If you can get past the technosity of it all:
“Believe” by Cher.
(too bad no country, cause “let er rip” by the dixie chicks is pretty good)
Motorcycle Drive By - Third eye Blind
I also second sour times
Moanin’ Low—Libby Holman
Love Me or Leave Me—Ruth Etting
There Ain’t No Sweet Man (That’s Worth the Salt of My Tears)—Libby Holman
Mood Indigo—The Boswell Sisters
There’s no Home For You Here - the White Stripes
An absolutely vicious breakup song.
Yeah, me too.
NIN - all of Pretty Hate Machine, or Broken
Or, more to the “Angry Scorned Woman” end of the spectrum
Alanis Morissette, You Oughta Know
Pink, Just Like a Pill, or Hell Wit Ya, or There You Go
It’s Too Late - Carole King
Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
“A Thousand Times Goodbye” - Megadeth
i’ll second ‘prayer to god’ by shellac. surely the harshest way to deal with your wife leaving you ever, to a kick ass tune.
how about ‘love will tear us apart’ by joy division?
More Warren Zevon:
They Moved the Moon,
The Heartache.
“Another Lonely Day” - Ben Harper
“Don’t Think of Me” - Dido
Another Greg Kihn song: “The Anniversary Of My Broken Heart”.
“Twisting” - They Might Be Giants
Tainted Love - the Soft Cell long version.
Goodbye To You - Scandal.
(yep, the 1980s.)
Love Stinks - J. Geils
The End - The Doors
Pernice Brothers – “Clear Spot.” True to the PB’s form, it’s the most cheerful song on that album.
“Look Away” by Peter Cetera.
“Poor Impulse Control” by Jack Off Jill.
An oldie:
“Losin’ You (Could be the Best Thing Yet)”
Of course, it all depends on circumstance but:
Tori Amos - Tear in your Hand
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Tracks of my Tears
(Warning: this song’s in French)
A couple of years ago I heard on the radio called “Je ne t’aime pas”. It sticks out in my mind because it’s sung so calmly - as if the guy was giving a business report or something.
I loved the lyrics, too - stuff like
“I dream of life without you
I wake up and you’re still there
I don’t love you”
Which of course rhymed in French.