Bust out the tissues and get ready to weep because these are some serious tearjerkers. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the tunes that never fail to bring tears to our eyes.
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00:00 "When your day is long..."
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the tunes that never fail to bring tears to our eyes.
00:10 "You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya."
00:15 Number 30, Dust in the Wind, Kansas.
00:20 "I close my eyes..."
00:25 As soon as you hear that opening line, you know you're in for a rough time.
00:29 Dust in the Wind is dark, and focuses on the one inevitable aspect of all of our lives - the end.
00:35 The lyrics are reflective, pondering about how everybody's dreams,
00:40 fears, and secrets are all ultimately meaningless. Dust in the Winds of Time.
00:45 "Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky..."
00:50 It's a full existential crisis that plays out in the span of just over three minutes,
00:54 and has an overall despondent mood that anyone can relate to.
00:58 The harmonies and seemingly simple string instrumental add to the evocative vibe,
01:03 making it impossible to not feel something as you listen.
01:06 "Everything is dust in the wind..."
01:12 Number 29, Cats in the Cradle, Harry Chapin.
01:15 "My child arrived just the other day, he came to the world in the usual way..."
01:22 Families can be a beautiful thing, but we don't often discuss the unavoidable shift
01:26 in the relationship between parents and their children as the latter grow older.
01:30 Cats in the Cradle, however, beautifully encapsulates this change. It laments the
01:35 passage of time, and all the important milestones the narrator missed while working.
01:39 "Can you teach me to throw? I said not today, I got a lot to do, he said that's okay..."
01:46 Still, his son takes it in stride, and strives to emulate him. Unfortunately,
01:51 that ends up becoming true in the most depressing way, with the father being
01:54 cast aside by his child. It's a gut-wrenching piece that will make any parent hug their kid
01:59 a little harder.
02:00 "When you're coming home, son, I don't know when, but we'll get together then..."
02:06 Number 28, Bad Religion, Frank Ocean.
02:10 "Sexy driver, you must drink for the hour..."
02:14 Unrequited love is one of the most painful emotional experiences someone can go through.
02:19 The feeling of caring deeply for another person just for them to not reciprocate is
02:23 heart-wrenching. In Bad Religion, Frank Ocean details these complex feelings to someone he
02:28 assumes will listen - a taxi driver.
02:31 "Sexy driver, I swear I've got three lives, balanced on my head like stick knives..."
02:36 The track ends up being a cathartic release, where Ocean explains the often fanatic sensations
02:42 that come with loving a man who doesn't feel the same way. The repetitive lines help convey
02:46 this even further, highlighting just how painful unresolved feelings can be. Regardless of your
02:52 relationship status, it's hard to listen to this without sorrowfully reflecting on the one who got
02:57 away - or never even was.
02:59 "I could never make him love me, never make him love me..."
03:05 Number 27, Yesterday, The Beatles.
03:09 "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away..."
03:16 With a discography as vast as theirs, it only makes sense for The Beatles to have multiple
03:21 solid emotional tunes under their belt. Whether they're talking about letting go or singing about
03:26 love, they capture the human condition in plenty of their hits. Yesterday is one of their most
03:31 wistful.
03:32 "Why she had to go, I don't know..."
03:38 It focuses on a relationship that's recently decayed, and how the narrator wishes he could
03:43 return to a time when they were still happy. The straightforward nature of the number only
03:47 adds to the devastation. Using just one vocalist and string accompaniments, the band paints a
03:53 clear picture of heartbreak that always gets us in our feelings.
03:56 "Oh, I believe in yesterday..."
04:02 Number 26, Landslide, Fleetwood Mac.
04:05 "I took my love, took it down..."
04:09 Crises can strike anyone, even rock stars. There was a time when Stevie Nicks was wondering if
04:14 the path she was on was the right one. That, coupled with the fact that it was an uncertain
04:19 time in her and Lindsey Buckingham's career, led to Landslide. And lives were changed. The
04:25 folk rock number details how it feels when everything comes crashing down around you,
04:29 and you wonder if you can weather the storm.
04:31 "Well, I've been afraid of changing..."
04:37 It also captures the fear of potentially losing the chance to achieve one's dreams.
04:42 To say that's difficult, heavy stuff, would be an understatement. But it's real, which is why
04:47 it continues to resonate so deeply today. Somehow, it almost hits harder each time it's played.
04:52 "Landslide, bring it down..."
04:59 Number 25, Dance With My Father, Luther Vandross.
05:03 "Back when I was a child..."
05:07 The memories we make with our parents are precious, but limited. Each one is made with
05:11 the knowledge that eventually, the relationship will come to a natural end. However, the times
05:16 we experience together never truly fade, and even affect us into adulthood.
05:21 "He'd make me laugh just to comfort me, yeah, yeah..."
05:27 In Dance With My Father, Luther Vandross looks back on core experiences he shared with his late
05:33 father growing up. Like dancing with him and his mom, he reminisces on the pure love he felt,
05:38 and wishes he could bring him back. It's more than just a song, it's a gut-wrenching plea for
05:43 something that can never be fulfilled, and we can never maintain our composure when we hear it.
05:48 "To dance with my father again..."
05:55 Number 24, Lazarus, David Bowie.
05:58 "Look up here, I'm in heaven..."
06:02 While a track can be sad on its own, sometimes the context surrounding it amplifies that emotion.
06:08 David Bowie's career was long and illustrious, spanning decades and genres. He continued
06:14 working until the very end, with his last efforts including his swan song, "Lazarus."
06:19 "I've got nothing left to lose..."
06:22 It's extremely self-aware, with the legend reflecting on life coming to an end.
06:27 While the content is bleak enough, it being released shortly before Bowie's death
06:31 twisted the proverbial knife. It's undoubtedly harrowing, but there's also a sense of freedom,
06:37 like he'd come to terms with his fate and was ready to tackle it head-on.
06:40 It became a fitting piece to cap off his legacy.
06:43 "I'll be free..."
06:47 Number 23, My Immortal, Evanescence.
06:50 "I'm so tired of being here..."
06:55 With Amy Lee's ethereal voice and melancholic production,
06:58 Evanescence created a ballad that's impacted the lives of millennials everywhere.
07:03 My Immortal captures the feelings of unrelenting grief,
07:06 and how it never seems to fade despite how much time has passed.
07:09 From detailing the pain that comes with loss to attempting to accept it,
07:20 the stirring tune encapsulates what it's like to be stuck in the mourning process.
07:24 The natural crescendo into the bridge is also gorgeous, ushering in an emotional peak.
07:29 It's one of the most recognizable and well-loved ballads of the 2000s, and it's clear to see why.
07:36 It's nearly impossible not to sing along and shed a tear as you listen.
07:40 Number 22, Who Wants to Live Forever, Queen.
07:52 "There's no time for us..."
07:58 While it may have been created for Highlander,
08:00 this power ballad has become so much more.
08:03 The orchestra-backed tune is gorgeous, and asks a simple yet existential question.
08:09 Is living forever worth it without the person you love?
08:12 While it's always been melancholic,
08:14 it was made even more sorrowful by Freddie Mercury's passing in 1991.
08:19 "Wants to live forever..."
08:25 Suddenly, the lyrics took on a new, somehow even deeper message,
08:29 and he and Brian May trading lines on the album version seemed extra fitting.
08:33 The posthumous context has helped "Who Wants to Live Forever"
08:37 endure beyond its soundtrack beginnings,
08:39 cementing it as one of the most haunting and poignant entries in the band's catalog.
08:44 "Forever is our today..."
08:51 Number 21, One More Light, Linkin Park.
08:54 "Should've stayed, were the signs..."
09:00 It's hard to believe that one song can be so soaked in sadness.
09:04 Written after the death of a friend, One More Light is centered around grief,
09:08 and letting your nearest and dearest know how you feel.
09:11 "Who cares if one more light goes out..."
09:15 The words and melody cut deep, but the pain goes beyond them, which is saying a lot.
09:21 Indeed, the ambient ballad was notably performed as a tribute to Chris Cornell after his death.
09:26 It was also among the last songs Chester Bennington recorded with Linkin Park before his passing.
09:32 These events further amplify the raw hurt that permeates the number.
09:36 Not only does One More Light make anyone who's grieved feel understood,
09:40 it also serves as a tribute to those we've lost.
09:43 "I do..."
09:49 Number 20, What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong.
09:53 Here's an inspiring, uplifting, intensely emotional song that's never likely to be forgotten.
09:58 "I see skies of blue, clouds of white..."
10:06 Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World is considered by many to be the soundtrack to the 20th century,
10:12 despite the bloody conflicts that dominated the period.
10:15 "Barely singing, I love you..."
10:21 A piece of music that puts everything into perspective, it brings a tear to the eye
10:25 because it pits the miracle of life against the waste of war.
10:28 "I hear babies crying, I watch them grow..."
10:35 The world would be a better place if we all just listened to these lyrics
10:39 and actually put them into practice.
10:40 "What a wonderful world..."
10:47 Number 19, I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie.
10:51 The afterlife is often a tricky topic to tackle, but Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard
10:57 talks us through with such brilliant tenderness, it's all but impossible not to well up.
11:02 "Love of mine, someday you will die..."
11:07 I Will Follow You is one man, one voice, one acoustic guitar, and one simple,
11:12 splendid ideal that we might meet our closest loved ones again when our life on earth has ended.
11:18 "If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied..."
11:24 An outwardly depressing subject matter is turned into an incredibly hopeful moment,
11:28 as this song has us all take stock of ourselves and of the people who we care for most.
11:33 "When your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark..."
11:40 Number 18, Someone Like You, Adele.
11:43 "Old friend, why are you so shy?"
11:50 Probably the most popular modern breakup song to make today's countdown,
11:54 Someone Like You is still a signature tune for Adele,
11:57 despite the countless hits that the UK singer has had before and since.
12:01 "Never mind, I'll find someone like you..."
12:08 A touching, almost tribute to an ex-boyfriend of hers,
12:11 she lays it all on the lyrical line with this one, and almost every music listener respects her for it.
12:16 "I wish nothing but the best for you..."
12:23 Adele wears her heart firmly on her sleeve,
12:26 while we without a doubt wear our tears on our cheeks.
12:29 "Don't forget me, I think I'll remember you say..."
12:36 Number 17, Lay Me Down, Sam Smith.
12:39 "Yes, I do, I believe that one day I will be where I was..."
12:45 We could have gone with Sam Smith's Stay With Me for this spot,
12:48 but Lay Me Down will make you cry just a little harder.
12:51 "And I lay by your side..."
12:58 The lead single from Smith's Grammy award-winning debut album In The Lonely Hour,
13:02 Lay Me Down was built around many of the same themes that are found on the album,
13:07 specifically unrequited love.
13:09 "This hurt that I've been through..."
13:14 The video alludes to Smith's ongoing hope that equal LGBTQ+ rights
13:19 will one day be a worldwide reality,
13:21 while the singer's powerful voice will haunt you and force you to bawl your eyes out.
13:25 "And I lay by your side..."
13:32 Number 16, Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead.
13:35 "She bought from a river man..."
13:40 Radiohead are well known for being a little brutal with their views on society,
13:44 but this is surely the band's best, if not most depressing take on the world around them.
13:49 A scathing critique of the inescapable artificial nature of life in the 90s,
13:54 it grows more and more relevant by the day.
13:56 "She lives with a broken heart..."
14:02 Although exit music for a film is awfully melancholy in its own right,
14:07 there's just nothing else as bleak or as brilliant as Fake Plastic Trees.
14:11 "And I lay by your side..."
14:18 Listen to it, look at the world around you, and we defy you not to be moved.
14:22 Number 15, Nothing Compares To You, Sinead O'Connor.
14:26 "Since you've been gone, I can do whatever I want..."
14:33 One of the most instantly recognizable songs and music videos ever created,
14:38 Very Little Compares To This when it comes to tempting tears.
14:42 Nothing Compares To You is easily Sinead O'Connor's greatest commercial success.
14:46 "But nothing, I said nothing can take away this blue..."
14:53 Not that the controversial performer got to enjoy much of the fame that it generated for very long.
14:59 Originally written by Prince, this song is love,
15:02 loss, and lots of emotionally effective close-up camera work.
15:05 O'Connor's famous tear towards the song's end wasn't planned, but wow does it work.
15:11 Nothing can stop her lonely tears from falling, or ours for that matter.
15:15 "Nothing compares to you..."
15:22 Number 14, Angel, Sarah McLachlan.
15:25 A song originally written in relation to drug addiction and the spiraling psychology of those
15:30 that suffer from it, this especially touching Sarah McLachlan number has subsequently been
15:34 linked with teary-eyed topics of all kinds.
15:37 "In the arms of the angel..."
15:43 The ambiguous eponymous angel is an almost unknowable thing,
15:47 designed to give hope or relief when times are hard.
15:50 "You are pulled from the wreckage..."
15:55 As McLachlan's piano plays softly in the background,
15:58 her listener is invited to interpret her lyrics for themselves,
16:02 and project the pain of her voice onto their own past experiences.
16:06 A good cry that comes naturally.
16:08 "Some comfort here..."
16:14 Number 13, Fix You, Coldplay.
16:17 "And the tears come streaming down your face..."
16:23 By now, even the toughest amongst you may have at least a little something in your eye,
16:27 and if not, then our next pick will set you sobbing, no doubt.
16:31 "Lights will guide you home..."
16:38 Tackling love and loss like so many on our countdown before them,
16:41 Coldplay turns the saddest subject matter into a tear-filled roller coaster of a record with this
16:46 song. The first half had us subdued, the second half had us singing along.
16:58 And if that doesn't have your eyes watering, just watch them perform it live.
17:02 Number 12, Wild Horses, The Rolling Stones.
17:12 Exactly who this song was written for remains a mystery. Marianne Faithfull's the most likely,
17:18 though it has also been linked to Bianca Jagger and Keith Richards' son Marlon.
17:22 "Wild horses, can't track me home..."
17:29 What is clear is that with one simple hook,
17:32 the Stones produced an ageless piece of music that has stood hairs on end for generations.
17:37 "Cause I know I dreamed you..."
17:43 Mick's distinctive voice finds a perfect match, as this brooding,
17:47 crooning, subdued song leaves the listener as lonely as the frontman.
17:51 "Wild horses, we'll ride them someday..."
17:58 Number 11, Wake Me Up When September Ends, Green Day.
18:02 While Good Riddance is a tear-jerking song we all love,
18:05 our pick for Green Day had to go to this track from American Idiot.
18:08 This rock ballad was originally written about lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong's father,
18:20 who passed away from cancer when Billy was only 10 years old.
18:23 But the song's backstory became even more emotional after Hurricane Katrina struck
18:33 in late August of 2005. Serving as a symbolic anthem for all the victims and families struck
18:39 by the disaster, this track's meaning was then further elevated by its accompanying music video
18:44 that also served as a critique of the Iraq War.
18:46 "I thought of all people you would understand, why don't you understand? I did this for us!
18:51 I did it for us!"
18:52 Number 10, The Sound of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel.
18:55 The opening lines to our next track are amongst the most recognizable in all of modern music.
19:00 Written shortly after the JFK assassination,
19:10 this song also became an accompaniment to the Vietnam War.
19:14 "That was planted in my brain, still remaining."
19:21 It welcomes darkness and is perhaps most effective when it's played within it.
19:25 "Disturbed the sound of silence."
19:30 The combination of vocals and the high tones are as haunting today as they were in the mid-1960s.
19:36 While Bridge Over Troubled Water is another contender,
19:38 "A bridge over troubled water."
19:45 the legacy of The Sound of Silence is hard to beat.
19:48 "In the sounds of silence."
19:55 Number 9, Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd.
20:04 The title track to their 1975 album, Wish You Were Here, was written for Pink Floyd founder
20:10 member Sid Barrett in response to his alleged battle with schizophrenia.
20:14 The whole album explores the theme of detachment,
20:23 and David Gilmour's vocals retain a curiously absent quality as he pines for his friend.
20:28 "How I wish you were here. We just two lost souls."
20:35 The whole track comes across as an effortless piece of music,
20:39 a train of thought that is at once sad and beautiful in its simplicity.
20:42 Number 8, Mad World, Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules.
20:54 "All around me are familiar faces, worn out places."
21:01 Originally written by Tears for Fears in 1982,
21:04 this song saw a big resurgence when it was showcased in the 2001 thriller Donnie Darko.
21:10 "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had."
21:15 With delicate piano notes and calming vocals by Gary Jules,
21:19 this new version quickly overshadowed the original song,
21:22 and resonated with listeners feeling helpless and intimidated by modern life.
21:26 We've all needed a song to drown our sorrows from time to time,
21:29 and Mad World speaks to the difficult and uncertain journey we're all taking in this life,
21:34 allowing us to reflect on what true happiness might feel like.
21:38 Number 7, Fast Car, Tracy Chapman.
21:47 One of the hardest things about growing up is figuring out who you want to be.
21:51 "Doing it well, maybe we make a deal, maybe together we can get somewhere."
21:57 This question is even more difficult to answer for those living in poverty,
22:01 and with the odds stacked against them.
22:03 "I remember when we were driving, driving in your car,
22:07 speeding so fast it felt like I was drunk."
22:10 Tracy Chapman expressed this beautifully in the song Fast Car,
22:13 the lead single from her debut album.
22:16 In this track, Chapman describes a young woman desperately seeking out a better life for herself,
22:20 but struggling to get there.
22:22 "You'll find work and I'll get promoted, we'll move out of the shelter."
22:27 Everyone deserves happiness in this life, yet without family or friends to help you get there,
22:31 it can be difficult to achieve, and that's what makes this song just downright heartbreaking.
22:35 "That I belong, I hide, at a feeling I need someone."
22:42 Number 6, The Living Years, Mike and the Mechanics.
22:46 "Every generation, blames the one before."
22:52 This 80s ballad once again picks apart the question of life and death,
22:56 and summarizes the conundrum in six short words, "It's too late when we die."
23:00 "Till I'm safe, oh safely."
23:06 A global chart hint, this song addresses an unresolved conflict between songwriter B.A.
23:12 Robertson and his father shortly before he died.
23:17 "Only sacrifice the future."
23:19 Specifically about the bond between a boy and his father, the idea is applicable to just about any
23:24 relationship that we could have.
23:26 That's why it gets us singing along, even if it is difficult to do that and not shed a tear.
23:31 "Sure I heard his echo in my baby's newborn tears, I just wish I could have told him."
23:38 Number 5, Candle in the Wind, Elton John.
23:40 "It seems to me, you lived your life like a candle in the wind."
23:47 Originally penned in memory of Marilyn Monroe,
23:49 Candle in the Wind is also famously linked to Diana, Princess of Wales,
23:53 after Elton played it at her funeral.
23:55 "Tell, does this role you ever play, Hollywood creating a superstar?"
24:02 Though the lives of its subjects have been tragically short-lived,
24:05 the song itself has endured for generations, and rightly so.
24:09 "Though I never knew you at all, you have the grace to hold yourself."
24:15 It's emotional enough without context, but it's a fitting tribute to two iconic women,
24:19 and to celebrities in general that die too young.
24:22 An elegy of the highest order.
24:24 "Burned out long before, your legend never did."
24:31 Number 4, Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley.
24:33 This song was powerful when Leonard Cohen sang it originally,
24:37 but when Jeff Buckley caressed his vocals around the lyrics,
24:40 hairs stood on end and lumps formed in throats.
24:43 "It pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music, do you?"
24:50 It's love that's gone stale, so it's relatable for many of us.
24:53 "She cut your hair, and from your lips she drew the hallelujah."
25:00 There's also anguish in his voice that's impossible to fake.
25:03 He isn't just singing the words, he understands them.
25:06 "Hallelujah, hallelujah."
25:12 A talent that was lost too soon, this song is his legacy.
25:16 "Hallelujah, hallelujah."
25:22 Number 3, Everybody Hurts, REM.
25:25 We defy anyone not to be moved by our first podium entry.
25:29 "Let yourself go."
25:36 Everybody Hurts has become a staple soundtrack to modern day life.
25:39 "Because everybody hurts."
25:45 Adopted by the Samaritans charity, it was originally written by the band
25:49 for anyone struggling with severe depression.
25:51 This song not only prompts tears, it saves lives.
25:55 According to the lyrics, we all cry, and most of us do when we sing them.
25:59 Everybody hurts, and after this song, everybody's reaching for the tissues.
26:03 "Everybody hurts, sometimes."
26:11 Number 2, Hurt, Johnny Cash.
26:14 Originally penned by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails,
26:17 Hurt was taken on by the legendary Johnny Cash several years later.
26:21 "I hurt myself today."
26:27 It brings the memories of his past under the cold, harsh spotlight of his present.
26:32 "Everyone I know goes away."
26:37 Cash was very frail when recording the song, and he died seven months after its release.
26:43 Relaying the unstoppable passing of time, it's accompanying music video as a memorial to one man,
26:48 but something that we'll all experience.
26:50 It's about as powerful as music can be.
26:52 "If I could start again, a million miles."
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27:15 Number 1, Tears In Heaven, Eric Clapton.
27:18 Eric Clapton's Tears In Heaven is an incredibly moving piece of music,
27:29 made all the more impactful by the great personal tragedy Clapton experienced.
27:33 When his four-year-old son tragically passed away in 1991, we'd have understood if Clapton
27:42 never picked up a guitar again. But he did, and was able to produce a record that's as
27:47 terrific as it is teary.
27:55 Reminding us all of anyone who's passed, Tears In Heaven verbalizes what everyone
27:59 else would like to say. It's a tear-jerking tune that gets us every time.
28:03 What song never fails to tug at your heartstrings? Let us know in the comments.
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28:30 [music]