We often turn to music to make us happy. But what about songs that simply sound sad or make us feel melancholy?
A new survey of 2,000 adults names the top 30 saddest songs of all time. REM's 1992 hit "Everybody Hurts" was crowned the saddest, followed by Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" and Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven." Rounding out the top five were Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and "Yesterday" by The Beatles.
Here's the complete list of the saddest songs, per the survey conducted by One Poll
1) REM – Everybody Hurts
2) Sinead O'Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U
3) Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
4) Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
5) The Beatles – Yesterday
6) Adele – Someone Like You
7) Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
8) Roy Orbison – Crying
9) Eric Carmen – All by Myself
10) Robbie Williams – Angels
11) Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine
12) James Blunt – Goodbye My Lover
13) Toni Braxton – Unbreak My Heart
14) Eva Cassidy – Songbird
15) Coldplay – Fix You
16) U2 – With or Without You
17) The Beatles – The Long and Winding Road
18) Al Green – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
19) Sam Smith – Stay with Me
20) Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
21) Carole King – It's Too Late
22) Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
23) John Lennon – Jealous Guy
24) Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer
25) Gary Jules – Mad World
26) Adele – Easy on Me
27) Boyz II Men – End of The Road
28) Neil Young – Only Love Can Break Your Heart
29) Passenger – Let Her Go
30) The Fray – How to Save a Life
Participants also ranked the "happiest songs". Top vote getters included Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, and "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves.
If you're looking for motivation, survey respondents say "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," and "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John are the best!
But if you're looking to relax, you might want to turn on Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and "Let It Be" by The Beatles, according to respondents.
This survey was put together by ear care brand Earex in partnership with Robert Till, chair of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music.
