Music is among the best kinds of medicine for healing a broken heart.
When you’re trying to move forward after a breakup, having a playlist full of songs about moving on you can cry to, laugh to, dance to, and do whatever you need to do is key.
Luckily, making music is part of the recovery process for many musicians as well, which means there’s no shortage of breakup songs for you to choose from as you work on picking up the pieces of your broken heart.
Uplifting songs about moving on and letting go can be great — to an extent. But if you don’t want to end up wallowing in self-pity for too long, what you really need is breakup songs about moving on to bigger and better things.
In the aftermath of a breakup, sometimes the only thing there is to do is cry your eyes out in the car to a soundtrack of breakup songs. (Singing along at the top of your lungs helps, too. It’s scientifically proven.)
Trust us, we get it. The heart wants what it wants, and sometimes, it just wants to feel. You know that you’ll ultimately heal and move past this, even if you can’t currently picture what the other side of your breakup looks like. But all that chin-up talk can be saved for another day. Right now, you’re in your feelings, and a playlist of heartbreak songs might be the only medicine.
1. Hurt- Lady Antebellum
This song is amazing. This song is basically what you want to say right when your heart breaks. You start looking back and remembering what it was like when you fell for him/her with the subtle reminder that he/she didn’t catch you when you fell for them.
2. Tin man- Miranda Lambert
It’s been a bit. You’ve tried and tried to play a love game but you keep losing. You’re starting to envy the tin man from wizard of oz. If he wants a heart so badly, he can have mine.
3. Lipstick- Runaway June
More upbeat. You’re upset but you’ve also realized you’ve fallen for a guy that will ruin your mascara. You don’t need that in your life.
4. Scared to be Lonely (acoustic version)- Martin Garrix
This is a good listen a few days after the break up. You want him/her back. But do you really miss them or are you just scared to be lonely?
5. Over- Tove Lo
This is the song to listen to when you don’t understand and you’re trying to grasp the fact that you most likely won’t see this person again. You’re sad and a bit neurotic and you’re freaking out. This is your song.
6. Small Doses- Bebe Rexha
This is more pop. This is a good song to listen to a few weeks after the break up. You haven’t seen him/her in a while and you think you’re over the whole thing. Then you see them and realize that you can only take them in small doses.
7. Best thing- Machineheart
Y’all might not have actually dated, but it felt real to you. They led you on without a care in the world. And now? They lost the best thing they never had.
8. Relapse- Carrie Underwood
You miss him/her. You want to crawl back into their arms and feel the love that you once had. You know that things have changed and you don’t actually want that person back, but for just a minute you want to have those good times back.
9. He wasn’t- Avril Lavigne
A dance song. You’ve cried enough, now it’s time to rejoice in the fact that you dodged a bullet and he wasn’t really anything you wanted.
10. It don’t hurt like it used to- Billy Currington
You’re getting a little bit better now. The pain is starting to fade. You don’t see their ghost anymore. You’re starting to learn to love again.
11. Final bow- Us The Duo
This song is a bit more upbeat. This is a song to listen to when you’re realizing that he/she didn’t deserve you and you’re getting a bit of your sass back.
12. Last song- Jana Kramer
You’ve cried, you’ve blasted music, you’ve tried to move on. This is the last song you’ll sing about him/her. The last time you’ll raise your voice in song to all the hurt you went through.
13. Beauty of goodbye- Amie Miriello
This is more of an artsy song. If you look back on your relationship (or lack thereof) in a positive way, like a lesson learned, this is your song. You’ve found the beauty of goodbye.
14. Love triangle- Rae Lynn
Love is never easy and sometimes you marry it and have a beautiful child and then you realize the love isn’t there anymore. Mom and dad will always love you, even if along the way they fell out of love with each other.
15. Gasoline- Halsey
This is the song to listen to when you’ve had your heart broken about a million times and you think there is something wrong with you. You’re angry and sad and this song is everything you’ve wanted to say.
16. I took your picture down today- Brooke Eden
This song is sassy! You’ve finally started taking all of his/her crap down and you’re moving on with your life.
17. Wasting all these tears- Cassadee Pope
You’ve put your time and energy into this person and they just made you feel like a fool. You’ve cried and missed him/her and now you’re just done. Wondering why you ever even cried over this person.
18. Really don’t care- Demi Lovato
Well it’s Demi, so you know there is going to be sass and upbeat badassery (yeah I know that’s not a word). This is super upbeat and just a powerful song to listen to when you’re feeling like telling him/her off but remember…you’re way too cool to care!
19. Too good to be true- Edens Edge
You found someone. They seem to fit every checklist you’ve ever created for yourself. You’ve already got the flowers and wedding location picked out. Then…poof! You find out they are too good to be true.
20. Hurt somebody- Dierks Bentley
This is a mellow “feelings” song. This song is one to listen to when you start to miss him/her and you don’t mind all the pain and the hurt and you just want it all back.