So haunting, and yet so beautiful. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most dreamlike, moody, and/or melancholic tracks.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most dreamlike, moody,
00:08and or melancholic tracks.
00:1220.
00:14The Scientist – Coldplay In this early 2000s hit, Chris Martin tells
00:28the story of a romantic partner with many regrets about his relationship.
00:39He wishes to say he's sorry, even though it's uncertain if the words will connect
00:43with his partner.
00:44The music video only enriches the lyrics with its ingenious use of reversed footage.
00:56The Scientist carries with it a mournful piano part that feels fit for a funeral.
01:01It might not be referring to a literal ceremony about death, but it does feel as though the
01:06union might be irreversibly damaged.
01:09The touching track lets you hope for the best through Martin's emotional vocals and the
01:13band's well-matched instrumentations.
01:1819.
01:22About You – 1975 From their album Being Funny in a Foreign
01:27Language, About You finds the 1975 in a much more pensive mood.
01:40The production is a far cry from their earlier sound, focusing on more experimental and shoegaze
01:46sounds.
01:47Warren Ellis' strings and the backing vocals from Carly Holt only enhance the all-encompassing
01:53experience.
02:00The lyrics talk about a lover that the singer hasn't forgotten, despite what the other
02:05half might think.
02:06These memories pour out in a dreamy soundscape that should be counted among the band's
02:11best work.
02:12This sonic combination, the track takes a wistful look at love.
02:2218.
02:27I Know The End – Phoebe Bridgers With a mix of indie pop and a dash of metal,
02:33Phoebe Bridgers takes no prisoners in this epic track.
02:42It's a multi-layered musing on the end of it all.
02:45Bridgers gives the first section a deliberate pace on top of ethereal instruments.
02:54She dreams about home as the song shifts into darker territory, building in intensity until
03:00the final verse.
03:01The apocalyptic lyrics and noises finally reach a climactic outro.
03:13The singer easily switches from her softer delivery to something much louder and unhinged.
03:19Her final screams ring out a nightmarish ending that needs to be heard to be believed.
03:24All the while, the artist gives us an incredible examination of the worries that keep us up
03:29at night.
03:3517.
03:39I Can't Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt Has there ever been a more devastating song
03:44about unrequited love?
03:53I Can't Make You Love Me talks about what happens when someone doesn't share the same
03:57feelings with a tragic quality that underscores the whole track.
04:01Bonnie Raitt's performance only solidifies the tense ballad.
04:04It's both meditative and full of many moving lyrics.
04:16Raitt's soulful voice keeps you engaged as she almost cries out, channeling a hopeless
04:21romantic that can't convince someone to be with her.
04:24The piano part alone can make you bawl your eyes out.
04:28We don't recommend listening to this song unless you're prepared to have an emotional
04:31reaction.
04:3616.
04:40Hyper Ballad – Bjerg As a singular vocalist, Bjerg puts her all
04:45into this incredible track.
04:54The song from her album, Post, digs into a lover's extended routine before her partner
04:58wakes up.
04:59Its abundant metaphors manage to discuss romance in an indirect way.
05:03Infusing the artist's lyrics with electronic elements gives Hyper Ballad a cerebral and
05:08digital feel.
05:16She paints beautiful pictures for her listeners to create in their own minds, so much so that
05:21it feels like she's created her own movie in one song.
05:25With the music functioning like the perfect soundtrack, these diverse instruments and
05:29production techniques add to the single's stirring tribute to relationships.
05:3815.
05:43Young & Beautiful – Lana Del Rey The song off of the Great Gatsby soundtrack
05:47finds Lana Del Rey in top form.
05:50Her pristine voice gives a spacey and dreamy sound to the track, which examines the longevity
05:55of a relationship.
06:05The engaging production enhances this track's universal themes.
06:09You'll be transported to another world as Rey serenades you with this moody ballad.
06:14She really gets a hold on the audience, guiding them on a memorable and nostalgic trip.
06:27The singer asks her partner if they'll still be in love after all the glamour of youth
06:32fades away.
06:33It's a relatable question for long-term lovers, with an elaborate and soothing orchestra strengthening
06:38the mood.
06:4414.
06:47My Immortal – Evanescence Infused by their gothic aesthetic, Evanescence
06:53is able to delve into both metal and slower ballads.
07:02My Immortal tries out the latter sound, as it brings things down with a softer and more
07:07methodical production.
07:09Amy Lee shows off her amazing pipes here, singing about the void left when you lose
07:13someone.
07:21The vocalist is plagued by thoughts of a person who means everything to her.
07:25On top of a delicate piano arrangement, the artist explores grief through many rich images.
07:31The song leaves room for audiences to fill in the blanks with their own personal struggles.
07:4313.
07:45Needle in the Hay – Elliot Smith Channeling his writing skills into mournful
07:49tracks, Elliot Smith had a unique gift for storytelling.
07:59This minimal production lets a simple guitar part underscore the eerie lyrics with plenty
08:04of potential drug references.
08:06The performance itself couldn't be more haunting, as Smith's vocals lead you through
08:10a labyrinth of depressing scenes.
08:12The beauty underneath it all still brings you back, with the artist's harrowing vision
08:17coming through on every syllable.
08:23There's a hypnotic quality to his poetic songwriting that carries through this piece
08:31and into his impressive catalogue.
08:33It also inspired a memorable scene in the Royal Tenenbaums, twisting the meaning into
08:38even darker territory.
08:4312.
08:50Why – Annie Lennox After her time in the iconic group Eurythmics,
08:54Annie Lennox established herself as an equally talented solo artist.
09:08Her single Why defines what she does best as a performer and songwriter.
09:12With some atmospheric background vocals, the track sets a somber mood that doesn't let
09:16you go.
09:17Lennox sings about a lover who has lost control of a relationship.
09:29Tackling love and heartbreak, the lyrics take us through the romantic grieving process with
09:33tremendous skill.
09:35The singer's bitter feelings feel universal and sometimes too personal to hear.
09:39The entire production lets you wade in these complex emotions, with the synths giving this
09:44an unforgettable sound.
09:5011.
09:55Fade Into You – Mazzy Starr In a pantheon of great 90s tracks, this one
10:00perfectly captures the inescapable nature of love.
10:08Mazzy Starr's hit transcends any clichés about typical ballads.
10:12It's an alternative piece that's poetic in a lyrical sense, as well as in terms of performance.
10:17Hope Sandoval delivers the vocal of a lifetime, putting her heart and soul into every word.
10:29She seems to capture a point in time where you're drowning in a passionate affair.
10:33While it might not last, the relationship that's described here is emblematic of many
10:38we've had in our younger years.
10:40Fade Into You remains a high point in a decade that seemed to champion this kind of stellar
10:45music.
10:4610.
10:47How To Disappear Completely – Radiohead While not the sound they're known for, this
10:58track from 2000's Kid A is now remembered by many as one of Radiohead's best offerings.
11:11In place of his otherworldly guitar work, Johnny Greenwood presents a Szysztof Penderecki-inspired
11:15string arrangement as the foundation for How To Disappear Completely, which was recorded
11:20at Dorchester Abbey in Oxfordshire, England.
11:23Lyrically, meanwhile, the track was inspired by a mantra of sorts given to Tom York by
11:28Michael Stipe of R.E.M., I'm Not Here, This Isn't Happening.
11:38The song was also inspired by a dream York had about floating.
11:41Sonically, it's almost hard to tell where York's vocals leave off and the mournful
11:46and emotive string section begins.
11:529.
11:58Angel – Sarah McLachlan Featuring Just McLachlan, her piano, and the
12:03subtle bass of bare-naked lady Gin Cregan, this song tugged at the heartstrings long
12:08before it became associated with the ASPCA.
12:17Inspired by the overdose death of Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin,
12:22this haunting lullaby has become the go-to song to underline sadness in TV shows and
12:27movies and as an attempt to find hope in real-life tragedies.
12:37McLachlan has referred to the writing process of this song as a very easy labor.
12:42Burnt out from two years' worth of touring, the singer felt that, while not a drug user
12:47herself, she could identify with someone turning to substance as a means of coping with the
12:51touring lifestyle.
12:568.
12:59Transatlanticism – Death Cab for Cutie The title track of the album that cemented
13:04this band's place in music history, Transatlanticism, may very well be one of Death Cab for Cutie's
13:10finest musical moments.
13:20Written by Ben Gibbard with Chris Walla, the track runs close to the 8-minute mark
13:25and maintains a sense of pained loneliness throughout.
13:28Beginning sparsely with just piano, vocal, and precise percussion, the song builds with
13:33the eventual addition of electric guitar.
13:43Addressing the loneliness and frustration that comes with a long-distance relationship,
13:47A theme carried across the entire concept album, Transatlanticism is as lyrically beautiful
13:53as it is musically hypnotic.
13:597.
14:01Breathe Me – Sia Owing to the way it was recorded, Breathe
14:05Me is one of the few songs in Sia's catalog that she can really enjoy listening to.
14:15With Sia out sick, bassist Sam Dixon and drummer Felix Bloxham recorded the track in
14:24her absence and she got to fall in love with the results before adding her vocals.
14:28She wasn't the only one to feel smitten though.
14:38Up front about worries, anxiety, and self-harm, the song is at once inconsolable and deeply
14:44soothing.
14:45Beginning with just piano and a voice so weary and lethargic you doubt she'll make it to
14:49the end of the verse, Breathe Me builds in intensity and emotion like light at the end
14:55of a dark tunnel.
15:006.
15:06Mad World – Michael Andrews Featuring Gary Jules
15:09Originally recorded by Tears for Fears, Mad World took on a whole new sound in the hands
15:14of Michael Andrews.
15:23Tasked with soundtracking the film Donnie Darko, Andrews needed a song with the right
15:28emotional weight to replace U2's MLK, which the production could not afford.
15:34Featuring no drums or guitars at the request of director Richard Kelly, Andrews created
15:38the soundscape of Mad World using piano, vocoder, as well as synthetic cello via Melotron.
15:50He then enlisted former bandmate Gary Jules to record the restrained vocals.
15:54Mostly completed in less than two hours, the version was meant as a demo, but Kelly liked
15:59the track so much he decided to use it for the film.
16:095.
16:13The Wolves Act I & II – Boney Bear Written while Justin Vernon was recovering
16:24from a breakup, the end of a band, and mononucleosis of the liver, The Wolves is almost a mantra
16:31of self-determination in the face of intangible obstacles.
16:43Relocating to his father's cabin in rural Wisconsin, Vernon coped with his loneliness
16:48by recording and pursuing new directions and approaches to his songwriting.
16:53Featuring what he thought was a solid demo, Vernon was urged to release the recordings
16:57as an album with The Wolves proving to be a highlight for many listeners.
17:16The conflicted mix of emotions in the song can only be rivaled by the band's later
17:21track, Holoscene, which treads similar ground.
17:274.
17:29Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton A favorite of many Clapton fans, Tears In
17:34Heaven was the guitarist's means of coping with the death of Connor, his young son with
17:39model Lori Del Santo, who fell to his death from a New York City high-rise.
17:50A former person with substance use disorder, Clapton sought to avoid falling back on old
17:55habits, pouring his grief into music instead.
18:02Having written the first verse, Clapton asked co-writer Will Jennings to complete the song
18:07as part of their work for the soundtrack of the film Rush.
18:11Inescapably linked to Connor's death, Tears In Heaven is an emotional exploration of sorrow,
18:17loss, pain, and uncertainty.
18:243.
18:27The Sound Of Silence – Simon And Garfunkel Written over a six-month period, The Sound
18:32Of Silence was slow in the making.
18:39Simon allegedly wrote much of it in the bathroom with the lights out, which likely explains
18:43the opening line if not the mood of the whole song.
18:46Believed by many to be about a range of heavy topics, most notably the JFK assassination,
18:52Paul Simon has said it's simply about people's inability to communicate with one another.
19:05Undeniably captivating, the uniquely bleak sentiment of uncertainty offered by The Sound
19:10Of Silence has seen it used to underscore emotion in films as diverse as The Graduate
19:15and Watchmen.
19:16It even found its way into the quirky fabric of the cult classic comedy series Arrested
19:21Development.
19:222.
19:23Hurt – Johnny Cash What was once a musical note about taking
19:33one's own self from Trent Reznor became a musical obituary for the man in black.
19:48Presented to the iconic songwriter by producer Rick Rubin, Cash took a liking to the Nine
19:53Inch Nails classic, allegedly listening to it roughly 100 times.
19:58The song not only perfectly suited Cash and his demon-fueled past, but also married perfectly
20:04with his weakening but still commanding low baritone voice.
20:12Powerful in its own right, the song becomes an absolute tearjerker when paired with the
20:17music video.
20:18Within a year of its release, both Cash and his wife June would pass away.
20:22In 2007, the couple's home, which featured prominently in the video, was destroyed by
20:27fire.
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20:491.
20:51Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley As omnipresent as it is today, Hallelujah
20:56actually took a very long time to gain footing in the public consciousness.
21:08First released by Leonard Cohen in 1984, the singer wrote it over a five-year period, accumulating
21:14approximately 80 different verses before narrowing it down to four.
21:18Rejected by CBS Records, who called it a disaster, Cohen released it independently
21:23to little fanfare.
21:33Ten years later, Jeff Buckley picked up where John Cale's 1991 cover version left off,
21:39but it too had a limited impact… until Buckley's death in 1997.
21:44Today, over 300 covers exist, but it's Jeff Buckley's raw and sensual take that is best
21:50known, the sentimentality of which is only heightened by Buckley's untimely demise.
22:05Did we forget another hauntingly beautiful song?
22:08Let us know in the comments below!