so bad, we stay too long / Then too long turns to too much / 'Cause too much is how two hearts crush"

6. "No Nothing" by Curtis & Reinhard Feat. Blaire

27 Sound / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "We gave it a run / But we never could learn"

CATEGORY 2: Songs for when you're just sad, okay?

Get in bed, grab the Kleenex, and let it out to the tune of these tearjerkers.

7. "Crying in the Rain" by a-Ha

Warner Bros.

Angstiest lyrics: "You'll never know that I still love you so / Though the heartaches remain / I'll do my crying in the rain"

8. "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" by John Mayer

Aware / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "When you're dreaming with a broken heart / The waking up is the hardest part"

9. "She's Gone" by Hall & Oates

Atlantic / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I'd pay the devil to replace her / She's gone, and she's gone"

10. "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts

Lyric Street / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "What hurts the most / Was being so close / And having so much to say / And watching you walk away"

11. "Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes

Motown / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Before you won my heart (baby, baby) / You were a perfect guy / But now that you got me / You wanna leave me behind"

12. "Only the Lonely" by Roy Orbison

Monument 421 / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "There goes my baby / There goes my heart / They're gone forever / So far apart"

13. "I'm Goin' Down" by Mary J. Blige

Uptown / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Why'd you have to say goodbye / Look what you've done to me / I can't stop these tears from fallin' from my eyes"

14. "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men

LaFace / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "How could you love me and leave me and never / Say goodbye?"

15. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by Al Green

Polydor / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Somebody, please help me mend my broken heart / And let me live again"

16. "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette

EMI / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "It must have been love, but it's over now / It must have been good, but I lost it somehow"

17. "Crying" by Roy Orbison

Monument 447 / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I thought that I was over you / But it's true, so true / I love you even more than I did before"

18. "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Etta James

Cadet 5578 / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Whoo, I would rather, I would rather go blind, boy / Than to see you walk away from me, child, no"

19. "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

4AD / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "And now all your love is wasted / Then who the hell was I? / 'Cause now I'm breaking at the bridges / And at the end of all your lies"

20. "New York" by St. Vincent

Loma Vista / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I have lost a hero, I have lost a friend / But for you, darling, I'd do it all again"

21. "Ain’t No Sunshine" by Bill Withers

Sussex / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone / And this house just ain't no home / Anytime she goes away"

22. "It's Too Late" by Carole King

Ode / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "And it's too late, baby, now, it's too late / Though we really did try to make it / Something inside has died"

23. "The Scientist" by Coldplay

Capital / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Nobody said it was easy / It's such a shame for us to part"

24. "Call Out My Name" by the Weeknd

Republic / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I almost cut a piece of myself for your life / Guess I was just another pit stop / Till you made up your mind"

25. "Gone" by *NSYNC

Jive

Angstiest lyrics: "I drove myself insane / Wishin' I could touch your face / But the truth remains / You're gone"

26. "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi

Vertigo

Angstiest lyrics: "I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain"

27. "abcdefu" by GAYLE

Atlantic

Angstiest lyrics: "A-B-C-D-E, F-U / And your mom and your sister and your job / And your broke-ass car and that shit you call art / Fuck you and your friends that I'll never see again"

28. "Someone Like You" by Adele

Columbia / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I had hoped you'd see my face / And that you'd be reminded that for me, it isn't over"

29. "Happy Ending" by Mika

Island / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending / No hope, no love, no glory, no happy ending"

30. "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy

Virgin / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy / I thought you'd want the same for me"

31. "Lover All Alone" by Clay Aiken

RCA / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Maybe I've convinced myself / I've really been in love / But I've been wrong all along"

32. "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes

Island / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You watch me bleed until I can't breathe / I'm shaking, falling onto my knees"

33. "Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You're giving me a million reasons to let you go / You're giving me a million reasons to quit the show"

34. "Dancing on My Own" by Robyn

Konichiwa / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "So far away but still so near / The lights come on, the music dies / But you don't see me standing here / I just came to say goodbye"

35. "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me / 'Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street"

36. "Yesterday" by the Beatles

EMI / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be / There's a shadow hanging over me"

37. "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt

Capitol / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't / You can't make your heart feel something it won't"

38. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins

Atlantic / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "So take a look at me now / Oh, there's just an empty space / And there's nothin' left here to remind me / Just the memory of your face"

39. "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus

RCA / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I never meant to start a war / I just wanted you to let me in / I guess I should've let you win"

40. "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse

Island / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "We only said goodbye with words / I died a hundred times / You go back to her / And I go back to / I go back to us"

41. "Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton

LaFace / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Un-break my heart / Say you'll love me again / Undo this hurt you caused / When you walked out the door / And walked out of my life"

42. "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor

Chrysalis / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I could put my arms around every boy I see / But they'd only remind me of you"

43. "Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo

Geffen

Angstiest lyrics: "'Cause I've made some real big mistakes / But you make the worst one look fine"

44. "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri

Atlantic Records

Angstiest lyrics: "It took so long just to feel alright / Remember how to put back the light in my eyes"

45. "Too Good At Goodbyes" by Sam Smith

youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I'm never gonna let you close to me / Even though you mean the most to me / 'Cause every time I open up, it hurts"

46. "On My Own" from Les Misérables

Universal

Angstiest lyrics: "I love him / But every day I'm learning / All my life / I've only been pretending / Without me / His world will go on turning / A world that's full of happiness / That I have never known"

47. "Everytime" by Britney Spears

Jive

Angstiest lyrics: "At night I pray / That soon your face will fade away"

CATEGORY 3: Songs for when they did you wrong and probably regret it

Once your tears dry, you might be left feeling anger, and that's totally valid. Especially if someone has the audacity to come crawling back to you after breaking your heart. You might forgive them eventually, but you won't forget and never look back. These angry breakup songs are for when you need to rage.

48. "Silver Springs" by Fleetwood Mac

Warner Bros.

Angstiest lyrics: "Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me / I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me / I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you / You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you"

49. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye

Soul / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You know that a man ain't supposed to cry / But these tears I can't hold inside"

50. "Grenade" by Bruno Mars

Elektra

Angstiest lyrics: "Oh, I would go through all this pain / Take a bullet straight through my brain / Yes, I would die for you, baby / But you won't do the same"

51. "Ex-Factor" by Lauryn Hill

Columbia / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Loving you is like a battle / And we both end up with scars"

52. "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" by Lou Rawls

Philadelphia International

Angstiest lyrics: "You'll never find, it'll take the end of all time / Someone to understand you like I do / You'll never find the rhythm, the rhyme / All the magic we shared, just us two"

53. "Too Little Too Late" by JoJo

Universal

Angstiest lyrics: "You say you dream of my face / But you don't like me, you just like the chase"

54. "Don't Bother" by Shakira

Epic

Angstiest lyrics: "So don't bother / I won't die of deception / I promise you won't ever see me cry / Don't feel sorry"

55. "All Too Well" by Taylor Swift

Republic / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it / I'd like to be my old self again / But I'm still trying to find it"

56. "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele

XL/Columbia

Angstiest lyrics: "The scars of your love remind me of us / They keep me thinking that we almost had it all"

57. "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber

Def Jam / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "My mama don't like you and she likes everyone"

58. "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake

Jive / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You told me you love me / Why did you leave me all alone?"

59. "Gives You Hell" by the All-American Rejects

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Now you'll never see what you've done to me / You can take back your memories, they're no good to me"

60. "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac

Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "If I could / Baby, I'd give you my world / How can I / When you won't take it from me?"

61. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

Champion

Angstiest lyrics: "Don't touch me, please / I cannot stand the way you tease / I love you though you hurt me so / Now I'm gonna pack my things and go"

62. "Heartbeat" by Childish Gambino

Glassnote/Universal

Angstiest lyrics: "I need to be alone like the way you left me"

63. "S.O.S" by Jonas Brothers

Hollywood

Angstiest lyrics: "Now my heart's in two / And I can't find the other half"

64. "Take a Bow" by Rihanna

Def Jam / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Don't tell me you're sorry 'cause you're not / Baby, when I know you're only sorry you got caught"

65. "Don't" by Ed Sheeran

Asylum / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Don't fuck with my love / That heart is so cold"

66. "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly & AJ

Hollywood / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "'Cause without me, you know you're lost / Minus you, I'm better off"

67. "Cold" by Chris Stapleton

Mercury Nashville / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Why you got to go and cut me like a knife / And put our love on ice? / Oh, girl, you know you left this hole / Right here in the middle of my soul"

68. "Ghost" by Ella Henderson

Syco / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "My friends had you figured out / Yeah, they saw what's inside of you / You tried hiding another you / But your evil was coming through"

69. "Fuck You" by CeeLo Green

Elektra / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "And although there's pain in my chest / I still wish you the best / With a 'Fuck you'"

70. "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi

Mercury / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "An angel's smile is what you sell / You promise me heaven, then put me through hell"

71. "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "And I don't talk shit about you on the internet / Never told anyone anything bad / 'Cause that shit's embarrassing, you were my everything / And all that you did was make me fucking sad"

72. "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon

Elektra / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair and that you would never leave / But you gave away the things you loved / And one of them was me"

73. "Leave (Get Out)" by JoJo

Blackground / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You said that you would treat me right / But you was just a waste of time"

74. "Apologize" by Timbaland Feat. OneRepublic

Mosley / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You tell me that you're sorry / Didn't think I'd turn around and say that / It's too late to apologize, it's too late"

75. "I'm Not the Only One" by Sam Smith

Capitol / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Your heart is unobtainable / Even though Lord knows you kept mine"

76. "My Happy Ending" by Avril Lavigne

RCA / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "All this time you were pretending / So much for my happy ending"

77. "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette

Maverick / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "It was a slap in the face / How quickly I was replaced"

78. "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood

Arista Nashville / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I might have saved a little trouble for the next girl / Cause the next time that he cheats / Oh, you know it won't be on me"

79. "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye

Eleven / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "But you didn't have to cut me off / Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing / And I don't even need your love / But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough"

80. "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Wait, they don't love you like I love you"

81. "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia

Joy Music / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Illusion never changed / Into something real / I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn"

82. "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart

Mercury / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You stole my heart, and that's what really hurts"

83. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" by Bob Dylan

Columbia / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say / To try and make me change my mind and stay"

84. "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Blackheart / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "Can't break free from the the things that you do / I wanna walk but I run back to you / That's why I hate myself for loving you"

85. "You're Breaking My Heart" by Harry Nilsson

RCA Victor / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You're breakin' my heart / You're tearing it apart, so fuck you"

86. "The Best Deceptions" by Dashboard Confessional

Vagrant / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You're calling too late / Too late to be gracious / And you do not warrant long goodbyes"

CATEGORY 4: Songs for when it's over but you wish them well.

You're not quite healed from the breakup, and you may even have some regrets of your own, but you know it's time to let that person go. The general sentiment of these songs is best summed up by Dolly Parton's words as sung by Queen Whitney in "I Will Always Love You."  

87. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston

Arista / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "We both know I'm not what you need"

88. "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars

Atlantic

Angstiest lyrics: "Do all the things I should have done / When I was your man"

89. "Stone Cold" by Demi Lovato

Hollywood / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "God knows I try to feel / Happy for you / Know that I am, even if I / Can't understand, I'll take the pain / Give me the truth, me and my heart / We'll make it through / If happy is her, I'm happy for you"

AND FINALLY, CATEGORY 5: Songs for when you're better off without them.

At the end of the day, you're a bad bitch and one breakup can't change that. These songs will help you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and be ready to face whatever's next. Let the wise words of Kelly Clarkson be your guide: It doesn't mean you're lonely when you're alone (single).

90. "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus

Columbia Records

Angstiest lyrics: "We were right 'til we weren't / Built a home and watched it burn"

91. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson

RCA

Angstiest lyrics: "Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone"

92. "Break Free" by Ariana Grande featuring Zedd

Republic

Angstiest lyrics: "In my dreams it felt so right / But I woke up every time"

93. "Survivor" by Destiny's Child

Columbia

Angstiest lyrics: "After all of the darkness and sadness / Soon comes happiness"

94. "Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande

Republic / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "One taught me love / One taught me patience / And one taught me pain"

95. "New Rules" by Dua Lipa

Warner Bros.

Angstiest lyrics: "Don't let him in, you'll have to kick him out again"

96. "It's Not Right but It's Okay" by Whitney Houston

Arista

Angstiest lyrics: "I'd rather be alone than unhappy" 

97. "Feather" by Sabrina Carpenter

Island

Angstiest lyrics: "Your signals are mixed, you act like a bitch / You fit every stereotype, 'Send a pic' / I feel so much lighter like a feather with you out my life"

98. "I Don't Need A Man" by The Pussycat Dolls

AM

Angstiest lyrics: "I don't need a ring around my finger / To make me feel complete"

99. "U + Ur Hand" by Pink

LaFace Record

Angstiest lyrics: "I'm not here for your entertainment / You don't really want mess with me tonight / Just stop and take a second / I was fine before you walked into my life"

100. "Don’t Speak" by No Doubt

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "I really feel that I'm losin' my best friend / I can't believe this could be the end"

101. "Lose You to Love Me" by Selena Gomez

Interscope / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "In two months, you replaced us / Like it was easy / Made me think I deserved it"

102. "Shout Out to My Ex" by Little Mix

Syco / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You made my heart break, and that made me who I am"

103. "Truth Hurts" by Lizzo

Atlantic / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "You're supposed to hold me down / But you're holding me back"

104. "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson

RCA / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "How come I'd never hear you say, 'I just wanna be with you' / Guess you never felt that way"

105. "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

Polydor / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "It took all the strength I had not to fall apart / Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart"

106. "Irreplaceable" by Beyoncé

Columbia / Via youtube.com

Angstiest lyrics: "So since I'm not your everything / How about I'll be nothing, nothing at all to you"

107. "Best Thing I Never Had" by Beyoncé

Columbia

Angstiest lyrics: "I used to want you so bad / I'm so through with that / 'Cause honestly, you turned out to be the best thing I never had"

What are your favorite breakup songs? Comment below, and they might be added to the list!