This one-time soul classic by Booker T organist Tom Hamilton offers a lesson in technical heartbreak. A saddening backstory and tumbling string crescendo that sounds like timber hulls make this piece one of the saddest pieces ever composed.
Huron and colleagues conducted another experiment where participants evaluated 44 instruments’ ability to create acoustical effects that are consistent with sad speech prosody and rate how frequently each one is used to express sadness.
1. ‘Enjoy the Silence’ by Basildon
Depeche Mode’s Enjoy The Silence marked an evolution for their sound after 1989’s goth-adjacent Personal Jesus. Boasting an ominous piano, brooding vocals, and industrial synthesizers reminiscent of their earlier efforts such as Yazoo and Erasure; Enjoy The Silence offered listeners something fresher yet still familiar from Depeche Mode’s earlier material.
The result was one of their biggest singles ever, reaching number six in both the UK and US charts, winning them their inaugural Brit Award for Best British Single in 1991 and featuring Dave Gahan wearing a tiara wandering various landscapes; an MTV video rotation would reach wide audiences and remains iconic today. Anton Corbijn directed their video, which remains memorable today.
Precision engineered dark pop that remains timeless three decades on is this song by Dave Gahan and the Animal Collective. The production doesn’t fit neatly into any genre; elements from classical music and acoustic guitar add depths beyond typical synth-pop of its time, while remnants from its origin as a ballad add solemnity that adds emotional impact while his vocal delivery conveys a message many can relate to.
2. ‘Autumn Leaves’ by Tellier
Autumn Leaves is an excellent tune to study when starting to understand jazz harmony, as it illustrates two fundamental harmonies found across many jazz tunes.
This song is an outstanding example of a composition that alternates between major keys and their relative minor keys, for instance it begins in G minor before ending on E minor which is its relative minor key. To determine its relative minor simply add up one major 3rd to it: G minor is Bb major so its relative minor becomes E minor.
Autumn Leaves was composed by Joseph Kosma based on the French tune Les Feuilles Mortes (literally, dead leaves). Composed by Kosma with lyrics written by Jacques Prevert for use in Les Portes de la Nuit in 1946, later popularised by American songwriter Johnny Mercer with English lyrics; recorded by many great artists such as Nat King Cole.
3. ‘Misery’ by Wendy Rene
After Laughter Comes Tears is the debut album from obscure soul legend Wendy Rene and serves as an emotional reminder that laughter can often mask pain and sorrow. Rene was only active for four years but her music still packs an impactful punch compared to that of Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin or Barbara George; crazy guitar riffs from Stax session band Charles “Packy” Axton provide the backdrop for emotional vocals sampled by Wu-Tang Clan.
Anyone expecting Radiohead had reached its depths with 1997’s OK Computer may be taken aback when they hear this melancholic instrumental track – featuring unsettling synth drones, spine-chilling strings, and Thom Yorke’s restless vocals – that seemingly explores new depths of melancholy. This song feels like an account of mental instability after suffering its aftermath.
Townes Van Zandt was an expert at country melodrama, from his outlaw tragicomic tale ‘Pancho and Lefty’ to this folky prison system melodrama featuring pub talk and poetry. Not only can you feel its impact in its instrumentation – you can almost sense its pain!
4. ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Sam Cooke
After years of success on AM radio with songs like “You Send Me,” “Wonderful World,” and “Twisting the Night Away,” Cooke began exploring more reflective sounds such as Old English ballads and civil rights anthem “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
Cooke was inspired to compose this song by Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and Peter, Paul and Mary’s activism during civil rights movements such as those pertaining to segregation or segregation in school systems. Today it remains one of his signature pieces as an songwriter; many regard it as an iconic protest song from that era of civil rights struggle.
Cooke was inspired to leave the Stirrers and create his own record label, eventually known as ABKCO Records. Partnered with J.W Alexander who had no trouble crossing over into pop music without alienating gospel audiences, ABKCO Records released two singles and an album before Cooke’s death that charted well on both R&B and pop charts, including Otis Redding on his 1965 album Otis Blue; its title track also became a cover version by various artists such as Billy Preston on Otis Blue in 1965.
5. ‘Endless Love’ by Otis Redding
Otis Redding’s rise from Stax Records’ Memphis factory marked him as an iconic musical figure of his era and this track from him is among his finest. Sung about missing people even when they weren’t good for you, his message resonated strongly with listeners worldwide.
Beautiful song featuring a slow, reflective tempo to convey feelings of sadness and longing. Furthermore, its strong message of hope serves to lift spirits.
While relatively new to this list of tracks, this one still evokes an emotional, reflective mood due to the piano’s slower tempo. It makes one reflect upon life and how essential each moment should be taken advantage of.
6. ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Bruce Springsteen
The Boss made no compromise in his rendition of this tune about heartbreak and faithfulness for his 1987 album Tunnel of Love, using rockabilly rhythms complemented by Elvis and Orbison harmonies to provide the ideal counterpoint to Springsteen’s soulful vocals.
Ian Hunter’s band shared an affinity with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, often crossing paths on several occasions. Here on 2000’s Rock and Roll Station they recreate some of his songs while guitarist Joe D’Urso provides a superb sax solo!
It’s unfortunate that this sultry, fiery anthem never made it into Darkness; its beautiful horn section and piano from Roy Bittan are an audio feast and merit more airplay and recognition as part of his great body of work.
7. ‘Enjoy the Silence’ by Ol’ Dec
Beautiful song about silence that features acoustic guitar and an emotional vocal melody, paying tribute to love that no longer reciprocates; its lyrics offer us strength in finding ways to let go.
Anton Corbijn directed Depeche Mode’s music video for ‘Enjoy the Silence’, who also directed their videos for Lazy Calm and The Message. In it we see Dave Gahan dressed like an archetypical king wandering through various landscapes like Scotland’s Highlands, Portugal’s Algarve region and Switzerland Alps with a deck chair in search of somewhere comfortable to sit down. Intercut with this footage are black and white shots of band posing plus shots depicting iconic Violator rose that features on their album cover artwork.
This track explores the depth of thought and feeling revealed through silence, written by bassist John Entwistle as a stark contrast to their more pop-oriented work. Entwistle’s use of flats and other accidentals adds melancholy. A fantastic example of jazz fusion at its finest, it played an instrumental part in shifting away from Vince Clarke’s New Romantic sound towards more moodier and brooding pieces during the 1980s.
8. ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Bruce Springsteen
If you have watched any Springsteen documentaries or been an obsessive fan, chances are you have heard early demos of this song. Although too similar to Leon Russell for Bruce Springsteen’s tastes, this unreleased track boasts two elements that set it apart: its haunting organ melody and Clarence Clemons’ sax solos.
On an album about 9/11, it would be wise for him to open with a song that doesn’t promise hope or revenge but instead captures the courage it takes to keep moving forward after your heart has been wrenched from its home. Additionally, this demonstrates his masterful song-sequencing.
This beautiful piano piece by a Mexican musician who began his career in 2013 will leave you feeling sad, reflecting your own sorrowful emotions. Additionally, its slow tempo is perfect for running or cycling, making this an excellent soundtrack. While not the most melancholy tune on our list, but certainly one of the most emotive.