Popular Depressive Songs: Western Music Artist Rankings [2025]

Bad DayDaniel Powter29rank/position

Daniel Powter – Bad Day (Official Music Video) [HD]

If you want to cheer someone up, this is the song! It’s an uplifting anthem that became a massive hit worldwide.

I’m sure many of you have heard it.

The positive message—“Today was just an unlucky day”—soothes the heart.

The piano tone is also incredibly beautiful in this piece.

She Cheated AgainDax30rank/position

Dax – “She Cheated Again” (Official Music Video)

This work lays bare the despair of being betrayed by a lover and the heart’s cry that rises from it.

Dax, a Canadian artist with the unconventional background of transitioning from basketball player to rapper, channels that journey here.

The track portrays with painful realism the soul’s trajectory: discovering a partner’s infidelity, mentally falling apart, and pleading for salvation from God.

Released in November 2018, the song tackles a heavy theme—so much so that Dax himself has spoken about how difficult it was to make.

If you’ve ever carried wounds you couldn’t share with anyone or suffered in a forbidden relationship, you’ll likely find yourself resonating with its anguished outcry.

BoredDeftones31rank/position

Deftones – Bored (Official Music Video) | Warner Vault

This is Deftones’ debut track, which opens with an inorganic, razor-sharp guitar riff.

The vocalist’s decadent delivery, the heavy, pulsing bass, and the mechanical drums blend perfectly, resulting in a chaotic sound that fits a gloomy song.

The striking impact of their debut feels similar to Korn.

shape of youEd Sheeran32rank/position

Ed Sheeran – Shape of You (Official Music Video)

If you asked an elementary school child what Western pop song they like and they named this one, I’d think that’s really cool.

It’s “Shape of You,” a signature hit by the globally popular singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.

Precisely because the arrangement is simple with few instruments, the coolness of the vocals really stands out.

True to the EDM-influenced Western pop of the 2010s, the mature lyrics are part of its appeal.

The melody is excellent, and it’s a song you can lightly sway to and enjoy.

I think it’s a great choice to play as a quintessential example of cool music.

Love The Way You Lie ft. RihannaEminem33rank/position

Eminem – Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna

Created by American rapper Eminem, this work is a shocking piece that candidly portrays the complexities of a violent romantic relationship.

Through a collaboration with Rihanna, it expresses the intertwining emotions of love and hate from both male and female perspectives.

Released in June 2010, it spent seven consecutive weeks at No.

1 on the U.

S.

Billboard Hot 100.

It topped the charts in more than 22 countries worldwide and became the best-selling single of Eminem’s career.

While it resonates with those suffering from dependent and destructive love, it also serves as a warning about the dangers of such relationships.

HelloEvanescence34rank/position

Evanescence – Hello

A track that sings about death from a child’s perspective.

It was inspired by vocalist Amy Lee’s experience of her sister’s death when she was six years old.

The track is included on the album Fallen, released by Evanescence in 2003.

Break My Heart AgainFinneas35rank/position

FINNEAS – Break My Heart Again (Official Video)

If you’re looking for a song to sink into your melancholy alone, I recommend “Break My Heart Again.” It’s sung by Finneas, who is also Billie Eilish’s brother.

Perhaps it’s a talent that both siblings are so good at dark musical moods.

This track is every bit as somber as Billie Eilish’s work, and its lyrics depict the anguished cries of a man who’s been told it’s over.

Both the lyrics and the melody are first-rate in their darkness, so give it a listen.