Sometimes you just need a good playlist to listen to when your heart has been shattered. No matter the stage you’re in- crying, numb, downright angry- the Jukebox Junky is here to help. Here’s my list of favorite breakup songs:
Marry Me- Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett wrote this song as a “what would have happened” if he hadn’t gone to his wife Lauren’s house and made his move all those years ago. They had been best friends for most of their lives, but had been in serious relationships with other people. Eventually, Lauren’s dad told Thomas Rhett, “either you tell her how you feel or I will.” Thomas Rhett came to her house, pleaded his case, and asked for just one kiss to see if she felt anything. And after that first kiss on her parents’ front porch, the rest was history! As perfect and happy as their love story is, Thomas Rhett sure knows how to write a song to make you feel the exact opposite. Marry Me is about a girl getting ready for her wedding day, and the guy realizing it’s too late. He thought they would end up together, but he didn’t tell her how he felt. Now she’s marrying someone else. He talks about that front porch moment in his real life, but writes about what would have happened if he hadn’t laid it all out on the line. “I remember the night when I almost kissed her. Yeah, I kinda freaked out, we been friends for forever. And I always wondered if she felt the same way. When I got the invite, I knew it was too late”. Marry Me is on his Life Changes album, which was released on September 8, 2017. People fell in love with this song instantly, and were singing every word louder than Thomas Rhett himself at concerts just a week later. It’s the perfect song to listen to when your heart is feeling sad.
White Horse- Taylor Swift
I know Taylor Swift isn’t country anymore, but she used to be the QUEEN of country breakup songs. TSwift’s perfectly written heartbreak song list is a mile long, but this one is at the top. White Horse is the perfect slow, heart shattering song that never. gets. old. The song originally came out in 2008, but was rereleased earlier this year on Fearless (Taylor’s Version). It sounds just as good, if not even better on the new version. I’m so glad this song was rereleased 13 years later, so new fans can hear the amazing country breakup songs that made Taylor famous.
Woke Up In Nashville- Seth Ennis
If you don’t know who Seth Ennis is, do yourself a favor and look him up as soon as you’re done reading this. He doesn’t have many songs out, but every single one is amazing. Woke Up In Nashville was his first big song, and I don’t know a single person who doesn’t absolutely love it. It’s about a guy who has dreamed his whole life about moving to Nashville to chase his dreams. He leaves his girl behind because he thinks it’s the only way to follow his dreams, but then realizes Nashville is nothing without her. “I was so wrong for thinking you were something I could ever do without, thought everything I wanted was in this town, But you were all that I needed all along. It took me long enough, but I woke up. I woke up in Nashville.” The song is full of heartbreak, and the bridge is the BEST to sing along to with your whole heart. This has been one of my favorite songs since it was released in 2017.
All We’d Ever Need- Lady A
I would not be surprised if you haven’t heard this song before. It was off of Lady A’s self-titled first record in 2008. It was never a single on country radio, but it’s a deep cut that’s about as good as it gets. All We’d ever Need was one of the first songs the trio wrote together. It is a perfect duet between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott. The song is about the fresh, painful parts of a breakup. Their friends think they’re moving on and getting better, but truly they’re still broken and barely holding on. Hillary sings, “stare at your photograph, still sleep in the shirt you left, and nobody knows it but me. Everyday I wipe my tears away.” Charles Kelley sings from the guy’s perspective, “My friends think I'm moving on, but the truth is I'm not that strong, and nobody knows it but me.” Whenever I am sad or just in the mood to shout breakup songs at the top of my lungs, this is the first song I play every time. If you haven’t heard this song before, add it to your music library now!
Drinkin' Too Much- Sam Hunt
An argument could be made for if this song is country or not.. In true Sam Hunt fashion, it is a mix of talking and singing, but if you know the story behind this song, it’s a GOOD ONE. Before being added to his Southside album in 2020, this song was released on it’s own in 2017. It was a plea to his ex-girlfriend, Hannah Lee, to get her back. He didn’t have her number anymore, didn’t know where she was, and was desperate to get her back. The lyrics tell it all: “know this might seem like a contradiction. The last thing you need is more unwanted attention, but you changed your number, and moved, and this is the only way I could reach you. So wherever you are, turn it up and listen.” Can you IMAGINE the first time she heard this song?! What a bold move. The lyrics of the song tell every bit of their story- how they fell apart, what he wishes he could change, and if it wasn’t completely clear already, a direct letter to Hannah Lee herself: “Hannah Lee, I’m on my way to you. Nobody can love you like I do. I don’t know what I’m gonna say to you... But I know there ain’t know way we’re through” And spoiler alert: the song worked. They’ve been happily married for years now.
Here are the rest of my favorite country music breakup songs! I've put them all into a YouTube Playlist that you can check out here! There are over 30 songs to get you alllll in your feels.
See any of your favorites? Did I miss any perfect breakup songs? Let me know in the comments below!
Jess