History TearJerker / PopMusic

* Agnes Obel's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qACOgRbmPO4&ob=av2e "Riverside"]], a beautiful and simple piece consisting of just vocals and a piano. It's a sad song to begin with, but this troper first heard it on an anonymous blog chronicling a girl's struggle with anorexia, which made it even more depressing.

** "Epitaph (Black and Blue)", which is about Music/JanisJoplin's death. Kristofferson wrote and recorded it (in one take, because that's all he could manage) the same night he heard Joplin's final album, including her cover of his "Me and Bobby McGee", for the first time.

* Music/{{Genesis}} has a few:

** "Epitaph (Black and Blue)", which is about Music/JanisJoplin's death.

** Even many of his more upbeat songs like "Give Peace a Chance" and "Just Like Starting Over" crossed into FunnyAneurysmMoment territory after his murder in 1980.

* Music/DennisWilson's Music/PacificOceanBlue is a long collection of tear-jerkers, but a few are particularly mournful:
** "Moonshine", a personal anecdote on the Beach Boy's own experiences with alcoholism.

** The unreleased follow-up, Bambu, doesn't shy away from ripping open the listener's heartstrings either.

* Paul Anka's "Times of Your Life" gets sadder the older you get.

* Eva Cassidy's covers of "Fields of Gold", "Over the Rainbow", "Time After Time" & "True Colors". Especially when you realize that she died in 1996 from Melanoma at the age of 33.

** According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, the funeral she was going to was for "her heart" to fit in the song. This is sad and creepy now due to AuthorExistenceFailure.

** "Piece by Piece", by far. It made both her and Keith Urban cry live on American Idol. Especially at the last verse, when she talks about how her and her husband will never leave their then-toddler daughter, River Rose. Sniff...

* "I'm Not In Love" by 10cc. The lyrics of the song should speak for themselves, and they're just the start.

** "Hurt".

** And "I'm OK" and "Oh Mother" for abuse survivors.

* Joan Baez's a capella rendition of "O Come Angel Band".

* The Bee Gees have a couple:

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqXek853SDE "Aubrey"]], by Bread, is ''absolutely soul-crushing''.

** "Against All Odds" from the film of the same name.
** "You'll Be In My Heart", especially for people who have lost a loved one.

* Music/DepecheMode has "Precious", a pretty sad electronic song.

* "Late for the Sky" and "For a Dancer" by Music/JacksonBrowne.
* Plenty of songs from Music/MichaelBuble, especially "You Don't Know Me".

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YtzsUdSC_I I Never Told You]]" by Colbie Caillat. Enough said.

* Music/EricClapton has lots of these:
** "Tears in Heaven". ''Especially'' heartbreaking [[http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/tears.asp if you know what the song's really about.]]
** Also by Eric, "Bell Bottom Blues".
** Then there is "Wonderful Tonight".
** One word: "Layla".

* The Eagles has a couple:

* "Stars" by Janis Ian.

*** It's worth noting that a recent children's book based upon the song adds a new triumphant tearjerker ending: [[spoiler:Puff is befriended by another child.]]

** Meanwhile, her duet with Music/LionelRichie, "Endless Love", is melancholy in its own right, especially noticeable with the vocal delivery in the last few verses.

* Music/TakeThatBand's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KII1ruAfvsg Rule The World]]", inspired by the film ''Film/{{Stardust}}''.
* Music/JamesTaylor has a couple:
** "Fire and Rain", which probably takes the cake.
** "Our Town".

* Tiffany has a couple:
** "Could've Been".
** Also "Here in my heart", saddest IWillWaitForYou song ''ever''.

* Music/CatStevens has a couple
** "Father and Son". The song is about a father and his son arguing over an undisclosed choice that the son is making. Cat sings both parts: the father's calm, even demeanor as he tries to explain things to his son, and the son's emotional outbursts against the interference in his life. The son's pieces are particularly difficult to listen to, because aside from the evident pain and distress in his voice, his words are heart wrenching:
--->"How can I try to explain? When I do, he turns away again. It's always been the same, same old story. From the moment I could talk, I was ordered to listen. Now there's a way, and I know, that I got to go away..."
*** Just TRY to hear this at the end of Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 [[spoiler: during Yondu's funeral]] without tearing up.
** "Trouble" is very gloomy, and it's about suicide. "Trouble, oh trouble can't you see, you have made me a wreck won't you leave me in my misery?"
** "Moonshadow" is another one.

* As gentle and lullaby-esque its accompanying melody sounds, the lyrics to [[Music/OliviaNewtonJohn Olivia Newton-John's]] "Something Better to Do" aren't rosy in the slightest. The third stanza in particular is likely to result in leaky eyes.

* Considering her CreatorBreakdown after struggles with an eating disorder, self-harm, and bipolar disorder (which was not yet diagnosed or treated) the previous year, the comeback single "Skyscraper" by Music/DemiLovato (and the song's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8ydghbGSg&ob=av2e accompanying video]]) certainly count as this, along with SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome and SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming|Moments}}. Especially considering she recorded it prior to her stint in rehab, at the height of her anguish, her voice affected by bulimia, and [[HeroicBSOD it came out like a cry for help]].

* Roxette has a couple:

* "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel. What makes it worse is knowing that it was originally written as a memorial for the writer's -- Mike Batt's -- father.

* As gentle and lullaby-esque its accompanying melody sounds, the lyrics to [[Music/OliviaNewtonJohn Olivia Newton-John's]] "Something Better to Do" aren't rosy in the slightest. The third stanza in particular sticks out in terms of sadness factor.
-->A shoulder to cry on
-->Would make me feel fine
-->But it's not much comfort
-->When I'm cryin' on mine
-->Friends and relations
-->Are running out of patience with me
-->I keep myself to myself
-->But I’m no company...

-->And YES
--> You'll be the only one
--> 'Cause NO one can deny
-->This love I have inside
-->And I’ll give it all to you
-->My love
-->My love, my love
-->My endless love

** "Reflection" from ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'', particularly if you're trans or have body image issues.

** Their unreleased ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4QHp239xxA How to Behave]]'' is this as well. Melancholy and wistful (or [[HeartwarmingMoments heartwarming]], depending on who listens to it).

* Much of the output by Michael Gira's post-Swans outfit Angels Of Light is fairly depressing, but their debut effort ''New Mother'' is especially devastating. Perhaps the fact that it opens with "Praise Your Name", [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome a gorgeous folk-pop anthem]] written as [[LyricalDissonance an ode to vengeful and violent women]], should give us all a clue. The most heart-wrenching of all, perhaps, are the deeply personal "Song For My Father" and "Angels Of Light", which is, quite simply, a stunning seven-minute musical portrait of a woman dying.

* Considering her CreatorBreakdown after struggles with an eating disorder, self-harm, and bipolar disorder (which was not yet diagnosed or treated) the previous year, the comeback single "Skyscraper" by Music/DemiLovato (and the song's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8ydghbGSg&ob=av2e accompanying video]]) certainly count as this, along with CrowningMomentOfAwesome and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming. Especially considering she recorded it prior to her stint in rehab, at the height of her anguish, her voice affected by bulimia, and [[HeroicBSOD it came out like a cry for help]].

* Tanya Tucker has a couple:

** Also, "It must have been love". Even if the "PrettyWoman" movie gives vibes, it can't be denied that the song is really beautiful and heartbreaking.

---> "I don't believe that you need me, you trust me, you love me, if you treat me the way the way that you do \\

--> "I don't believe that you need me, you trust me, you love me, if you treat me the way the way that you do \\