Top Ten Most Depressing Songs

[Sion Reaver]

In you're opinion what are some of the most depressing songs you've heard? For me, its "Pale" by within Temptation. I'm sure's there's better out there but then again I haven't hard to many depressing songs. What about you guys? It can be music from anything, movies, anime etc.

[Lord of Denial]

I don't really listen to music but of the songs I have heard in my life.

Metallicas- One ( Is just incredible depressing)

[Laughing Mask]

hurt, johnny cash
exit music (for a film), radiohead
mad world, gary jules
between the bars, elliott smith

[Gezora]

Dock of The Bay - Otis Redding

One of the most depressing songs I've ever heard. Just an old man watching the sea, because he literally has nothing better to do.

[Matthew E]

Country Death Song - Violent Femmes

[Chiasm]

Black - Pearl Jam
Bittersweet - Within Temptation
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
Something I can Never Have - Nine Inch Nails
Sanctified - Nine Inch Nails
Tourniquet - Evanescence
Its Too Late - Carole King
The Scientist - Coldplay
Let Down - Radiohead
Trust - The Cure
Brick - Ben Fold Five

[Jonathan Bogart]

Dock of The Bay - Otis Redding

One of the most depressing songs I've ever heard. Just an old man watching the sea, because he literally has nothing better to do.

I've never heard it as a depressing song, even though the lyrics are all about going nowhere and doing nothing, because that melody is so breezy and Redding's singing is so airy. It actually sounds carefree to me; why else would he whistle?

God, I long for the day when I'll have nothing better to do than watch the tides.

[Athena Bast]

Any fricking love (or just plain ole song) sung by James Blunt. That man makes me suicidal.

[Hiromi]

Queensrÿche's Operation Mind Crime

[beetheb]

Nirvana's "Something in the Way" is not the song to listen to while depressed. The subject matter of the song itself isn't that depressing (it's just weird), but the tone and feeling of the song makes me want to blow my head of with a shotgun.

Go figure.

[stealthwise]

I don't really listen to music but of the songs I have heard in my life.

Metallicas- One ( Is just incredible depressing)

Really? I don't find that song as depressing as I find it intense.

As disliked as the song is, I find Mama Said to be more depressing. Or perhaps To Live is to Die, if you know what it's about.

[joegottman]

Blue October - Hate Me and Into the Ocean.

[JCAll]

No love for "He Stopped Loving Her Today"?

[Jonathan Bogart]

No love for "He Stopped Loving Her Today"?
I know that for me, it's too operatic to be depressing; the sense of grandeur gives it a cathartic quality.

[rick]

The cover of Tom Petty's, Southern Accents by Johnny Cash gets me everytime.

It's not that great a song untl this small three line bit in the middle....

For just a minute there I was dreaming
For just a minute it was all so real
For just a minute she was standing there, with me


Every time I hear those lines I think of Lace and get a little misty.

[Jonathan Bogart]

It's hard for me to think of actually depressing music: generally speaking, any worthwhile sad music has a redemptive quality to it, a beauty or a bittersweetness that lifts it above mere sadness.

There's music that can make me depressed for reasons that have nothing to do with the actual song. Panic! At The Disco, for example, makes me depressed about the narcissistic, essentially ignorant state of popular culture, but their actual music (and lyrics) are too bland to inspire any emotion except a vague irritation at their unearned self-importance.

But I listen to music to get away from depression. I'm getting too old to want to revel in being bummed out anymore, and while that doesn't mean I want a solid diet of happy, depression without alleviation seems pointless.

That said, I guess I have a couple nominations, though they don't make me depressed, exactly, just sober and reflective:

Joy Division, "Heart And Soul"
Tom Waits, "Georgia Lee"
Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"
and just about any Appalachian murder ballad.

[Sanagi]

Rick Wright's solo album, Broken China, is depressing as hell and has only a couple of moderately optimistic songs at the end for balance.

[Angelus II]

Heartache Every Moment, HIM
The Path, HIM

[Motormouse]

Hurt ~ Jonny Cash
Thinking About tomorrow ~ Beth Orton
My Love My Life ~ Abba (yes, Abba)
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart ~ Al Green
Brothers In The Night ~ Ray Kennedy
Ordinary World ~ Duran Duran
Wish You Were Here ~ Pink Floydd
Hallelujah ~ Jeff Buckley
Drive ~ The Cars
Cast No shadow ~ Oasis

[KJS1982]

If anyone's heard this really grungy, dirty, techno club track called "One night in New York City" by "The Horrorist"... that's depressing. Not in the way most of these examples are, but it still truly is.

[twilight]

She's Lost Control by Joy Division.

-Twi

[GozertheGozarian]

Don't know why, but I find Type O Negative's 'Everything Dies' and Nirvana's 'Man who Sold the World' depressing.

[zuludelta]

Not a huge fan of his music, but I always found the late Elliott Smith's King's Crossing (http://youtube.com/watch?v=nX6etUAIbRU&feature=related) and Strung Out Again (http://youtube.com/watch?v=RTruIAzVAjY) to cut uncomfortably close with their frank and unsophisticated lyrics concerning depression and drug addiction.

[Valmore]

The cover of Tom Petty's, Southern Accents by Johnny Cash gets me everytime.

It's not that great a song untl this small three line bit in the middle....

For just a minute there I was dreaming
For just a minute it was all so real
For just a minute she was standing there, with me


Every time I hear those lines I think of Lace and get a little misty.

You are so wrong...

Southern Accents is a GREAT song.

[Slam_Bradley]

"For the Good Times" depresses the poo out of me.

[MartinRedmond]

People listening to Rage Against the Machine and claiming it's worthwhile music is very depressing. Also see, people still listening to Radiohead for more than one album.

[Adam C]

Also see, people still listening to Radiohead for more than one album.

Thanks for reminding me. I have to go listen to Kid A again.

[jesse_custer]

Rage Against the Machine is worthwhile.

Anyway, the three-track span of "The Long Honeymoon," "Man Out of Time," and "Almost Blue" on Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom is truly something beautiful to behold. But those songs get me down, too.

[bert]

"there is a light that never goes out" - the Smiths
http://youtube.com/watch?v=INgXzChwipY

"Pink and Velvet" -- Berlin
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sPnvigr8HjI

"Love Don't Lie" -- House of Lords
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e6zeuXI7GLE

[LordEd1976]

"the Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics.

[rick]

You are so wrong...

Southern Accents is a GREAT song.



I'm not wrong, I said it wasn't a great song until those three lines.

With those lines, what I consider to be at best a so-so song moves to the relm of greatness.

So we aren't actually in disagrement.

[Indigo Al]

Atmosphere - Joy Division
Softer, Softest - Hole
Hurt - NIN
You're not The Man - Sade
Drunk in My Past - X
The World's A Mess, It's in My Kiss - X
Milk It - Nirvana
Ghost in You - Psychedelic Furs
Hey Ya - Outkast
River of Deceipt - Mad Season

[pitbull in a skirt]

Janet Jackson - What About

[rick]

Hey Ya - Outkast



Hey Ya?

Why?

[Angelus II]

Hey Jude, The Beatles

[Indigo Al]

Hey Ya?

Why?

It's kinda subversive that way. There's a little pain in the lyrics.

[Schuimend Mormel]

'Nine Crimes', by Damien Rice. 'Visions' by Living Colour can depress me when I'm in a bad mood, but when I'm feeling good, I just drift away on it without any negativity.

[Ilash]

Hey Jude, The Beatles

Wow, really? Hey Jude is the exact opposite of depressing to me. To me, there's no song that better conveys a feeling of hope and optimism than Hey Jude.

[Trey]

Fade to Black, Metellica
All Apolligies- Nirvana
Any Alice in Chains song

[Valmore]

I'm not wrong, I said it wasn't a great song until those three lines.

With those lines, what I consider to be at best a so-so song moves to the relm of greatness.

So we aren't actually in disagrement.

It's arguably Tom Petty's best ballad.

[Reptisaurus!]

Hey Ya?

Why?

"Don't try to fight the feelin'
Because the thought alone is killing me right now."

"You think you've got it
Ohh, you think you've got it
But got it just don't get it
Till' there's nothing at all."

"If what they say is "Nothing is forever"
Then what makes Love the exception"

"So why you (are we) so in denial
When we know we're not happy here"

And, finally,

"Y'all don't want me here you just wanna dance."

[Ottmeister X]

Definitely One by Metallica. I think it's the video that does it for me since that's the first time I listened to the song. Those images are burned in my head forever as they always appear when I hear the song.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd. It was dedicated to a kid who died in our high school class. Probably not really that depressing of a song, but it's been associated with death for me.

Jeremy - Pearl Jam, but I also hate the song. Not much of a PJ fan and this song is the one I like the least. Probably video-related again.

Come to think of it, I don't really listen to depressing music. I prefer to listen to music I like. Perhaps it can be filled with a sad tone or sad lyrics, but nothing I would find depressing. I associate depressing music with songs that are referenced to in someone's suicide note.

[Ilash]

It's hard for me to think of actually depressing music: generally speaking, any worthwhile sad music has a redemptive quality to it, a beauty or a bittersweetness that lifts it above mere sadness.

There's music that can make me depressed for reasons that have nothing to do with the actual song. Panic! At The Disco, for example, makes me depressed about the narcissistic, essentially ignorant state of popular culture, but their actual music (and lyrics) are too bland to inspire any emotion except a vague irritation at their unearned self-importance.

But I listen to music to get away from depression. I'm getting too old to want to revel in being bummed out anymore, and while that doesn't mean I want a solid diet of happy, depression without alleviation seems pointless.
That said, I guess I have a couple nominations, though they don't make me depressed, exactly, just sober and reflective:

Joy Division, "Heart And Soul"
Tom Waits, "Georgia Lee"
Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"
and just about any Appalachian murder ballad.

I pretty much agree entirely. Even something like Johnny Cash's version of Hurt, which was the first song I thought of when I saw this thread may be incredibly sad but there is a very strong sense of catharsis that I get out of listening to it.

In fact, that could possibly be the main purpose of so-called negative music. I don't think that many people listen to "negative" music to feel worse but as catharsis, something to relate to - in a way, a shoulder to cry on even - that generally leads to a more positive emotional state. I know I do. When I'm feeling pissed off or aggravated, listening to (and singing along to) Won't Get Fooled Again, for example, almost always makes me feel better. And I doubt that I'm the only person who has this experience with the song.

Still, as for songs with depressing lyrics, I find that Elvis Costello's All This Useless Beauty and George Harrison's Isn't It A Pity paint a fairly bleak picture of destructive tendencies that humanity all too often falls into.

[leonaozaki]

Gotta agree with Ilash and JB here. I was trying to think of honestly depressing music but even the most obvious choices ("Tonight's the Night" and the Cure, for example) have cathartic moments for me which off set their depressive qualities.

Now, there is music that freaks me out...but I don't tend to listen to music that's depressing simply to be depressing.

rob

[Superheroic]

"Dust in the Wind" - Kansas

Or anything by R.E.M.

[LiNo]

The Scientist? Cast no shadow? No way!

Try "These Days" by Powderfinger:

"Its coming round again
The slowly creeping hand
Of time and its command
Soon enough it comes
And settles in its place
Its shadow in my face
Puts pressure in my day

This life well its slipping right through my hands
These days turned out nothing like I had planned"

I've seen people mention this on forums as their wedding song - I don't think they'd read the lyrics...

[Paul McEnery]

Depressing songs cheer me up, of course.

Everything by Swans.

But especially God Damn the Sun.

[Shellhead]

Probably half the list should come off Pink Floyd's album The Wall.

[C.O. Jones]

'Throwing It All Away'--Genesis
'A Love So Right'--The Bee Gees
'War Of The Hearts'--Sade
'Alone Again, Naturally'--Gilbert O'Sullivan
'Drivin''--Everything But The Girl

[Sanagi]

Probably half the list should come off Pink Floyd's album The Wall.
The most depressing song from The Wall is in the movie, but not on the album. (Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYtGsvoBVw8))

Broken China is a more depressing album, though. The Wall at least has moments of humor, anger, and twisted pleasure. So Rick Wright has managed to out-dreary his former bandmate, if nothing else.

[Alex]

Names-Cat Power
Ok, normaly i wouldn't listen to cat power, because i'm a straight male, but lauren has a friend who stuck this on my zune recently.
Great christ, it might be less depressing because it is so ridiculasly depressing that i almost thought it was a joke.

[Motormouse]

"April in King's Cross" ~ Tyrell Corporation

[Beamish]

At Seventeen (the ultimate depressing song) - Janis Ian
And So It Goes - Billy Joel
Stay With Me - Bette Midler
Time In A Bottle - Jim Croce
Cat's In The Cradle - Harry Chapin
I Think It's Going To Rain Today - Randy Newman
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain - Willie Nelson

[ZombieHavoc]

For the record, I skip past depressing songs. I don't like them. I hate the way they make feel. The reason I, personally, listen to music is for a good time and to make me feel better, not worse.

But here are a few songs that do depress hell out of me when I actually listen to them:

-Bruce Springsteen- "My Hometown" (and the whole of Nebraska, which is why I never listen to the album). There's something depressing as hell to me about how his dad handed him down something that seemed to so wonderful and magical, and now what he has to give his son is something bleak and destitute.

-Iced Earth- "Watching Over Me."

-Iced Earth- "A Question of Heaven." The whole Dark Saga album is pretty powerful, so long as I ignore the fact it was written about Spawn.

[Serik]

-Bruce Springsteen- (and the whole of Nebraska, which is why I never listen to the album).

Yeah, I had no idea Nebraska was so bleak and depressing when I first bought it many years ago. When I finished listening to it I wanted to jump off a bridge and end it. "Reason to Believe" is probably one of the most cynical songs I've ever heard.

[Slackjaws_ate_my_brain]

I had my MP3 player on shuffle the other day, and "Love and a .44" by the Dead City Shakers came on. That, to me, is the most depressing song I've heard it a long time. It's a great tune, but the lyrics and the delivery are almost painful to listen to. The lyrics :

"I caught my baby cruisin' with another man,
I grip that .44 so tightly in my hands
I stood there all alone, in the pouring rain,
And i wondered what i'd say, if i saw her again.
So i staggered down the road, and to the nearest dive,
I felt my heartbeat but i did not feel alive

Another Lonely night, Another smoke-filled bar,
If you live your life this way, it won't take you very far
So now I wonder, does she still think of me
If I had sobered up, would things have ended differently?

Yeah I don't think there's enough whiskey in this place
to erase the memories of my baby's face
I asked for one more drink when the barkeep said 'Last call'
I could steal feel the pain, even through the alcohol
So I jumped into my car, and away from there I sped
The memories of her touch were still fresh in my head

Another lonely night, Another drunken drive,
With the way that I've lived, i'm surprised I'm still alive
So now I wonder, does her heart still ache?
Because i've seen all the lonely nights this broken heart can take

The rain came down so hard to hide the tears from my face
The only thought i had was ending all my pain
and I had that .44 stashed underneath my seat
It was out of sight, not out of mind nor out of reach
As I lit a cigarette and pulled that cold steel out
and i bowed my head in shame and put the barrel in my mouth

I've lived a lonely life, I guess I'll die the same
and I'd rather die tonight than live through all this pain
So now i wonder, does her heart still ache?
Because i've seen all the lonely nights this broken heart can take"

Like i said, a cool tune, but it's a bit of a downer

[Wally_West]

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Muse - Glorious
The Cranberries - Zombie
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Strip My Mind

[Wally_West]

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Muse - Glorious
The Cranberries - Zombie
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Strip My Mind