The Best Breakup Songs
The right song can do what a hundred pep talks can't — make you feel understood. This is a playlist for the whole messy arc of a breakup: the songs that let you cry, the ones that let you rage, and the ones that get you back on your feet — plus sections just for the guys and for her.
Hit play on any of them right here. And if you want more than a playlist, here's our step-by-step guide to getting over a breakup.
1. When it just hurts
Sometimes you don't want to feel better yet — you want a song that sits in the ache with you. Let these be the good cry.
Someone Like You
Adele
The definitive modern heartbreak ballad. Impossible to hear dry-eyed.
Nothing Compares 2 U
Sinéad O'Connor
That single tear in the video says what words can't.
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston
Letting go while still loving someone — the hardest goodbye there is.
Stay With Me
Sam Smith
For the lonely nights when you just don't want to be alone.
drivers license
Olivia Rodrigo
First-heartbreak devastation, captured perfectly for a new generation.
Somebody That I Used to Know
Gotye ft. Kimbra
The strange grief of a person becoming a stranger.
2. When you're angry
Anger is part of healing too. Turn it up, let it out, and remember your worth.
You Oughta Know
Alanis Morissette
The gold standard of scorched-earth breakup rage.
Cry Me a River
Justin Timberlake
The sound of realizing you're better off without them.
Don't Speak
No Doubt
The heartbreak of the ending you can see coming.
Since U Been Gone
Kelly Clarkson
The turning point where hurt flips into freedom. Windows down.
3. When you're ready to move on
The part where the song stops being about them and starts being about you. Dance it out.
I Will Survive
Gloria Gaynor
The original breakup anthem. Still undefeated on the dance floor.
Irreplaceable
Beyoncé
To the left, to the left. A masterclass in walking away.
Dancing On My Own
Robyn
Heartbreak and euphoria in the same breath — cry and dance at once.
thank u, next
Ariana Grande
Gratitude instead of bitterness. The healthiest breakup mantra there is.
New Rules
Dua Lipa
An actual no-contact rulebook you can dance to.
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Taylor Swift
For when the answer to 'should we try again?' is a firm no.
Flowers
Miley Cyrus
Learning you can love yourself better than they did.
Go Your Own Way
Fleetwood Mac
Proof that some of the best music comes out of a breakup.
Breakup songs for guys
Heartbreak doesn't care about gender, but sometimes you want a song that sounds like how it feels from your side of it. These hit for the guys.
When I Was Your Man
Bruno Mars
Every regret you didn't say out loud, sung by someone who gets it.
Too Good at Goodbyes
Sam Smith
For when you're building walls so the next goodbye hurts less.
I Miss You
blink-182
Pop-punk catharsis for the 2 a.m. missing-them spiral.
Attention
Charlie Puth
For realizing they only wanted you around for the ego boost.
Love the Way You Lie
Eminem ft. Rihanna
The push-pull of a relationship you know is bad for you.
Goodbye My Lover
James Blunt
A quiet, gutting farewell to someone who really mattered.
Breakup songs for her
The best breakup songs for the girls — the ones that turn heartbreak into a main-character moment and remind you exactly who you are.
good 4 u
Olivia Rodrigo
Rage-cleaning-your-room energy. Scream every word.
Don't Start Now
Dua Lipa
Moved on, glowed up, and absolutely not looking back.
Lose You to Love Me
Selena Gomez
Sometimes losing them is exactly how you find yourself.
So What
P!nk
Zero f's, all confidence — the ultimate 'I'm fine' anthem.
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)
Kelly Clarkson
What doesn't kill you… you know the rest. Belt it.
Take a Bow
Rihanna
Clocking the fake apology and closing the door anyway.
When the playlist ends
Music helps you feel it. Breakup Buddy helps you heal it — guided CBT exercises, a private journal, and a community of people going through exactly what you are.