50 breakup songs for your moving on playlist
Expand your breakup anthems with Lizzo, COIN, Taylor Swift, and more
In a perfect world, no one would need a breakup playlist. Since the world isn’t perfect though, we curated a list of 50 songs to help you through your heartbreak, and let’s face it, we’d lose a lot of great music without lost loves.
1. “Fool of Myself” by The Band CAMINO
If you’ve been lied to, this is a song that should bring you some catharsis. As unhappy as the subject matter is, the tempo is still fairly upbeat, and it’s easy to sing along. The Band CAMINO has several other songs that are great for breakup coping, so this is just the beginning of the pathway.
Best line: “It makes me sick you know more than my friends about me.”
2. “We Move Like the Ocean” by Bad Suns
Relationships, especially unhappy ones, can get exhausting. It can feel like you’re drowning, and Bad Suns express that feeling in their usual California alternative rock sound.
Best line: “I fell in love in a dream, but I can’t remember your face.”
3. “Everything Sucks” by Scott Helman
As simple as it is to say, Scott Helman describes the heartbreak feeling that hits right when you lose someone perfectly. Everything sucks. We know, but that’s okay. Let music help you through it.
Best line: “Playing sad songs just to pretend I’m not pathetic, but you know I am.”
4. “11 Blocks” by Wrabel
Getting over someone is a process. It takes time. Especially if you’ve found someone else and still catch yourself thinking of that person from your past, this is the kind of breakup song that can help you get some of those feelings out.
Best line: “You know how I get when I’m alone.”
5. “Someone New” by Hozier
Moving on is the best way to get over someone, right?
Best line: “There’s an art to life’s distractions.”
6. “Youuu” by COIN
On the other hand, moving on might not be the solution either. Breakups don’t mean you don’t still love each other. COIN gets that (and we do too).
Best line: I kept my guard up, but I took it down for you.
7. “Kiss This” by The Struts
Know when you need to be the one to walk away. If someone is bad for you, you probably know it. Tell them “kiss this” and use this song to hype yourself up if you need to. The Struts are great for that.
Best line: You were bad for me, but I’m gone for good.
8. “Tell Me How” by Paramore
Figuring out how to feel is a challenge in itself. Hayley Williams makes for a good coping companion through that process, though.
Best line: “I can’t call you a stranger, but I can’t call you.”
9. “I Knew You When” by Marianas Trench
Marianas Trench is definitely a resource for breakup songs. In this case, it’s about recounting your history and still wanting to be there for the future.
Best line: “I’m sure you’re wondering ‘Is this a new beginning or the start of another end?'”
10. “Thick and Thin” by LANY
For every happy relationship turned sour in what feels like an instant, LANY has you covered. Not everyone will stay through thick and thin.
Best line: “What are you thinking? You were happy last weekend.”
11. “Used To Be” by Jonas Brothers
The Jonas brothers are all married, but they can still put out a heartfelt song about lost loves. We all have someone who used to be the one we loved, right?
Best line: “You just thought you could do better, so do better.”
12. “If I Can’t Have You” by Shawn Mendes
Sometimes, you need peppier music about missing someone. Shawn Mendes is great at fulfilling that need.
Best line: “Is it too late to tell you that everything means nothing if I can’t have you?”
13. “Genghis Khan” by Miike Snow
Jealousy is normal. Get it out the health way: with music.
Best line: “I don’t have the right to ask where you go at night.”
14. “Take It All Back 2.0” by Judah & the Lion
Would you do things differently if you had the chance? Judah & the Lion spells out that breakup feeling with the assistance of a banjo to mix things up.
Best line: “I’d take it all back just to have you.”
15. “Heartbreakers” by Matt Webb (feat. Kevvy)
We’re all heartbreakers. No matter which end of it you’re on, it’s hard not to wonder where you’re going next.
Best line: “I’m not everything you need. You’re not everything to me.”
16. “I Almost Do” by Taylor Swift
No one writes breakup songs like Taylor Swift. It should be a crime to exclude her from a list like this, and picking just one is insanely difficult (spoiler: we couldn’t do it).
Best line: “We made quite a mess, babe. It’s probably better off this way.”
17. “Pictures of You” by The Cure
Sometimes, a broken heart requires a good throw back. If it was good enough for Lane Kim to play when she was struggling with her boy problems in Gilmore Girls, it has to be good enough to suggest now too.
Best line: “If only I’d thought of the right words, I wouldn’t be breaking apart all my pictures of you.”
18. “You’re Not Good Enough” by Blood Orange
There’s nothing like a good ego boost to help with heartbreak. Remind yourself that it’s their loss with Blood Orange.
Best line: “You keep on coming back. I keep letting you in.”
19. “Plate Tectonics” by When the Clock Strikes
While not exactly a romantic breakup song, “Plate Tectonics” focuses on loss in general. Friend breakups hurt too.
Best line: “How am I supposed to know just who to chase and not let go?”
20. “The Last Thing” by Sawyer
Chances are, you might not be the only person hurting. If you’re going through a rough split, moving on will be something you both do separately.
Best line: “It would be so easy if you were easier to hate.”
21. “Graveyard” by Halsey
Halsey’s new album is full of amazing songs for moving on. This is only one of them. The takeaway: It’s okay if you’re hurting after a relationship that wasn’t healthy for you ended.
Best line: “It’s funny how the warning signs can feel like they’re butterflies.”
22. “IDKW” by Daisy the Great
Let some frustration out with this one. If a breakup song can be fun, this is it.
Best line: “My hands are full of tiny spoons to feed your hungry ego.”
23. “Wish We Never Met” by WhoHurtYou
It’s not always better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. Wishing you didn’t meet someone who hurt you is completely okay.
Best line: “If I could go back and erase you from my mind, I’d do it in a second.”
24. “Better Off Without” by Armon Jay
Are you wondering if it’s for the best that you split? That’s alright, and it can still hurt while you figure that out.
Best line: “I can’t change what already happened. I can only control how I react.”
25. “Two Ghosts” by Harry Styles
Harry Styles really hit us in the feels with this one.
Best line: “Sounds like something that I used to feel, but I can’t touch what I can’t see.”
26. “Moral of the Story” by Ashe
Pulled right from the new To All The Boys movie soundtrack, Ashe makes some good points about how people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes.
Best line: “You can think that you’re in love when you’re really just engaged.”
27. “A Phone Call In Amsterdam” by Valley
Listen to your breakup songs, as Valley suggests in this song. If the original isn’t sad enough for you, there’s an acoustic version too.
Best line: “Listen to your breakup songs. I can’t help but sing along.”
28. “Miss You Like Hell” by Nightly
Nightly’s entire track list is essentially filled with a range of breakup songs. They’re worth digging into more if you’re building a playlist of your own.
Best line: “Every day, I feel like I’m just stuck on repeat.”
29. “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo
Lizzo got extremely popular with this single for a reason. Let her hype you up. It’ll make you feel better.
Best line: “That’s the sound of me not calling you back.”
30. “Emotion” by Carly Rae Jepsen
If you haven’t heard Carly Rae Jepsen since “Call Me Maybe,” you’re missing out. Her music is still catchy, but it’s not all about hopeful crushes.
Best line: “Tell me there is nothing I can’t have and nothing you won’t do.”
31. “Don’t Wanna Feel It” by Wild Things
Not happy with how you’ve been feeling? We get it. This song makes a good anthem for that mood.
Best line: “I mistake a stare for a sign, and I disappoint every time.”
32. “Champion” by Fall Out Boy
While not exactly a breakup song, “Champion” says a lot about how hard moving on can be. You can get through this. It’s a challenge, and sometimes, challenges require a high-energy reminder that you can do it.
Best line: “If I can live through this, I can do anything.”
33. “Bulletproof” by La Roux
A decade ago, this song was on every radio station. It’s a good song to return back to when you’re having a hard time.
Best line: “I’ll never let you sweep me off my feet.”
34. “Relapse” by Divided By Friday
On-again-off-again relationships suck. Eventually, you have to decide you don’t want to relapse again.
Best line: “Please don’t come back.”
35. “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?” by Rooney
This is one of the catchiest heartbreak songs you’ll ever find.
Best line: “When did your heart go missing?”
36. “Take It or Leave It” by Cage the Elephant
If you’re constantly finding yourself in a place where your partner is changing their mind about you, it might be time to take this song’s advice and tell them to take it or leave it.
Best line: “I’m starting to wonder why I’ve been tripping over you.”
37. “The Worst Thing About Me” by We Are The In Crowd
Some breakups are really a favor in disguise. Take a minute to think about it. Were they really all that great for you?
Best line: “I got away from everything that made me think of you, and now I’m back again to prove you wrong.”
38. “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer
It might not be over yet, but maybe it should be. Know when to call it.
Best line: “How dare you say it’s nothing to me. Baby, you’re the only light I ever saw.”
39. “Sorry” by Sleeping with Sirens
Whether you’re sorry or wishing someone else would apologize for how they treat you, there’s something cathartic about a calm Sleeping With Sirens’ breakup song.
Best line: “You know that you can take all of me. I swear I will be better than before.”
40. “everything I could never say… to you” by lovelytheband
We all have things we can’t say when our hearts are broken. Maybe you can relate what lovelytheband has to say.
Best line: “You built me up to break me down. I find it hard to smile now.”
41. “Leeds United” by Amanda Palmer
If you’ve reached the point where you need a serious break from romance, Amanda Palmer has you covered. Who needs love at all, right?
Best line: “Who needs love when there’s Law & Order?”
42. “Superman” by Ivory Layne
We put people on a pedestal sometimes, and coming to terms with that can be difficult. Ivory Layne puts it into words perfectly.
Best line: “You fell short ’cause you needed lungs to breathe.”
43. “Thoughts” by Matthew Chaim
Thoughts about what could have been are normal. They’re happy and sad at the same time. It’s messy.
Best line: “Maybe it’s foolish and quite irrational of me to want to go back and just rewind our memory.”
44. “Piledriver waltz” by Alex Turner
Alex Turner without the rest of the Arctic Monkeys group is a little weird to think about, but this song is just the right level of mellow and sad for a breakup song to help numb the pain a bit.
Best line: “You look like you’ve been for breakfast at the Heartbreak Hotel.”
45. “Fool” by Frankie Cosmos
This one is a little strange, but it’s relatable. Waiting around for people feels foolish after a while.
Best line: “You make me feel like a fool waiting for you.”
46. “Salt” by Bad Suns
Memories are what make it hard. They’re salt in the wound. Whether or not that’s really nothing, that’s up to you.
Best line: “These memories are nothing to me just salt in the wound.”
47. “It’s Gettin’ better” by HARBOUR
It’s hard to believe it when it’s over. It’s worse knowing that makes things better for the other person sometimes.
Best line: “You changed your mind, and I never saw it coming, love.”
48. “Treat Me Better” by Reno & Rome
However many chances you gave them, it was enough. They would’ve learned to treat you better if they wanted to by now.
Best line: “If you took the time to learn, don’t you think we’d still be together?”
49. “Less Than I Do” by The Band CAMINO
Wishing the other person the best is nice. Wishing that they feel blue less than you do is about as selfless as you can be while you’re missing someone. There’s a lot going on in this one, as there is in any healing process.
Best line: “You’re the only way I’ll have it.”
50. “I Forgot That You Existed” by Taylor Swift
Eventually, we all get to this point. Taylor Swift‘s breakup song magic makes her more than worth a second slot on this list, especially since this is where we want to be. You’ll forget they exist eventually. We’re rooting for you.
Best line: “I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t.”
Need to listen to our break up playlist on heavy rotation? Save it to your Spotify below and sing your heart out.
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