50 Songs To Listen To After You’ve Been Broken Up With
A good breakup anthem is balm for the soul.
Antonio Guillem / Shutterstock Breakups come with a mixed bag of emotions. You may not know how to feel at first. Sad? Livid? Hurt? Confused? Maybe everything at once?
Most songs for the dumped are written as a way of processing all those feelings. After all, it’s normal to cycle through different emotions when mourning the loss of a relationship, especially when you’re the one who got dumped.
The unfortunate reality is that getting over someone is easier said than done. There’s no immediate cure that promises you a swift recovery from the pangs of heartbreak. Picking yourself up piece by piece is a slow and painful process.
The good news though, is that recovery is possible. Be gentle with yourself. Allow yourself to grieve. Remember that in time, you’ll be okay.
Below, you’ll find 50 songs for the dumped that’ll help you through your breakup.
1. Olivia Rodrigo – "good 4 U"
Feeling angry is normal. After all, how could they do that to you? Let it all out!
"Well, good for you, you look happy and healthy
Not me, if you ever cared to ask
Good for you, you're doing great out there without me, baby
God, I wish that I could do that"
2. Selena Gomez – "Lose You To Love Me"
It may not feel like it right now, but it’s good to remind yourself that you’ll come out of this stronger than ever.
"We'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dancing was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeah"
3. Frank Ocean – "Bad Religion"
Don't listen to what anyone says. Wallowing in your sadness helps you process your feelings and speeds up the healing process.
"To me, it's nothing but a one-man cult
And cyanide in my styrofoam cup
I can never make him love me
Never make him love me"
4. Fleetwood Mac – "Dreams"
Sometimes, all you can do is let them go their separate way.
"Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom
Well, who am I to keep you down?"
5. Adele – "Someone Like You"
Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder if you’ll ever find someone like them again. Trust that you’ll find other people who’ll love you the way you deserve to be.
"I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
6. Robyn – "Dancing on My Own"
Seeing them with other people will hurt no matter how much you pretend it doesn’t.
“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"
7. Carole King – "It’s Too Late"
No matter how much we love someone, sometimes we’re just not the one for them. But that doesn’t mean you have to cut them out of your life forever.
"There'll be good times again for me and you
But we just can't stay together, don't you feel it, too?
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you"
8. Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – "We Don’t Talk Anymore"
Your ex may have been your go-to person to talk to, but you’ll still have others to fill that role. Reach out to loved ones when you’re ready to talk. It’ll make you feel better, I promise.
"Cause even after all this time, I still wonder
Why I can't move on
Just the way you did so easily"
9. Clide – "can’t give back your love"
Even if you messed up, know that you’ll have a shot at love again. We’re always growing from our mistakes.
"But even if it hurts, I know
That I can't give back your love
There's no way to rip it off
Oh, I'm sorry baby, I
Didn't mean to make you cry"
10. Taylor Swift – "All Too Well"
Some days will be harder than others.
"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
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone"
11. Kesha – "Praying"
Kelly Clarkson said it best. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Keep your chin up and remember your strength!
"You brought the flames and you put me through hell
I had to learn how to fight for myself
And we both know all the truth I could tell
I'll just say this is 'I wish you farewell'"
12. Amy Winehouse – "Back to Black"
Take it one day at a time. The road to recovery is a long and winding one.
"We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to black"
13. Little Mix – "Good Enough"
You’re so worth it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
"Don't look back
Don't need your regrets
Thank God you left my love behind
Couldn't change me if you tried"
14. Miley Cyrus – "Stay"
Sometimes you’ll just want to curl up into a ball and sob.
"Well I try to live without you
But tears fall from my eyes
I'm alone and I feel empty"
15. Avril Lavigne – "My Happy Ending"
It’s okay to grieve what you’ve lost.
"And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending"
16. Olivia Rodrigo – "traitor"
You may realize things about your ex that’ll make you feel extremely bitter. The good news is you can now find someone who’ll treat you better.
"It took you two weeks
To go off and date her
Guess you didn't cheat
But you're still a traitor"
17. Janelle Monáe – "Oh, Maker"
Finding things to be grateful about can help you move on.
"But you loved me
And I really dared to love you too
Perhaps what I mean to say is
Is that it's amazing that your love was mine"
18. Adele – "Don’t You Remember"
You won’t get them off your mind right away. And as hard as it is, try not to linger on the what-ifs and could’ve-beens.
"When was the last time you thought of me?
Or have you completely erased me from your memory?
I often think about where I went wrong
The more I do, the less I know"
19. Maddie & Tae – "Die From A Broken Heart"
Love blows. Seriously. But you’ll live to see another day.
"Mama, the nerve of this guy
To leave me so easy
Am I gonna be alright?
I wanna kick myself for falling so hard
Mama, can you die from a broken heart?"
20. Bon Iver – "I Can’t Make You Love Me"
We humans love to torture ourselves sometimes. As much as we’d like to think we have control over others, the truth is that we can only control our own feelings and actions.
"Cause I can't make you love me
If you don't
You can't make your heart feel
Something it won't"
21. José González – "Hand on Your Heart"
Even if you never get the explanation you’ve been waiting for, you'll find a way to mend.
"And if you don't intend to see it through
Why did we ever start?
I wanna hear you tell me
You don't want my love"
22. Taylor Swift – "I Forgot That You Existed"
One day, this whole mess will be behind you.
"I forgot that you
Sent me a clear message
Taught me some hard lessons
I just forget what they were
It's all just a blur"
23. Tove Lo – "Out Of Mind"
Why is it that the harder we try to forget something, the more we think about it?
"Lovers, into friends
Move on, to strangers
Let go, no more us
Move on, I'm trying"
24. Celine Dion – "To Love You More"
The romantic in you might cope by daydreaming about your ex returning to you.
"Don't go you know you'll break my heart
She won't love you like I will
I'm the one who'll stay
When she walks away
And you know I'll be standing here still"
25. Heather Headley – "In My Mind"
Regardless of how things ended, you two will always have history.
"In my mind, I'll always be his lady.
In my mind, I'll always be his girl.
Only time can tell if I'm his lady.
But in my mind, I'll always be his girl"
26. The Rolling Stones – "Angie"
You can find peace by accepting you two did all you could do to keep the relationship afloat.
"You can't say we're satisfied
Angie, Angie
You can't say we never tried"
27. The Smiths – "I Know It’s Over"
On dark days, remind yourself of what matters. Life always goes on, even if your heart says it doesn’t.
"Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head
And as I climb into an empty bed
Oh well. Enough said.
I know it's over - still I cling
I don't know where else I can go"
28. Madison Beer – "Selfish"
Three words: blessings in disguise.
"Shouldn't love you, but I couldn't help it
Had a feeling that you never felt it
I always knew that you were too damn selfish
Don't know why I looked the other way"
29. Mimi Webb – "Good Without"
Give yourself credit for falling in love in the first place. That takes courage.
"I'm starin' at all these photographs
I guess the good things ain't meant to last
I gave you forever, you gave a month
I've never fallen for anyone"
30. Kesha – "Hungover"
Partying the night away only helps so much. Even though it hurts, the best way to get through the pain is to face it head-on.
"Now the party's over
And everybody's gone
I'm left here with myself and I wonder what went wrong
And now my heart is broken
Like the bottles on the floor"
31. Alec Benjamin – "The Way You Felt"
Just because it’s over doesn’t mean you have to forget the beautiful things about it.
"The way you felt in my arms
Our chemistry was sacred
Oh, I fell for your charm
I was so infatuated
But you left me in the dark
And my heart completely vacant"
32. Demi Lovato – "In Case"
It’ll feel like you’re incapable of letting go at first, but trust the process.
"In case, you change your mind, I'll be waiting here
In case, you just want to come home"
33. Molly Sandén –"Why Am I Crying"
You’ll learn that crying doesn’t always mean you’re sad. Sometimes, they’re tears of frustration and anger.
"Not gonna miss you, not at all
So what am I doing here,
Doing here on the floor crying
Crying
Why am I crying?"
34. Amy Winehouse – "Tears Dry On Their Own"
Amy hit the nail on the head with this one – "withdrawal" sums up the breakup experience perfectly.
"I don't understand
Why do I stress the man?
When there's so many bigger things at hand
We coulda never had it all
We had to hit a wall
So this is inevitable withdrawal"
35. Little Mix – "Turn Your Face"
Catharsis can come in the form of jotting down all those things you left unsaid.
"In my memory
While my head bleeds
The words I'll never find
That I always meant to say to you I can't"
36. Olivia Rodrigo– "deja vu"
Just as you carry pieces of your ex, they’ll carry pieces of you, too.
"Play her piano, but she doesn't know
That I was the one who taught you Billy Joel
A different girl now, but there's nothing new
I know you get déjà vu"
37. Fleetwood Mac – "Landslide"
We all know change is scary. But with it comes more opportunities to love and laugh.
"Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older too"
38. Mary J. Blige – "I’m Goin’ Down"
Beating yourself up is never as productive as you think it is.
"I'm so sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry
What did I do wrong?
I said, what did I do wrong?
Please forgive me baby
And come on home"
39. Gloria Gaynor – "I Will Survive"
Self explanatory.
"Oh no not I, I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give"
40. Christina Perri – "Jar of Hearts"
Don’t feel guilty for harboring resentment toward your ex, especially if they’ve hurt you. You don’t owe them anything.
"It took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed
'Cause you broke all your promises"
41. Miley Cyrus – "Wrecking Ball"
Once you’ve put enough space between yourself and your ex, you’ll start seeing the bigger picture.
"Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you"
42. Brenda Lee – "Break It To Me Gently"
If only rejection was as sweet-sounding as this oldie.
"Let me down the easy way
Make me feel that you still love me"
43. No Doubt – "Don’t Speak"
Do yourself a favor – don’t get hung up on your ex’s explanation.
"Don't speak, I know just what you're sayin'
So please stop explainin'
Don't tell me 'cause it hurts"
44. Taylor Swift – "The Story Of Us"
The queen of heartbreak anthems knows best. Next chapter, indeed!
"This is looking like a contest
Of who can act like they care less
But I liked it better when you were on my side"
45. Beyonce – "Best Thing I Never Had"
Reflecting on your relationship with your ex can help you realize that it might not have been as perfect as you thought it was.
"Thank God you blew it
I thank God I dodged the bullet"
46. Rihanna – "Stay"
Look at it this way – if RiRi can give herself the space to contemplate all those complex feelings, you can too.
"Well, funny you're the broken one
But I'm the only one who needed saving
'Cause when you never see the light
It's hard to know which one of us is caving"
47. Post Malone – "I Fall Apart"
Let your scars be a symbol of your resilience and capacity to love.
"Never caught a feelin' this hard
Harder than the liquor I pour
Tell me you don't want me no more
But I can't let go"
48. Pink – "What About Us"
You might never know why this happened in the first place, but don’t let that stop you from moving on with your life.
"What about us?
What about all the times you said you had the answers?"
49. Lorde – "Green Light"
Cry your heart out tonight. You can rebuild your life tomorrow.
"'Cause honey I'll come get my things, but I can't let go
I'm waiting for it, that green light, I want it
Oh, I wish I could get my things and just let go
I'm waiting for it, that green light, I want it"
50. Olivia Rodrigo – "drivers license"
Though reminders of your ex are always bittersweet, find some comfort in knowing those associations will evolve with time.
"Red lights, stop signs
I still see your face in the white cars, front yards
Can't drive past the places we used to go to"
Yona Dervishi is a writer who covers topics pertaining to astrology, self-care, radical acceptance, and pop culture.