Music is an art form that has the ability to control our emotions. Put on an upbeat song and you will instantly feel happier. Put on a song about heartbreak and you will be crying along with it. Depressing songs usually make the biggest connection with listeners. Sad stuff usually makes for the best songs. This type of song can instantly change your mood from happy to sad or from light to dark. Though these songs are essentially depressing to listen to we can’t seem to resist listening to them.
Here are my all time Gloom and Doom Tracks:
10) “Fix You” by Coldplay: You have to listen closely but if you do it will talk about an existence where all hope is taken away.
9) “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton: Given the back story (written about his young son who died tragically) this song has to be included on the list.
8) “Brick” by Ben Folds Five: About abortion and it is just so sad. Ben Folds’ high school girlfriend gets pregnant and goes for an abortion. Conveys how it is a time for secrets, confusion, guilt, and heartbreak. Sentiments that many people can relate to.
7) “Everybody Hurts” by REM: You might hate yourself for liking this one but inevitably you will. About how hurt is universal and that there is no way to escape it. Depressing. Self-pitying. Pathetic. But brilliant. Appeals to base emotions that everyone has felt at one time or another. If you are in low place yourself the repetitive “Hold on” is very moving.
6) “Mad World” by Gary Jules: Again another cover that is much more haunting than the original. Simple arrangement with just Gary Jules’ haunting voice and a piano. Stripped down and unforgettable. Slowing it down was genius rendering it a killer. So dark and depressing that it was included on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Describes the feeling of loneliness in a crowd perfectly.
5) “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles: A song about where all the lonely people of the world have gone that is well worth a listen. An ode to the futility of life and those people that we have forgotten about. The string arrangement really amplifies the emotion. It is probably the song that is most responsible for transforming The Beatles from a fun pop band to one with more substance. Your life being fruitless and no one turning up at your funeral is about as depressing as it gets.
4) “Someone Like You” by Adele: She has become the queen of heartbreak and this is a classic one about a breakup. There is obvious mental anguish going on that she is having a hard time getting past. Her obvious talent makes it even that much more affecting. It is very powerful because all of us can relate to what she is feeling. It is a hard song to listen to and not be affected by. The type of song you cry your eyes out to.
3) “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley: Originally done by Leonard Cohen and it becomes even more of a crisis of faith when sung by Jeff Buckley. About love and the futility of it all. Emotionally, the song draws you in from the very first breathy vibrato notes from Buckley. The fact that he died prematurely in 1997 also adds to the emotionality of it. Another cover that has done better than the original.
2) “Hurt” by Johnny Cash: From a bleak and desolate place comes this song written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and then covered to great effect by Johnny Cash on his acoustic album. The song is from the perspective of someone who is completely isolated and alone. About addiction and self-destruction. This was Cash’s last hit coming in 2002 and an unlikely cover by the Man in Black but it worked. With the affecting guitar and Cash’s brittle vocals have made his version more popular than the original. The fact that Cash died soon after its release makes it even that much more poignant. There is not many a human who can hold back the tears when watching the video. Impossible to deny the sadness.
1) “How to Disappear Completely” by Radiohead: Have you ever felt like you don’t want to be here? We all have and that is the lowest of the low feeling behind this song from the band responsible for many a depressing song. Describes a situation that has become so painful that you want to know be here. The song oddly enough seems to have plenty of power over women. Listening to it guarantees any good feeling leaving your body. Might have the ability to kill any positive thoughts you have. Even lead singer Thom Yorke has stated that this is the most beautiful song that the band has ever done.
