Ask Lemmy

Beck - Lost Cause

Weird Al - One More Minute

Can't beat I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.

Somebody That I Used to Know came out during my only breakup and it was everywhere, so I feel biased toward it.

However, I'm a huge They Might Be Giants fan and they have some good ones:

They'll Need A Crane, Lucky Ball & Chain, and Let Me Tell You About My Operation stand out, but there are plenty of others.

Unhinged: You Oughta Know by Alanis Mortisette. Listen closely to the lyrics for way too much information.

Hinged: Hard to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago. Such a sweet melody that I've heard it playing on weddings, of all places...

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJG_B2qIqC0](CAKE - Fashion Nugget - Friend)

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Baby Bitch by Ween

Greatest is hard to nail down, but some songs that I think belong in the conversation:

Måneskin - BLA BLA BLA is pretty unhinged.

Bob Dylan - Idiot Wind isn’t unambiguously a breakup song, but the vibes are right there for me.

Kanye’s a piece of shit but See You In My Nightmares is a banger of a breakup song

Beatles - Yesterday is an all time classic

You Outta Know by Alanis Morissette

Someone already mentioned Yes by McAlmont and Butler. My second choice:

Song for the Dumped, Ben Folds Five.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjkMh0tKCZo

Last dance with Mary Jane - Tom Petty

Cry me a river - Justin Timberlake

Goodbye - Barbara Streisand ( Hello Dolly)

Break Up (Bye Bye) by the Frock Destroyers

The show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has soooo many songs that could fit, this is just a few trying to keep to the relatively spoiler free ones:

Unhinged (healthy) : "let's generalize about men"

Unhinged (unhealthy): "I'm not sad, you're sad"

Trying to be fully hinged: "without love you can save the world"

I really recommend people to watch the show to find the rest and the best, rather than just the songs/clips. Some of them atäre truly elevated by context, and some are excellent standalone but too spoiler imo.

Unhinged, but in a wry, subtle way: God Will by Lyle Lovett.

Personally I never had a breakup, but my wife told me her song was, Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive.

You Oughta Know if you're mad about it

Don’t Speak if you’re sad about it

in my darkest hour - Megadeth

Unbreak my heart - Toni braxton

Its not right but its okay – Whitney Houston

Before he cheats - Carrie Underwood

Jimmy Buffet - Margaritaville

Not enough songs out there for the people who know they were the problem.

Pale blue eyes- Velvet Underground

When you were mine- Prince or Cyndi Lauper versions are both great

Gave you everything- The interrupters

I will always love you- Dolly

I hate myself for loving you- Joan Jett

You can have him- Nina Simone

Also doesn't necessarily have to be an official break up song to fit the bill.

Sweetness- Jimmy Eat World Always really loved that song but just found out that it's apparently about learning how to not find validation in others.

Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush also checks off the unhinged doomed from the start relationship box for me even if it's not necessarily a breakup song

Also, being able to get through Fast Car by Tracy Chapman without sobbing is a clear sign of progress.

Also, just remembered Flowers on the Wall by the Statler Brothers. OG big unhinged energy

Half hinged: Lent, by Autoheart

Unhinged: Mr Brightside, by The Killers

The very best: Bouncing Souls — "Wish Me Well"

Honorable mentions:

Mest — "It's Over"

FurtherMore — "We Need to Talk"

Weird Al — "One More Minute" but also "You Don't Love Me Anymore")

The Magnetic Fields: "I Don't Really Love You Anymore" and "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" and "Acoustic Guitar" and "Promises of Eternity" and "Your Girlfriend's Face" and "Seduced and Abandoned" and basically just half their catalogue, seriously

The All-American Rejects — "Gives You Hell"

Goldfinger — "Mabel"

I'll try to come back and finish adding links.

If you're the one who wanted to break up: Want You Gone. The song Glados sings from Portal 2.

If not: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train

Joey Dosik, Vulfpeck - Running Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvpLjcXU3hY&t=222

Love Me Dead by Ludo

Too Bad by Rival Sons

Type o negative - anesthesia

Def Leopard - Love Bites

Theory of a Deadman - The Bitch Came Back

Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye

It's hard for me to pick just one so I figured I may as well toss in a few to fit a couple moods.

I still like Babe I'm Gonna Leave You by Zeppelin. Slow and acoustic into an explosion of power, like my emotions during those moments. Fuckin' love it.

I gave you by Superwolf

it's literally called the Break Up Song :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ePSJ44Fiw

Dry your eyes - The Streets

Ok just thought of another one that will be good if you like country that is pretty twisted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJzp4ljVDi0 David Allen Coe - stains on the pillow where you once laid your head

From the few artists I know in this thread and any self-descriptive titles, this is going to be rather out there but...

Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace are what a friend and I agreed is the perfect breakup music. I think it came up because it made me feel better during a breakup but I didn't want to continue listening to it to avoid getting sick of it and it losing the effect next time. Or something, idk I was a teenager :p

BB: I will not bow • Crawl • Blow me away
3DG: Break • Scared • Riot

Didn't know them at the time but Amity Affliction probably fits here as well. Soak me in bleach or Pittsburgh, for example

"Echo Home" by The Kills

This is not a breakup song, but about many things i think. However the allusions to loneliness (or maybe solitude/isolation rather than loneliness) have me slot it partially in the breakup category... "Reckoner" by Radiohead.

Smile by Lily Allen (the music video is unhinged)

Self Destruct by Between Friends (totally hinged)