One song that has always brought back bittersweet breakup memories for me everytime I hear it is Madonna’s “Power of Goodbye” sniff
“Your Dictionary” by XTC
Blue Valentine?
“Regret” by New Order.
The Tubes - Love’s a Mystery (I Don’t Understand)
Warren Zevon - Accidentally Like a Martyr
I wish i had thought of “Song for the Dumped” before i saw you post it…thats a great one! I also wish I had gotten that CD before I made my OWN breakup tape.
A lot of the songs on it were only important personally, so I wont list those here. But it soothed me in some weird way that, even though i DIDNT send the tape to her, that if she DID hear them she would be offended because of the inside-joke message.
Also, as you ahve noted, I realize that not all of these will apply due to your gender, but 'ere goes…
Fountains of Wayne - It Must be Summer
Dead Can Dance - Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove
Cool Moe Dee - They want Money
Led Zeppelin - Fool in the Rain
Gin Blossoms - Found out about You
Offspring - Self Esteem
Stone Temple Pilots - Big Empty
Black Sabbath - whatever song on their first that goes “but my feelings were a little bit too strong”, i dunno, cause their songlist on my copy makes no sense.
Smoking Popes = Let’s Hear it for Love
Because I know everyone’s been anxiously awaiting it…::Max, can I get a drumroll?::
Swiddles’ Breakup CD, or as the title reads: “It’s not me, it’s You.”
- Bens Fold Five - Song for the Dumped
- Everclear - You Make Me Feel Like a Whore
- Janis Joplin - Piece of My Heart
- Dire Straights - Romeo & Juliet (this one might get bumped for the Indigo Girls cover)
- Puddle of Mudd - She Hates Me
- Ani Difranco - Superhero
- The Beatles - For No One
- The Murmurs - You Suck
- Bob Dylan - Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- Prince - When Doves Cry
- Alanis Morrisette - You Outta Know
- Billy Bragg - St. Swithen’s Day
- Sheryl Crow - Anything But Down
- Kasey Chambers - Not Pretty Enough
- Elvis Costello - Peace, Love & Understanding
- Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
- Amanda Ghost - Idol
- The Clash - Train in Vain
- Nina Simone - Ain’t Got No
- Johnny Cash - I Still Miss Someone
The Costello was a bold choice, it’s really not about breaking up, but I felt I needed something mildly upbeat. And it talks about being lonely, and dishearted and stuff. Plus, it leads nicely into the ending, which was specifically designed to build up to the Simone, and then end on the Cash, which is surprisingly bittersweet.
Anyhoo, that’s all she wrote.
Good choices. Keep the Dire Straits version of R & J. Mark Knopfler’s singing in that song is a perfect match to the lyrics and feeling.
I realize you’ve already got your list, Swiddles, but give Fiona Apple’s “Sleep To Dream” a listen. I’ve already recommended it once tonight as a breakup song, and at least twice before that. If you want a bitter, “what the hell were you thinking, breaking up with me”, angry breakup song, this is it.
Oh, BTW, great choices on numbers 2, 3, 7, 9, and 11. 
You have to have something from U2’s Achtung Baby. It is, after all, the ultimate break-up album.
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” - Bonnie Raitt
“What It Takes” - Aerosmith
these two = owie.
One more plug for what I think is the song of the century so far:
“Cup of coffee” - Garbage
The Last Day of Our Acquaintance - Sinead O’Connor (sad and angry all in one)
All You Want or Don’t Think of Me - Dido
Unfortunately, U2 makes me think of the jackass that created all this bitterness. One of his favorite bands. The jerk. On a completely unrelated note: have you ever noticed how * often* one hears U2? TV, radio, they’re everywhere. ::grumble:: I hate it when an ex makes you have a perfectly good band, by association.
that would be “I hate it when an ex makes you HATE a perfectly good band…”
Continue as you were.