I listen to sad songs because first and foremost, they are f*cking beautiful. Their lyrics are meaningful and you can actually feel the soul in the words and the music, unlike the music that is played on the radio nowadays.

I don’t even have to be sad to want to listen to sad songs either. Sometimes, I just have this dire need to lose myself in melancholy music and I’m not quite sure where that need comes from. I actually try not to listen to sad songs when I’m feeling down specifically because it makes me feel a lot sadder than I already am and I don’t think that’s a good thing to do to yourself.

And similar to most people, I don’t like to cry. I hate crying more than anything because I’d rather push myself to be strong and keep my composure. But it is sad music that allows me to feel my pain in a manageable way.

So here is a list of my 11 most favorite sad songs and this does not nearly encompass all of them.

1. "If I Get High" by Nothing But Thieves

I listed this as my first song because I discovered it about a week and a half ago, so that means I have been playing it on repeat ever since. I really like this song for a couple of reasons. I have never heard of the band before and it is actually one of their least popular songs, which is intriguing to me, considering I think it’s pretty good. The lead singer, Conor Mason, has a voice that is also unfathomably amazing. Like I said before, I love songs with soul and meaning and this song no doubt has both of those. You can really feel the pain in the song, but it is delivered in such a beautiful manner that you become mesmerized rather than broken down by it.

2. "Gun Song" by The Lumineers

I am sure that most of you have heard of The Lumineers. If you haven’t, but you enjoy listening to sad-ish songs, then this is the band for you. Most of The Lumineers’ music is slow and consists of acoustic guitar, so I put this song on my list of sad songs. I absolutely love the last chorus in this song when the lead singer, Wesley Schultz, belts the lyrics on how the things he knew when he was young were true and others were wrong. As a recently turned 20-year-old, I can definitely relate to the realization of how your beliefs and perspective on past events can change with age. And needless to say, it’s a really good song to scream to in your car.

3. "No Excuses" by NEEDTOBREATHE

I came across this song when “Brother" featuring Gavin DeGraw by Needtobreathe was released. I really love Gavin DeGraw, so naturally I listened to their new song and fell in love with the lead singer, Bear Rhinehart’s, voice. I like to look into new bands as often as I am able to come across them and I began to adore Needtobreathe’s music.

I love the sound of acoustic guitar and this song consists of just that: acoustic guitar (with some singing of course and a little electric guitar at one point). And it’s actually quite surprising how instead of the song consisting solely of just pain or something along those lines, there’s definitely some anger hidden in the song meaning. Bear is singing about how a certain person can’t remove fault from their actions by consistently coming up with excuses which I think is relatable for a lot of people.

4. "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are" by Keaton Henson

The music video to this song begins by bringing into view a woman who seems worried and there are tears streaming down her face. But the beauty of this music video and the song itself is that you can see a range of emotions moving across the woman’s face throughout the video. Without knowing what is truly going on or why she is crying, it’s almost as if you can relate to her somehow. She is trying to keep her composure, but she is still crying which I think many of us have experienced in certain situations.

As for the lyrics of the song, it’s clear that the lead singer, Keaton Henson, is asking if a man (unknown to the listeners of the song) knows intimate details specific to someone that Keaton is or was close. In all honestly, I love this song for the very reason that I would like for someone someday to be close enough to me to know and recognize details about me that most people don’t know.

5. "No Other Names- Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United

I am going to be open and say that I have never been a very religious person, but there is something about certain worship songs that really send chills down my spine and tears down my cheeks.

I attended a church called The Father’s House for a while when I was a senior in high school and found a true passion for worship songs because they spoke to me and continue to do so today, even after not going to church since I graduated from high school. I wouldn’t necessarily call this song “sad,” but it is very moving. You can feel the emotion in the words and the way they are sung by both the band and the audience, which is why I love this song.

6. "Til It Happens To You" by Lady Gaga

I chose this song not only because it is extremely moving, but because it is very important to acknowledge in today’s society where sexual assault is prominent on college campuses across the globe. Lady Gaga admitted that she is a sexual assault victim herself, which perfectly explains why her performance of the song and the words themselves are very emotional and personal.

I admire this song because I cannot imagine writing about something so personally traumatizing knowing that it would eventually be premiered in a movie like "The Hunting Ground,"and heard by millions of others. Lady Gaga illustrates how rape can seem like such a distant tragedy that happens to strangers on the news, but the reality of the aftermath of rape is much more real and life changing when it happens to you. In other words, you can’t just tell a victim to move on or to get over it, because you don’t know how it feels until it happens in your very own life.

7. "5 AM" by Amber Run

I’d say this is one of the saddest songs on my list so far, especially because of the tone of the song. To me, the song is about how limited time is and how you won’t get anywhere in life by living recklessly and using drugs or alcohol to heal the pain. The lyrics are extremely poetic too, which makes the song so much more beautiful than it already is.

8. "Goner" by Twenty One Pilots

Ugh, where do I start when it comes to Twenty One Pilots? I couldn’t leave them off of my list, that’s for sure. If you listen carefully enough, most of Twenty One Pilots’ songs are heart-wrenching, but it is because they shed some serious light on the darkest parts of one’s thoughts and demons.

“Goner” is no different. You can literally feel the excitement/tension/emotion rising throughout the entire song, until the very end where all of the emotion that is stored beneath the surface completely spills out; Tyler Joseph is eventually screaming and Joshua Dun is banging on the drums. And to add to that, the live performance with the red bird in the center of the backdrop flying amongst the white birds is even more emotional.

It’s just one of those songs where you’re able to release all of your deepest, darkest emotions to the point where you’re left feeling quite vulnerable, but relieved to finally have it all out in the open.

9. "Iscariot" by Walk The Moon

This one is an oldie for me, but I still greatly enjoy it. Nicholas Petricca, the lead singer, usually sings extremely upbeat songs. But I found this song at least four or five years ago on a whim and loved it because, surprise, surprise, I love sad songs.

I’d have to say my favorite part of the song is how there are repeated chants at the very end and that’s when the emotion finally builds up. And it’s interesting to me because Nicholas doesn’t hit high notes or have this crazy outrageous voice, but he still makes the song his own.

10. "Beautiful" by Ben Rector

Here’s a new one for you guys: sad songs that are sad because they’re nostalgic in sort of a happy way. That’s how I’d describe most of Ben Rector’s songs.

This song is sad to me because Ben Rector, the lead singer, is singing about how things were different when he was younger and things seemed better. He sings of love and freedom. For me, even at the young age of 20, I can say that I was far more carefree when I was 16. There were summers where I would swim, tan, and eat ice cream daily without a care in the world, but things can’t always stay that simple. That’s what this song is about to me and I love it.

11. "Scars" by James Bay

And last, but not least we have James Bay. He has one of the most authentic voices I have ever heard and the raspiness just adds to it.

I picked "Scars" to be on my list because it has always been one of his songs that has kinda just stuck with me. The song is about how James and someone else have experienced pain especially because of distance apart, but are willing to stick through their troubles in order to keep the relationship going. And I think that the honesty in the song which reflects the true struggles of a relationship are what has resonated with me all this time.