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Cry Me A River: The 20 Most Heartbreaking Songs Of All Time!
"Moon River" from the film Breakfast at Tiffanys.
"Strangers in the night" by Frank Sinatra
20 The Everly Brothers: "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)," from It´s Everly Time (Warner Brothers, 196 A descending scale begins a classic of sad restraint: "We used to have good times together but now I feel them slip away/It makes me cry to see love die: so sad to watch good love go bad..."
19 The Band: "It Makes No Difference," from Northern Lights - Southern Cross (Capitol, 1975) The most artless--and most piningly desolate--love song Robbie Robertson ever wrote, sung with hopeless tenderness by Rick Danko, The Band´s most artless singer. "I love you so much, and it´s all I can do/Just to keep myself from telling you/That I never felt so alone before..."
18 Randy Crawford: "One Day I´ll Fly Away," single (Warner Brothers, 198 "When will love be through with me?" The genius of this synthpop classic is the way it starts out as a bitchfest--Marc Almond coming on like Dusty Springfield´s petulant little sister--and then suddenly flips into a deep, engulfing sadness.
17 Soft Cell: "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," single (Some Bizzare, 1982) Billie is bThe genius of this synthpop classic is the way it starts out as a bitchfest--Marc Almond coming on like Dusty Springfield´s petulant little sister--and then suddenly flips into a deep, engulfing sadness.
16 Billie Holiday: "Don´t Worry ´Bout Me," from Lady In Autumn (Verve, 1959) Billie is being so damn reasonable: "Why not call it a day the sensible way, and still be friends," she sings.
15 Love: "Alone Again Or," from Forever Changes (Elektra, 1967) Love’s most famous recording: written, ironically, not by leader Arthur Lee but by po´ little rich boy Bryan Maclean. "I heard a funny thing, somebody said to me/‘You know that I could be in love with almost everyone/I think people are the greatest fun’.
14 The Pretenders: "I Go To Sleep," from Pretenders II (WEA, 1981) What a concept: a song about missing an ex-partner sung by your future ex-partner. Written by Ray Davies and sung by Chrissie Hynde, this gives a peek into the--one assumes--charred lansdscape of the Davies/Hynde relationship. A perfect marriage of arrangement (including a beautiful French horn riff), lovelorn vocals and passionate lyrics: "I was wrong, I will cry, I will love you ‘til the day I die/You alone, you alone and no-one else/You were meant for me..."
13 Dusty Springfield: "I Just Don´t Know What To Do With Myself," single (Phonogram, 1964) Springfield here performs a rare feat: outperforming Dionne Warwick´s own version of a Bacharach and David classic. Moving from forlorn whimper to gutsy roar, she lives the song to the full. "Going to the movies only makes me sad; parties make me feel as bad/When I´m not with you, I just don´t know what to do." Decimating.
12 Little Feat: "Long Distance Love," from The Last Record Album (Warner Brothers, 1975) "Does she know she hurt me so?" How did a sad ballad get so funky and stay so sad?
11 Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: "The Tracks Of My Tears," from Going To A Go-Go (Motown, 1965) Bob Dylan called Smokey "America’s greatest living poet" with good reason.
10 Bonnie Raitt: "I Can´t Make You Love Me," from The Luck Of The Draw (Capitol, 1991)
9 Lorraine Ellison: "Stay With Me," single (Warner Brothers, 1966) "No, no! I can´t believe!! You´re leaving me!!!"
8 Abba: "Knowing Me, Knowing You," single (Epic, 1977) "No more carefree laughter/Silence ever after..."
7 Otis Redding: "I´ve Been Loving You Too Long," single (Volt, 1965) "You´re tired, and your love is growing cold..."
6 Sinead O´Connor: "Nothing Compares 2 U," single (Chrysalis, 199 Forget the famous video: it´s all already here in Sinead´s bruised rendition--simultaneously dazed and defiant--of Prince´s perfect ballad. "I could put my arms around every boy I meet..." But you know she won´t.
5 The Righteous Brothers: "You´ve Lost That Lovin´ Feelin´," single (Philles, 1964) "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips":
4 Kate and Anna McGarrigle:
"Heart Like A Wheel," from Kate and Anna McGarrigle (Warner Brothers, 1975) "It´s only love/That can wreck a human being and turn him inside out..."
3 Frank Sinatra: "I´m A Fool To Want You," from Where Are You? (Capitol, 1957) "But then would come the time that I would neeeeeed you..."
2 Roy Orbison: "It´s Over," single (Monument, 1964) "Your baby doesn´t love you anymore…"
1 George Jones:
"He Stopped Loving Her Today," single (Epic, 1981) "He said I´ll love you ´til I die..."
P.S.This thread is dedicated to TheAenigma, to my little sister, a little pretty girl.
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