The Best of My Favorite Tearjerker Tracks

When was the last time a song made you cry? Were they happy tears? Were you euphoric or nostalgic for a lost time? Were you crushed, reminded of a lost love? Was the song so timely and relevant to your life you felt moved and touched beyond belief?

I love songs that make me cry. Usually, it’s overwhelming happy tears. I have trouble articulating this feeling, but here’s my best shot: I feel like my heart is literally smiling so big, glowing so bright, it might actually explode. Logically, this makes no sense. After all, emotions don't come from the heart. But oh, how they stir our soft little blood engines into a fluttering and broken and lit up mess of tears. Great waves of nostalgia hit hard through melody.

Here is my shortlist of sure-to-shed-a-tear listening experiences.

Jewel, 1,000 Miles Away. Okay, I lied: Not all of these songs make me happy. This one tugs so hard at your heartstrings, you can’t help but remember/imagine the moments you missed your closest companion most. Across the fields, across the sea, across a distance so vast, you feel it. This is Jewel at her best: Raw, real, rough and honest. The stark arrangement with voice front and center (and at times, all around) is powerful and affecting. There's something about this woman's voice; a soothing and familiar quality. It's so distinct, and gorgeous.

Debussy, Clair de Lune. This song is everything moving. The piano arrangement is divine, but it’s the full orchestra arrangement I love the most. Every time I hear this, without fail, I’m crying. Sans words, this manages to express what even the best love songs lack; a longing, a memory, a feeling so strong it gets you right in the soul. Yes, the soul. We’re beyond the heart at this point. I feel everything when I hear it. It’s like every emotion ever hits me square in the face. And I’m so, so full of joy, regret, hope, sadness… everything. Whatever a human can feel, it’s in this song.

Dido, Hurricanes. Before the turn of the century, Dido’s “Thank You” hit the airwaves, and her popularity skyrocketed when Eminem used a snippet of it in “Stan”. Dido has continued to crank out fantastic music since then, and this track is one of her newest. Despite my love for her vast catalog, “Hurricanes” is probably my favorite, and I’ve got the iPod play count to prove it: I’ve listened to it 100+ times. What starts as a melancholic and sleepy guitar melody gently builds into this epic and sweeping and atmospheric swell. It’s powerful, it’s encouraging, it’s glorious. I cry not because I’m feeling sentimental, but because I’m motivated. It makes me run faster, makes me push harder, and makes me feel unstoppable. Naysayers, autoimmune disease symptoms, new meds, a bad day, fear, etc. No matter what madness or horror gets a hold of me, when I hear this song, I can run hard, I can live hard, and nothing can take that away.

Bjork, All is Full of Love. Whether it’s the sparkling album version, the swelling video version, or one of the other trippy and gorgeous remixes, this song gets to me. One of Bjork’s most-loved by her entire fanbase, this song is easily one of my favorite love songs ever, and if I had to recommend a love-making track, this would be it. It’s not your typical love song, either: It’s about embracing love entirely, all around you, not necessarily from someone in particular. Bjork’s unhinged and screaming delivery is what makes it so magical. Her perfectly imperfect voice is in full bloom here. Like other songs on this list, this moves me to tears because it’s so incredibly hopeful.

OneRepublic, All This Time. Tucked in the middle of the band’s second album is this gem. Whenever I hear it, I’m emotionally transported to a time and place where I longed to be with someone, anyone, I felt so close to. OneRepublic moves and inspires with many songs, and this is no exception. Ryan’s voice is rich and beautiful, the strings soar, the music swells… and I immediately want to run into love.

Lorde, Liability. For anyone who’s ever felt betrayed, discarded or disregarded simply because they were too emotional, too genuine or too real, this song will hit home. Lorde perfectly captures that feeling of dismissal and rejection. It’s not for everyone; there are those who simply can’t grasp this concept, and if you can’t, you are lucky. To know that feeling… as though you’re a risk not worth taking, despite the love you feel… it’s not one I’d wish on anyone. But if you know that feeling, this track will elicit tears of sadness, even if you’re long past the days of feeling so cast aside. What's more, I'm astounded someone with so much life still ahead of her penned this. It's a testament to the depth and sorrow even the youngest souls can feel. But then, Lorde is certainly an old soul. 

Roger Taylor, Journey’s End. Disclaimer: Roger is my favorite Queen guy (their drummer) so I’m admittedly biased. But this track (which he was motivated to write after Bowie’s passing) is incredibly affecting, and probably my favorite out of his expansive and enjoyable solo catalog. At the very least, it's one of his absolute best compositions, and a surprising turn coming from a self-professed rock-loving guy. I mean, he wrote the Queen song “Sheer Heart Attack” which is all-out punk. But this composition of emotional piano, sweeping chords and ethereal synths is perfectly realized. Lyrically, it reminds me of his soft reflection in "Drowse", his contribution for Queen's A Day at The Races. His acceptance of the inevitable is something not often explored so honestly, and I applaud the courage and transparency. I’m always stirred and moved to tears when I hear it. All of the track’s subtle nuances and warmth are beautiful. And that ending with infinite reverb? Dang it, Rog. Tears. It’s perfect.

HAERTS, Eva. I’ll bet you haven’t heard of this band. I’m happy to introduce you. This track is an epic movement of work; transforming from a gliding, otherworldly melody to a powerfully moving coda. It’s euphoric, regretful, sorrowful, and raw. The vocals, the driving drums, the bells and the guitars and the layers of emotion… everything about this is fantastic. And like the best songs that motivate and push me, this makes me shed a tear or two. Any song that can profess an emotion so powerfully and completely… that’s all it takes.

Garth Brooks, The River. Yes, I know it's cliche. But this is Garth at his best. There’s a reason this guy was so amazingly popular and his popularity still burns bright: He knows how to deliver a fantastic song, and I’ve always admired him for refusing to process his voice into unrecognizable and robotic oblivion. I’ve heard this dozens of times and I can’t help but get that heart-smiling teary feeling whenever the last chorus begins.

Explosions in The Sky, Postcard From 1952. I discovered this awesomeness when Tom Hiddleston shared it as a song of the day. And I’m so glad I found it! Historically, I never gravitated toward anything guitar-driven. But this? This is nothing but guitar goodness amplified. The everlasting crescendo throughout the lengthy track is a gentle increase of intensity, drawn out at an agonizingly slow but perfectly teasing pace. It builds and builds until it finally explodes. And when it does, it’s euphoria times ten. Or maybe a hundred. It feels boundless and limitless. It will take you places beyond headbanging and air in your hair and arms out wide. The video is even more nostalgic and moving.

Dan Fogelberg, Same Old Lang Syne. I don’t know what moves me more; knowing that feeling of regret, or knowing this song is a real account of something that actually happened. There's not much more to say; this tender and honest expression of regret will always move me. Dan was an amazing songwriter and storyteller, and I’ve no doubt he would have written many more moving songs if we hadn’t lost him in 2007.

Queen, It’s a Beautiful Day (Reprise). This song’s vocals were originally recorded in the early 80s, when Freddie Mercury was messing around with ideas in the studio during sessions for The Game. After his death, the band created this track using Freddie’s optimistic vocals and piano melody, and included it on their album Made in Heaven. I love the reprise because of its unbridled arrangement and enthusiasm, and the inclusion of the familiar “Seven Seas of Rhye” piano riff (a nod to Freddie’s early composition). Like other songs here, this makes me smile, makes me run faster, and brings a happy and hopeful tear to my eye. Freddie isn’t with us, but his spirit of encouragement and larger than life persona is still here. And it invigorates me.

Beck, The Golden Age. After going through a rough breakup, quirky and experimental Beck made a very straightforward and sad album of heartbreak tracks, with a resolve to move on despite the darkness. This song begins that journey and resolve, and it destroys with bleakness and acceptance. Underneath Beck's clever rhymes and memorable melodies is a guy who's quite poetic, telling an emotional and honest story. His affinity for folk shines brightly, and while the lyrics reveal a man trying to find reason and purpose in a cold and stark world, the sleepy warmth and sunshine of the melody is overwhelming.

Radiohead, True Love Waits. A longtime unreleased live performance fan-favorite, Thom Yorke wrote this song in 1995 (presumably about his partner of almost 25 years, Rachel Owen, whom he began dating at that time). It didn't appear on an album until 2016's A Moon Shaped Pool; its melancholy, stark piano arrangement a darker contrast to the brighter energy of early live interpretations on guitar. It's bleak, but warm, distant but longing for closeness. Like "Videotape", this song is quietly boundless, and oddly hopeful. My heart is massively conflicted listening to it. The second verse, "I'm not living, I'm just killing time. Your tiny hands, your crazy kitten smile..." ...so honest, tender, real. I love Thom's vocals on this recording. He does crazy shouting well, but his restraint here is so genuine and earnest. Thom and Rachel ended their partnership in 2015, and she died of cancer the following year. Undoubtedly, the tone and attitude of this song's studio performance was heavily informed by the disintegration of their relationship; and it makes my heart ache all the more.

Chris de Burgh, The Head and The Heart. Everyone knows "Lady in Red", but that song doesn't hit (me) hard like this one does. It's a lovely swelling piano ballad, a hidden gem on the Man on The Line album. I remember falling in love with this song when I was a kid; long before I understood the challenges of relationships, but I suppose I already knew the intensity of wanting to be loved and kept. Chris' arrangements and musicality, and his sensitivity of delivery are always notable and part of his style. He's very much a poet, and the resolve of this song perfectly captures his affinity for emotion and passion. And yes, the hopefulness has me in tears almost every time.   

Lucius, Nobody Knows How Loud Your Heart Gets (Spotify Sessions, Curated by Jim Eno). I discovered Lucius from a fragrance company's playlist (really) and I'm so happy I found them. I love these guys and the dueling lead vocal arrangements from the two beautiful ladies, Jess and Holly. This live performance, with intense percussion, layers of cymbals, diverse vocal delivery and a lovely little guitar trill in the chorus are absolutely breathtaking. The song's sentiment of a strong relationship and something worth fighting for are grand and alluring. The melodies are rich, warm, and familiar, but oh so euphoric and vast. It's another song I love listening to on the run, and it makes me push harder. "Like a robber in the night, I'm going to get you." It never fails; that heart-smiling thing happens.