36 best albums historically about the breakup: Official clips, playlists, creation stories

Think of those who are single on Valentine's Day, contemplating cooking a meal just for themselves and not for their loved one. Of course, some people lonely by choice, but others have been cruelly doomed to a lonely life due to the heartless betrayal of a lover. However, as many musicians can attest, there is nothing better than being a abandoned to focus - and the best breakup albums can channel that personal pain into creating universally affecting works of art.

Aside from the fact that the grief favours of mental clarity, it can bring with it self-pity, jealousy, bitterness, anger, and even a desire for revenge. As destructive as these emotions can be, they are all grist to the mill for people with creative inclinations. Where would popular music be without the psychological pain and suffering that both tormented and inspired of their creators? If love and life were always carefree and blissful, we wouldn't have three of the most powerful autobiographical albums born of the trauma of spoilt love: Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black', Bob Dylan's 'Blood On The Tracks' and Marvin Gaye's 'Here, My Dear'.

These and the other entries on this list of the best breakup albums show how great artists can find catharsis in confronting the forces that seem intent on destroy their lives and rob them of their sanity. Of course, not all of the albums below were forged in the crucible of pain - some works were created because the moods they create and the universal truths they offer can help listeners deal with their own emotional crises. Their main point message is that you're not alone.

36: Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next (Republic, 2019)

Being a teen pop princess doesn't mean you have a sweet and carefree life. Florida native Grande proved that in her fifth platinum album, "Thank U, Next," which, influenced her personal experiences, including the tragic death of ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, and her highly publicised break-up with comedian Peter Davidson. The record's twelve songs have a bittersweet undertone, showing that even superstars are not immune to the poison dart of love.

We need to hear it: "7 Rings"

35: Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL, 2016)

At first glance, Radiohead's ninth album - "A Moon Shaped Pool", is a protest album in which the band criticises authority ("Burn The Witch"), ponders climate change and even supports revolution ("The Numbers"), but some observers suggest that the overall melancholy The tone of the album reflects Yorke's grief over the end of his marriage to Rachel Owen, with whom he had a 25-year relationship. His despair is expressed in the pleading ballad "True Love Waits," which ends the album on a desperately poignant note.

We need to hear it: "True Love Waits."

34: Sharon Van Etten: Are We There? (Jagjaguwar, 2014)

Some singers have voices designed specifically for melancholy. New Jersey singer Sharon Van Etten, for example, has such a distinctive baritone. Her haunting, siren-like tone conveys the excruciating pain that heartbreak and lost love can bring. On this, her fourth album, the singer offers a different perspective on the love in the form of slowly escalating ruminations whose intensity leaves the listener bruised and battered. Most of them portray romance not as a sublime state, but rather as a destructive disease that brings only pain and suffering; for example, "Your Love Is Killing Me" with its brutal toxicity and intense despair of "I Love You But I'm Lost".

We need to hear it: "Your Love Is Killing Me"

33: The Mountain Goats: Get Lonely (4AD, 2006)

Indie folk-rock band from Clermont, California, The Mountain Goats led by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, have created their tenth album, Get Lonely. An introspective opus defined by reflections on coping with broken love ("Get Lonely"), facing loss ("Half Dead") and facing change ("Woke Up New"). Through the album, the author circulates to heartbreak in a sensitive and emotionally insightful way, while at the same time using self-deprecating humour.

We need to hear it: "Woke Up New"

32: Leonard Cohen: Songs Of Leonard Cohen (Columbia, 1967)

Canadian folk troubadour Leonard Cohen, is the poet laureate of Heartbreak. His debut album is not itself a breakup album, but contains several standout songs, mourners The album's songs, such as "So Long, Marianne", a cheerful farewell to his former lover Marianne Ihlen and the haunting "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", inspired by a quarrel with another lover. The overall atmosphere of the album is dark, but also philosophical, making it a work that many will listen to after a painful breakup.

We need to hear it: "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye."

31: Mavis Staples: Only The Lonely (Volt, 1970)

Her first project outside of The Staples Singers was this, her second solo album, recorded for Stax's Volt imprint under the direction of renowned R&B producer Don Davis. The album, which failed to attract a large audience upon its release and led to Staples putting her solo career on hold for nearly a decade, is now rightfully considered an album, symbolising breakup. Staples' emotional voice - is something amazing, shining brightly in such strong ballads about heartbreak as "I Have Learned To Do Without You," "It Makes Me Wanna Cry," and "Endlessly."

We need to hear it: "I Have Learned To Do Without You."

30: Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill (Maverick, 1995)

One of the most expressive albums of the 1990s was "Jagged Little Pill". While listening to it, one can notice the amazing metamorphosis of the Canadian artist from a harmless creator of dance pop to a pugnacious post-grunge rocker. "Jagged Little Pill" - this intricate an album for mature and conscious listeners that is full of rage and frustration, especially in the hit single "You Oughta Know," an angry protest. For those who have been hurt by love or are suffering in an unsatisfying relationship, the "Jagged Little Pill" record may prove to be an uplifting, vengeful antidote that can dispel self-pitying thinking.

We need to hear it: "You Oughta Know"

29: Spiritualized: Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (Dedicated, 1997)

This is the third and best-known album by the leading British rockers, which was written after their frontman and main songwriter Jason Pearce split up with the band's keyboardist Kate Radley, who later secretly out married Richard Ashcroft of The Verve. Piers poured his grief into the sad tracks "Broken Heart", "Stay With Me".

We need to hear it: "Broken Heart"

28: Frank Sinatra: In The Wee Small Hours (Capitol, 1955)

Capitol Chairman's third album was Frank Sinatra's first gold album. It also had a great influence on other artists, so considered the first concept album of pop music, which consists of 16 songs. In them, the author expresses the overarching theme of loneliness, melancholy and unrequited love. Many felt that the album was a reflection of Sinatra's troubled relationship with film star Ava Gardner, and thanks to Nelson Riddle's sumptuous arrangements, the work sounds so gorgeous and beautiful.

We need to hear it: "In The Wee Small Hours"

27: Lorez Alexandria: Sing No Sad Songs For Me (Argo, 1961)

Lorez Alexandria - a little-known and largely forgotten jazz singer who clearly deserves wider recognition. The Alexandria, Chicago native possessed a caressing contralto that could make any song she performed sound emotional and authentic. This is her second album for Chess Records - "Argo imprint" - melancholy masterpiece, the sentiments of which must resonate with anyone who has had a broken Heart. With arrangements handpicked by Riley Hampton, Alexandria creates a world of pain with songs like "A Loser's Lullaby," "Lonesome Road." A song with suicidal tendencies, "Gloomy Sunday," deserves special attention.

We need to hear it: "Sing No Sad Songs For Me"

26: Robin Thicke: Paula (Star Trak/Interscope, 2014)

The single was highly regarded among fans for its unwavering honesty. This breakup album was the R&B singer's attempt to bring the apologies and getting his ex-wife Paula Patton back after their breakup. The track "Paula" is not easy to listen to for someone with related feelings to the author, but the piece creates a compelling portrait of a grief-stricken sinner seeking redemption.

We need to hear it: "Black Tar Cloud."

25: Julie London: Julie Is Her Name (Liberty, 1955)

For those who feel inconsolable after being betrayed in love, this album is unlikely to allow them to let go gnawing heartache. The peculiarity of the album is that starting from the opening song "Cry Me A River", the author plunges the listener into his experiences and emotions.

We need to hear it: "Cry Me A River"

24: No Doubt: Tragic Kingdom (Trauma/Interscope, 1995)

This breakthrough album from the Grammy-nominated California band went platinum sales and went pop mainstream. But behind its phenomenal global success was a story of resentment, betrayal and heartbreak. Several songs - notably the chart-topping power ballad "Don't Speak" - documented the break-up of lead singer Gwen Stefani and the band's bassist, Tony Kanal, after they separated after a seven-year relationship.

We need to hear it: "Don't Speak."

23: Patsy Cline: Showcase (Decca, 1961)

A Virginia-born country singer who conquered the mainstream pop charts in the early '60s, Patsy Cline had a beautiful voice whose sonorous tone had a natural ability to convey grief and sadness. And there's plenty of both on "Showcase" is, Patsy Cline's second studio album, recorded two years before she died in the plane crash at the age of 30. The record featured some of Kline's best-known songs, including "I Fall To Pieces" and an indelible version of Willie Nelson's "Crazy," the latter of which - An anthem of loneliness and rejection that should only be listened to if you have a pack of tissues handy.

We need to hear it: "Crazy."

22: Lorde: Melodrama (Universal, 2017)

Following 2013's austere electro-minimalist debut album 'Pure Heroine', New Zealand singer and songwriter Lorde has utilised a wide range of sonic possibilities to create a full-fledged melodramas. The author managed to portray the pain in the songs, which talked about the author's feelings of a painful, life-changing breakup with her boyfriend after a three-year relationship.

We need to hear it: "Hard Feelings"/"Loveless"

21: Taylor Swift: Red (Big Machine, 2012)

Nothing fuels the flames of creativity like heartbreak, prompting one to do some serious introspection. In this emotional album, country-pop singer Taylor Swift. wrote about the toxicity of her past relationships. Although Swift doesn't let up on her feelings of anger and bitterness in "I Knew You Were Trouble," "Treacherous" and "We Are Never Getting Back Together," she shows a more reflective side in the pitiful "Sad Beautiful Tragic."

We need to hear it: "Sad Beautiful Tragic"

20: Nas: Life Is Good (Def Jam, 2012)

The MC, known for his braggadocio and use of language as a weapon, has revealed his rarely seen vulnerable side in "Life Is Good." In this album, the author tells the story of parting with singer Kelis, whose wedding dress was thrown over the rapper's lap in a provocative cover story. He didn't seem bothered by the emotional toll of the separation, but rather the pain of a financial settlement: 

I'm talking about the fact that marriage is expensive, - He admitted in an interview at the time.

Nevertheless, the album "Life Is Good" contains a raw yet honest description of love.

We need to hear it: "Bye Baby."

19: Joan Baez: Diamonds & Rust (A&M, 1975)

A patron saint of '60s acoustic folk, Baez recorded this album in Hollywood, opting for a more mainstream jazz-rock sound. But the album couldn't hide the depth of the singer's feelings for former beau Bob Dylan, expressed in the catchy title song. She also adds. sardonic a twist on the lyrics of her stunning cover of Dylan's "Simple Twist Of Fate" (including an archaic imitation of the author's peculiar singing style). But it is her rendition of Jackson Browne's "Fountain Of Sorrow" that best captures the repressed, elegiac mood of the album's author

We need to hear it: "Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer."

18: Kristina Train: Dark Black (Mercury, 2012)

Kristina Train - singer and songwriter with a soulful voice who was born in New York and moved to London after her album contract with Blue Note proved unsuccessful. Train created melancholy a noir masterpiece. The prevailing mood of the songs is sombre, but not depressing. Whether her material is autobiographical or not, Train's vocals make it clear that she is the kind of person who possesses a broken heart.

We need to hear it: "Dark Black."

17: PJ Harvey: Rid Of Me (Island, 1993).

For some, a broken romance evokes feelings of hatred, bitterness and even revenge. In the autobiographical title track from Polly Jean Harvey's second album, the alt-rock priestess reflects on relationships with a frenzied and almost psychotic glee. "You're not rid of me." - she sings, and then she threatens unscrew the head of her lover. As the rest of the album is performed at the same level of piercing acrimony, this record is for those who react to romantic betrayal with anger towards their former partner rather than self-pity.

We need to hear it: "Rid Of Me"

16: Billie Holiday: Lady Sings The Blues (Clef, 1956)

Billie Holiday's talent for expressing her deepest emotions allowed her to personify a whole host of pain and grief in the album. On this one. plate each piece tells a story, capturing a vivid autobiographical narrative characterised by bad relationships and abusive lovers, against a bleak backdrop of drug and alcohol abuse. For those who find solace in melancholy, this is the kind of album that can be listened to indefinitely.

We need to hear it: "Good Morning Heartache."

15: Adele: 21 (XL, 2011)

Adele initially cancelled the recording of her second album, saying she lacked inspiration. But her creative muse returned when she broke up with her boyfriend. A poignant sense of loss and heartbreak singers prompted her to explore her emotional scars and pour out her feelings in a variety of songs ranging from the scornful "Rolling In The Deep" and "Take It All" to the more contemplative and extremely poignant "Someone Like You.

We need to hear it: "Someone Like You"

14: Frightened Rabbit: The Midnight Organ Fight (Atlantic, 2007)

Scottish indie rockers Frightened Rabbit have unveiled a raw and frankly honest autopsy of cancer love. Supposedly based on the personal life of the now deceased Hutchinson, the album's 14 tunes are invariably are sombre yet brilliantly written, set to catchy and sometimes inspiring melodies.

We need to hear it: "The Modern Leper"

13: Roy Orbison: Lonely & Blue (Monument, 1961)

With songs like "I'm Hurtin'," "Bye Bye Love," "Cry," "Blue Avenue" and "Come Back To Me (My Love)," it's obvious that Orbison's debut album is no fun. Instead of lyrically recounting pure joys of romance, a record called Lonely & Blue. - is basically a catalogue of pain, suffering and loneliness caused by a multitude of abusive lovers. Despair has never sounded so beautiful.

We need to hear it: "Only The Lonely"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfiqM_vUfHw&list=PLdW-GIPIzutacv1hq59Cyy99-dFewTW_g

12: Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjauwar/4AD, 2008)

Before Bon Ive became a full-fledged indie folk-rock band, it consisted solely of singer and songwriter Justin Vernon, who was the inspiration behind this exciting debut album. Reflecting on a past love affair, he sought to emotional completion, pouring his soul and fortune into nine songs written during the period he lived in a hunting lodge in Wisconsin. The result was an album about a breakup that was alternately painfully inconsolable and yet magical.

We need to hear it: "re:stacks".

11: Beck: Sea Change (Geffen, 2002)

A devastating breakup after infidelities his lover, inspired Beck to write his eighth album. Moving away from the quirky, sample-dominated sound of his previous work, Beck opted for a more organic approach using acoustic guitar and orchestra. He gave songs about grief, isolation and heartbreak a deeper resonance.

We need to hear it: "Lonesome Tears"

10: Kanye West: 808s & Heartbreak (Def Jam, 2008)

Understandably, Kanye West's world came crashing down when his mother died in 2008. Soon, the sense of loss was further intensified when his fiancée left him. These two events, combined with dual the rapper's attitude towards his growing fame was reflected in his fourth album's tracks. "808s & Heartbreak" was also stylistically different from the hip-hop norm, as it uses synthesiser-heavy electronic soundscapes as a backdrop against which West sang as well as rapped. The thoughtful and melancholic album showed how grief can be channelled into creativity.

We need to hear it: "Heartless."

9: Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out The Lights (Hannibal,1982)

Highly praised by critics and often ranked high on lists of best albums compiled by influential magazines such as Rolling Stone and Q, "Shoot Out The Lights" was the sixth and last a collaborative recording by a British husband and wife duo. Ironically, its creation precipitated the breakdown of their marriage, which is chronicled in eight songs. Although there is a glimmer of hope for the couple in the opening song "Don't Renege On Our Love", the final "Wall Of Death" shows doom, despair and a chilling breakup.

We need to hear it: "Don't Renege On Our Love."

8: Joni Mitchell: Blue (Asylum, 1971)

Perhaps the Canadian singer-songwriter's most eloquent and overtly emotional album, "Blue," was a history Joni Mitchell on two breakups: the first with former Hollies member Graham Nash, and the second with American singer and songwriter James Taylor. The latter relationship began in Europe, where Mitchell wrote much of the album while trying to forget the loss. 

We need to hear it: "A Case Of You"

7: Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel Of Love (Columbia, 1987)

Bruce Springsteen grit his teeth and bared his soul on this album, which dealt with his disintegrating marriage to actress Julianne Phillips. Its disturbing themes of deceit, betrayal, doubt and broken hearts were so personal to Springsteen that he recorded most of the music on his own, without his colleagues, the E Street Band. The Catharsic opus fails to reveal even the slightest glimmer of light and hope at the end of its dark tunnel.

We need to hear it: "Brilliant Disguise."

6: Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (Capitol, 1958)

Although he conjured up the image of a stubborn, tough guy, in real life Sinatra was as vulnerable as the rest of us and didn't alien to the pain of a broken heart. His breakup with actress Ava Gardner and his subsequent divorce from her in 1957, affected him deeply and provided the inspiration for this, one of Sinatra's darkest but also most brilliant albums.

We need to hear it: "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)"

5: Willie Nelson: Phases & Stages (Atlantic, 1974)

The Texas troubadour broke new ground for country music with this ambitious concept album on the divorce and its aftermath. Nelson explores the trauma of separation from both the male and female perspective. Nelson offers a dual narrative split across two parts of the album, exploring the sense of emotional abyss on both sides. His songs may evoke pathos, but not self-pity.

We need to hear it: "Bloody Mary Morning"

4: Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks (Columbia, 1975)

Dylan was adamant that he did not write heartbreaking confessions, and categorically denied that the record "Blood On The Tracks" was dedicated to his painful separation from his first wife Sarah The artist stated that it was a collection of songs inspired by the stories of Anton Chekhov. Many critics claim that the album is autobiographical. Even the songwriter's son Jakob agreed with this claim, stating in 2006, stating:

It's about my parents

Whatever the source of inspiration, Blood On The Tracks explores themes of heartbreak, loss and separation both eloquently and tenderly in tracks like "Idiot Wind" and "Simple Twist of Fate."

We need to hear it: "Simple Twist Of Fate"

3: Marvin Gaye: Here, My Dear (Tamla, 1978)

Out of the ugliness of Marvin Gaye's acrimonious divorce from Anna Gordy in 1977, something beautiful emerged: 'Here, My Dear' - an autobiographical album that chronicles his failed marriage to Gordy, a woman 17 years older than Gaye. Given that Marvin Gaye wasn't going to get financial profits from the album - he agreed to donate the proceeds to his ex-wife to cover divorce costs, - he put his heart and soul into the project, creating an inspired confessional that turned into one of the best breakup albums ever.

We need to hear it: "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You."

2: Amy Winehouse: Back To Black (Island, 2006)

Documenting her toxic relationship and breakup with Blake Fielder-Civil, the R&B singer and songwriter has created a stunning Grammy Award-winning masterpiece. Track titles such as "Rehab" and "Tears Dry On Their Own" give an idea of what to expect from the record. "Back To Black" - is a kind of guide to treatment for pain in the form of music as therapy, addressing the themes of broken heartbreak, separation, loss, depression, infidelity, guilt and addiction. The album's frank honesty touched a nerve with listeners around the world, turning Amy Winehouse's grief into 16 million record sales.

We need to hear it: "Love Is A Losing Game"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA4fPMBuyuo

1: Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (Warner Bros., 1977)

Topping our list of the best breakup albums is the opus from Fleetwood Mac. At the time of recording, the band was in turmoil: John McVie and his wife Christina had just divorced, while the novel Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham was becoming toxic. To top it all off, band leader, drummer and co-founder Mick Fleetwood discovered that his wife was having an affair with his best friend. Their pain was transformed into a soft rock masterpiece on tracks like "Dreams" and "Go Your Own Way."

We need to hear it: "Dreams."