"If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion." - "Frontiers in Psychology" (It's True: Sad Music is Good For You)
Plug those headphones in! Here are 10 songs from my favorite genres that are perfectly sad, along with a sadness rating and synopsis.
1. "Haywire" by Bootstraps
Genre: American alternative
Sadness level: 5 out of 10
This song isn't actually that sad, but just rather soothing. Jordan Beckett's voice is like melting caramel, and the soft piano and slow drums are a smoky symphony that will lull you to bed.
2. "Child's Play" by SZA ft. Chance The Rapper
Genre: Indie R&B/hip hop
Sadness level: 5 out of 10
The song's sadness creeps in near the end, when Chance The Rapper and SZA begin to sing together. SZA's delicate voice and the cryptic lines sung by both artists leave you in a periwinkle daze. SZA's part also has a glorious F-word in it.
3. "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
Genre: Rock
Sadness level: 7 out of 10
We're taking it back to 1975 with this tune, and David Gilmour's unique wail still pulls us in. This song is a classic downer, with a wonderfully slow intro that pulls heartstrings with its notes.
4. "No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses
Genre: Indie rock
Sadness level: 7 out of 10
This song has an honest sadness to it that really speaks to its listeners, even if it has limited lyrics. This is shown through its mainstream popularity. Ben Bridewell's voice can seem like it's skewering you with some transition-less high notes, but the message and sadness of the song are worth it.
5. "Doing It Wrong" by Drake ft. Stevie Wonder
Genre: R&B/hip hop
Sadness level: 7.5 out of 10
Of course, I had to throw in hip hop's King of Sadness. Drake uses his soft auto-tune in this song, and he almost sounds like a really sad robot who's losing battery and breaking up with his robot girlfriend at the same time. Plus, Stevie Wonder's harmonica solo really brings it all together.
6. "Losing Keys" by Jack Johnson
Genre: Folk/acoustic
Sadness level: 8 out of 10
This song is melancholy and full of defeat, and Jack Johnson's pillowy soft voice will have you floating on a cloud. This song yields from the album "Sleep Through The Static," and if you're really sad, this entire album is a blue teardrop jewel that will act as a haven forever.
7. "Let It All Go" by Birdy + Rhodes
Genre: Indie pop/indie folk
Sadness level: 8 out of 10
Birdy's powerful voice and Rhodes' gentle sound intertwine so well with dramatic piano, violin and even tambourine. This song is full of beautiful lyrics, which includes a heart-rending line: "Who says truth is beauty, after all?" And that's just one line of this triumphant, sad, beautiful song.
8. "Flume" by Bon Iver
Genre: Indie/baroque pop
Sadness level: 8 out of 10
If I could have filled this whole playlist just with Bon Iver, I would have. However, "Flume" took the cake for me, and "Skinny Love" seemed like too mainstream of a choice. Bon Iver has a magical woodland sound and a unique croon-y, yearn-y voice that can hypnotize.
9. "Upward Over The Mountain" by Iron & Wine
Genre: Folk/indie folk
Sadness level: 8 out of 10
Samuel Beam has a whisper-like voice and a gift for making rather dark lyrics sound like pillow talk. The consistency of beautiful acoustic work makes this a solid, sad song. And the overall sound of this song will have you thinking you've been sitting sadly in the same chair for hours.
10. "Tonight" by Lykke Li
Genre: Dream pop/alternative
Sadness level: 9 out of 10
Lykke Li has a gorgeous, organic sadness in this song, with her minimal amount of lyrics with a high amount of repetition. The sound of this tune makes it seem like you're standing in the studio right next to her. Lykke Li's voice is pleading and clear, and it makes you want to cover her with a blanket.
Overall, I'd like to thank all of these artists for mastering the sound of sadness, and I'd like to add that there are many other sad songs out there, waiting to be discovered
