Music Monday: Saddest Song of All Time

humor, lessons learned, music, rankings 1 Minute

Have you ever wondered what the saddest song might be?

Many people might assume it’s a country song, since many of those seem to specialize in tales of woe.

However, according to a recent survey of 2,000 adults, REM’s 1992 track “Everybody Hurts” holds the top spot.

Rounding out the top five are the following:

  • Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”
  • Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.”
  • Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”
  • The Beatles’ “Yesterday”
  • a really sad song, personally: when I asked Alexa to sing me Happy Birthday

There were some other interesting results from the survey:

Happiest songs:

  • Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,”
  • ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”
  • Katrina and The Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine”

Most Motivational songs:

  • Survivor’s “Eye of The Tiger“
  • Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”
  • Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” 

Most Relaxing songs:

  • Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”
  • The Beatles’ “Let It Be”

Participants were also asked what makes up a great song in general, and three main components kept coming up again and again: A good beat, a memorable melody, and the capacity to evoke a legitimate emotional reaction.

Here were some final survey results:

  • adults listen to about 25 songs per day.
  • The most common places to listen to music include at home, in the car, and at work.
  • 20 percent always have some music playing while out for a walk.
  • 29 percent say they put their tunes on full blast in most scenarios. .
  • 80 percent of respondents say they would be absolutely devastated if they were never allowed to hear music again.
  • 100 percent would be thrilled if they never had to read a Music Monday post from Borden’s Blather again…

Originally I was planning to share REM’s sad song, but I decided to go with one of the happy songs. We could all use a dose of happiness these days…

*image from UDiscoverMusic

Published by Jim Borden

A 60-something guy trying to figure out the world, and his place in it. Happily married for 40-plus years, three wonderful sons. Accounting teacher, fitness enthusiast, blogger, reader.

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93 thoughts on “Music Monday: Saddest Song of All Time”

      1. It is a sad song and he was very little at the time. His main instrument is trumpet and he sometimes writes music but mostly he teaches private music lessons as a lot of musicians end up doing. He is teaching me piano and my husband guitar along with his other students. He is also a musician in the naval reserves.

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      2. I’m always jealous ot eh musically talented, but I know how much work they have put in to be that good. And how cool that he can teach multiple instruments… I admire his perseverance in sticking with his love of music.

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  5. I would have to go with Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven as the saddest one from the nominated bunch, but I’m going to have to take another listen to the REM song. The Clapton tune is a beautiful song, yet knowing it’s about his son is heartwrenching. Walking on Sunshine seems like a much happier song than the other two nominations.

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  9. I think I’d go with the top choice for sad, but I’m not sure about some of the others. I’ve always thought that She’s Leaving Home was a much sadder Beatles song than Yesterday, for example, and I think the inclusion of Sinéad O’Connor is more to do with the video than the actual song. I’m with you on Katrina and the Waves too – sheer joy and exuberance, though I’d add the WOTE version of Happy to the list too 😉

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      1. It’s on Sgt Pepper, and it’s beautiful. The Sinead video is legendary – it gives the song a much sadder feel than you get from just listening to it.

        That’s WOTE’s trademark, isn’t it 😊

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  13. I love that Walking on Sunshine song! Never saw its video, thanks for sharing… especially her line “and TRYING to feel good!” that’s all we can do is TRY!

    My short list of sad songs that are both sad and comforting because they are proof we’re not the only ones feeling that way…

    -Rainy Days and Mondays (If you don’t love your job, Sunday night blues/dreading Monday morning is real)
    -Sunrise, Sunset (oh the fleetingness of youth)
    -You’ll Never Walk Alone (At age 8, my aunt told me she wanted this song played at her funeral and just the thought of her PLANNING a song for her funeral that she wouldn’t be able to HEAR , got my attention and made me sad. Now that I’m her age when she said it, I get it –but I would not tell an 8 year old that! But at the time I now know she was morning the death of her 2-year-old grandson who got hit by a car.)
    -Alone Again, Naturally (As a teen my dad told me he really related to this song, which made me feel sorry for him. now, older than he was then, I wish I could tell him I understand)
    -Abraham, Martin and John (omg 1968…)
    -Ohio (Kent State … murder of innocent children–by government … in America! )
    -Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology Song) Whoa, ah, mercy, mercy me…Ah, things ain’t what they used to be, no, no
    Where did all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that blows…)
    -Love is Blue (Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu)
    -Eleanor Rigby (I can’t be the only girl this song created a secret fear I’d end up a homeless bag lady!)
    -That’s the way I’ve always heard it should be (uh oh … is that what we’re destined to end up like…as bored and unfulfilled as our mothers?? )

    Stopping there because it’s making me too sad!

    Glad you shared a happy song … the happiest songs to me are the ones you just can’t HELP dancing to…

    I love that video of the little girl whose father plays Despacito…. everytime even when she doesn’t want to, she can’t help it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US8vWvV0-yk

    Also love Walker Jr sax solo What does it take? (brings a smile to my face everytime)
    Let’s Groove! Trumpets bring me up ! (Earth Wind and Fire

    Georgia (Boz Scaggs) the sax! The trumpets! the lyrics “Christmas in your eyes…what a nice surprise!” Wasn’t moonlight it was searchlights …. oh oh oh how were we to know?

    ok too many great songs to list and need to stop getting lost in YouTube rabbit holes, pleasant as that is … isn’t it great we can just hear these great old songs anytime we want?

    Thanks again for trips down so many memory lanes 🙂

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    1. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAGjEa8HzYY (still clicking on this an hour later! thanks for brightening my day w/ one of my favorite oldies 🙂

      “The real star of this song is that wonderful saxophone, it was like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day. The voice, well Jr Walker did not feel he was made to sing, but sing he did and the results were impressive. The first 35 seconds was Jr Walker’s sax and then the vocals came in. James Jamerson and the rest of the gang were there to play the music updating the signature Motown sound.”

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    2. my response in CAPS:

      -Rainy Days and Mondays (If you don’t love your job, Sunday night blues/dreading Monday morning is real). GREAT SONG, BUT YES, A BIT SAD.

      -Sunrise, Sunset (oh the fleetingness of youth)
      -You’ll Never Walk Alone (At age 8, my aunt told me she wanted this song played at her funeral and just the thought of her PLANNING a song for her funeral that she wouldn’t be able to HEAR , got my attention and made me sad. Now that I’m her age when she said it, I get it –but I would not tell an 8 year old that! But at the time I now know she was morning the death of her 2-year-old grandson who got hit by a car.) i DON’T KNOW THIS ONE.. i’LL CHECK IT OUT LATER TODAY…

      -Alone Again, Naturally (As a teen my dad told me he really related to this song, which made me feel sorry for him. now, older than he was then, I wish I could tell him I understand). IT DOES SEEM TO BE A SAD SONG. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTING TO FIND OUT WHY YOUR DAD RELATD SO MUCH TO THIS SONG.

      -Abraham, Martin and John (omg 1968…) SAD
      -Ohio (Kent State … murder of innocent children–by government … in America! ) SADDER
      -Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology Song) Whoa, ah, mercy, mercy me…Ah, things ain’t what they used to be, no, no
      Where did all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that blows…) ANOTHER ONE I DON’T KNOW…
      -Love is Blue (Bleu, bleu, l’amour est bleu) AND ANOTHER…
      -Eleanor Rigby (I can’t be the only girl this song created a secret fear I’d end up a homeless bag lady!) I KNOW THE SONG, BUT I GUESS I NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE LYRICS

      -That’s the way I’ve always heard it should be (uh oh … is that what we’re destined to end up like…as bored and unfulfilled as our mothers?? ) YES, NOT A VERY UPBEAT SONG.

      Stopping there because it’s making me too sad!

      Glad you shared a happy song … the happiest songs to me are the ones you just can’t HELP dancing to…

      I love that video of the little girl whose father plays Despacito…. everytime even when she doesn’t want to, she can’t help it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US8vWvV0-yk THANKS FOR THE LINK, WILL CHECK LATER.

      Also love Walker Jr sax solo What does it take? (brings a smile to my face everytime) DO NOT KNOW THIS ONE

      Let’s Groove! Trumpets bring me up ! (Earth Wind and Fire I DON’T THINK I KNOW THIS ONE

      Georgia (Boz Scaggs) the sax! The trumpets! the lyrics “Christmas in your eyes…what a nice surprise!” Wasn’t moonlight it was searchlights …. oh oh oh how were we to know? I LOVE BOZ; THIS IS A GREAT SONG…

      ok too many great songs to list and need to stop getting lost in YouTube rabbit holes, pleasant as that is … isn’t it great we can just hear these great old songs anytime we want?

      THANKS FOR ALLYOUR THOUGHTS, AND FOR SOME NEW MUSIC FOR ME TO LISTEN TO!

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  14. I’m glad you decided to share “Walking on Sunshine”- I love that song! Personally, I think “Cats In The Cradle” is the saddest song I’ve ever heard. Always makes me tear up.

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  17. Totally agree with the song choices and I am “Walking on sunshine!” today, its so bright, compared to the snow we had this weekend.

    As others have said, “Tears in Heaven” is the saddest song. Add to that “Daniel” and “When the World stopped turning.

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      1. Sorry, had the wrong title. It is “Where were you?” Remember the 9/11 song, by Alan Jackson? There are so many sad ones out there. “The End of the World” by Skeeter Davis is another one . “He stopped Loving her today”, by George Jones, OH and for Happy songs, you can’t forget “Happiest Girl in the whole USA by Donna Fargo! 🙂

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  18. ‘Happy’ by Pharrel Williams 2014 would be my choice for a happy song – I had to look it up as I had no idea how it originated, but it was No 1 in the UK in 2014.
    And for the saddest song ever and a long standing hit, how about Dido’s Lament by Henry Purcell 1689. “When I am laid in earth” – even if you know nothing about Dido and Aeneas or the opera the music is very moving!

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  20. Interesting lists! I didn’t know any of the sad songs, all of the motivational songs (my kids played Varsity soccer in HS), and like many, thought Country Western would be at the top of the chart. Great post.

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  21. Happiest votes- yes! Motivational votes- yes! Relaxing votes- yes! Saddest votes- not really. I can think of some great R&B hits that still make me cry. And Rogers and Hammerstein songs, like “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (the dead father returns from heaven to sing this to his daughter at her high school graduation). Just my thoughts.

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    1. two wonderful songs, and I remember when It’s a Wonderful World played during the movie Good Morning Vietnam; such sad imagery. And what a voice Judy Garland had..

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