Great Breakup Songs

Not because I broke up with anyone, but just because one gets sick of only listening to them while filling a pint of Haagen Daz with your own tears. I want to enjoy them when I'm happy for once.

As follows, my picks for the top 10 breakup songs.

10. I Will Survive - CAKE
Yes, the Gloria Gaynor version is infinitely more popular, especially among karaoke circles, but I think I enjoy the CAKE cover much more. It's not as upbeat as the timeless disco tune, but John McCrea's Sprechgesang style makes it seem a lot more real and gritty to me.

9. Back in Your Head - Tegan and Sara
Not as much a breakup song, as an "about to breakup" song, I think the lyrics wonderfully demonstrate the separation 2 people feel when they go from becoming a royal "us" back to "me and You".

8. Yesterday - The Beatles
Sort of a melancholic song, but anyone who has ever split up with someone who they really enjoyed in a short period of time will understand the words McCartney is singing:

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play/Now I need a place to hide away/Oh, I believe in yesterday.

7. You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette
If I recieved just a nickel for everytime I belted that song after having someone stomp on my heart, I could afford to buy another pint of Haagen Daz. Seriously, I love Alanis. And I don't even care who knows. Angry chick music rocks.

6. What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts
While I should by all rights be incredibly sick of this song after listening to an ex roommate blast it for almost a week straight after having his heart broken, I still think it's a particularly poignant breakup song.

5. With or Without You - U2
I love this song, but even now, 9 years after it made me sob uncontrollably, I still get a little choked up when I hear it. I even wrote a short story where the girl crashes her car after listening to this song and crying so hard she doesn't see she's swerved out of her lane into oncoming traffic. Woah. Dark. Tough period of my life.

4. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day
I love that this song was fought over to be used as a graduation song for almost 3 years in my high school. Yes, it's a song about leaving, being done with something, but it's always hit me as a really optimistic tune about trying to amicably split with someone. I would have had a hard time walking down the stage to receive my diploma while every ex boyfriend I'd ever had was flashing through my mind. Actually, that happened anyway. Half of them were there.

3. You Were Meant for Me - Jewel
I've had one or two breakups where I felt like this. I was so hopeful and optimistic that things would ultimately work out for us that I didn't even view it as a breakup -- we were simply taking a breather from being in a relationship. It's such a sweet, naive little song. And I can definitely be naive.

2. In the End - Linkin Park
Yeah, I will probably receive a lot of flak for this bad boy, but I do recall a time in my life when I belted this out in the shower trying really hard not to cry over someone who, as it turns out, wasn't even worth crying over (isn't that always the way?). Huh. I guess the lyrics were true -- in the end, it doesn't even matter.

1. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
I would be incredibly surprised if every person who hasn't had their heart broken since 1990 has not shed a tear or felt all choked up when they hear this song. It's so honest and relatable.

A few more goodies..

Three favorite guilty pleasure "I-dumped-YOU-Jackass" songs I'm almost ashamed to admit I know every lyric to :
3. Hole in the Head - Sugababes
2. Leave (Get Out) - Jojo
1. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson

A few songs that got me through the toughest split of my life with a smile on my face:
Look Who's Crying Now - Jacynthe
Kerosene - Miranda Lambert
Goodnight, Goodnight - Hot Hot Heat