There are a few factors that need to be considered when choosing 10 songs about lost love. The song must not only be about losing someone, but the lyrics must portray regret. The song must also leave the listener feeling sad or sorrowful. Below, in no particular order, are ten lost love songs that have likely caused listeners to shed a few tears.
- “Look away” One of the more popular rock bands of the 1970’s and 80’s, Chicago churned out a fair share of hit singles. “Look Away,” topped the charts in 1988, where it spent two weeks at number one. Written about two lovers who decided they would be better off as friends, the ex-boyfriend sees his ex move on and start dating again, which becomes too much for him to handle.
- “Last Kiss” What makes Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss” such a sad song about lost love is the fact that it has nothing to do with a break-up; instead it is a song about a young man who crashes his car, resulting in his girlfriend dying in his arms.
- “He Stopped Loving her Today” George Jones’ hit song “He stopped loving her today” is considered by many as one of the greatest country songs of all-time; hence its place on this lost love song list. The song portrays a man who was betrayed by his lover, yet did not stop loving her until he finally met his death. The song revived Jones’ struggling career as it earned him the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in 1980.
- “It Must Have Been Love” One of the most popular songs of the 1980’s, “It must have been love” was a love ballad belted out by the Swedish duo, Roxette. This lost love song about a lonely female who was at one time deeply in love, was featured on the “Pretty Woman” soundtrack in 1990.
- “The Dance” One of country sensation Garth Brooks’ most popular songs, “The Dance” is about a man, who despite having his heart broken, claimed it was worth it to have not missed the dance, since it is better to loved once than to have never loved at all.
- “Don’t Know What You Got (Till it’s Gone)” There cannot be a list of top lost love songs without at least one 1980’s hair band. Cinderella’s “Don’t Know What You Got (Till it’s Gone)” is about a gentleman who does not realize how much he loved his girlfriend until she was gone (hence the title). The most popular song on the bands second album, it reached number twelve on the charts in 1988.
- “You Were Mine” One of the “Dixie Chicks'” biggest hits, “You Were Mine” is about a girl whose husband left her for another women; yet she still hoped he would come back to her and the children. The song was written in 1995 by the Erwin sisters, two of the band’s original members. It is believed that it is an autobiographical song about their parents, which lends credence to its selection as to this ten lost love songs list.
- “How am I Supposed to Live Without You” Laura Branigan made this song popular in the early 1980’s as it was featured on “Solid Gold.” In 1989 it was redone by Michael Bolton, as well as other artists from around the world. The popular lost love song is about a woman (or man, depending on the artist) whose best friend that she had a crush on, fell in love with someone else.
- “Sandy” One of John Travolta’s most popular songs in the Musical “Grease Lightning,” Travolta sang the song after a fight at a drive-in with Sandy, his summer love. “Sandy” was part of a soundtrack that became one of the best selling in the history of pop movies.
- “You Oughta Know” One of the angriest lost love songs of all-time, Alanis Morissette gained popularity in 1996 with the hit single from her third album, “Jagged Little Pill.” “You Oughta Know” is about an angry, psychotic chick who is overly upset with her ex-boyfriend for leaving her for another women.
