The 5 Saddest Classic Rock Songs of All Time
Some people listen to classic rock songs to feel the machismo. However, the best classic rock acts, from The Beatles to U2, know how to make you cry as well. Here are five songs that find the beauty in heartbreak.
5. ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles
How could anyone write a list like this without The Beatles’ “Yesterday?” The simple ballad of love gone wrong has become one of the biggest standards of all time. Artists as eclectic as Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra, Linkin Park, and Jay-Z all put their spin on the song. And it’s easy to see why.
This track has lyrics that are perfect in their simplicity. “Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away / Now it looks as though they’re here to stay / Oh, I believe in yesterday” is a breathtakingly sad opening verse. This tune will be with us forever.
4. ‘As Tears Go By’ by Marianne Faithfull
Penned by The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Marianne Faithfull’s “As Tears Go By” is an empathetic song about the challenges of getting older. It’s shocking that they wrote the track when they were so young! It’s almost the opposite of “Mother’s Little Helper,” The Rolling Stones’ mean, smarmy song about an aging, overworked mother.
The Rolling Stones recorded their own version of “As Tears Go By.” It works, but Faithfull’s delicate voice complements the track better. She’d rerecord “As Tears Go by Twice” twice as she grew older.
3. ‘Father and Son’ by Cat Stevens
“Father and Son,” Cat Stevens’ best song, works because of its ingenious ambiguity. Is this a track about a cynical older man trying to get his son to give up his dreams for no good reason? Or is it the tale of a sage elder giving a young person some hard truths that are difficult to accept? You decide.
Either way, “Father and Son” is one of the rare 1970s easy-listening songs that merits thought. Its softness doesn’t feel like a bid for radio play. Rather, it’s what this quietly devastating song needed.
2. ‘Kentucky Rain’ by Elvis Presley
After his ’68 Comeback Special, Elvis went through a creative revival. One of the best hits from that period was his rock/country ballad “Kentucky Rain.” It’s about frantically searching for a lover who ditched you.
In the age of social media, it’s pretty easy to catch up on people you haven’t seen for months or decades. Back in the 1970s, Elvis had to try aimlessly to find his lost love. It’s a moving song, and it has one of the best vocal performances from the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. That’s really saying something.
1. ‘With or Without You’ by U2
U2’s “With or Without You” suffers from a little too much overplay on 1980s throwback stations. Despite that, it’s one of the most beautifully written songs about mixed emotions you will ever hear. On this track, Bono has the voice of an angel and the yearning soundscapes make the song so much more evocative.
We’ve all been at a crossroads where taking either path would have massive downsides. “With or Without You” speaks to that feeling. It remains one of the most heartbreaking songs to top the Billboard Hot 100.
