Ranking of Western farewell songs [2025]

Let GoCentral Cee57rank/position

Central Cee – Let Go [Music Video]

Central Cee, a UK-born rapper who deftly handles everything from catchy trap to UK drill.

Among his works, the love song I especially recommend is Let Go.

It’s a bittersweet love song about coming to terms with a breakup, but the lyrics can also be interpreted as a farewell to a certain white substance.

The sample is from Passenger’s Let Her Go, and this track meshes perfectly with Central Cee’s style, which rejects autotune-reliant trap and UK drill.

You can also feel his mission to pioneer a more melodic form of UK drill in this piece.

Separate WaysJourney58rank/position

Journey – Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Official HD Video – 1983)

When you think it’s all over, you can no longer change your world.

Journey’s “Separate Ways” portrays, on an epic scale, the clingy vulnerability of a man who can’t forget his former partner even after choosing to part ways.

It carries a positive message that if you don’t give up, there’s no need to rush.

vampireOlivia Rodrigo59rank/position

Olivia Rodrigo – vampire (Official Video)

Olivia Rodrigo’s “vampire” is a memorable piece.

In the song, she expresses the pain of saying goodbye through heartbreak and the aches of growing up, coming at us with her uniquely emotive style.

Like a vampire, the way she longs night after night for the lover who’s gone evokes a devoted kind of love that anyone can imagine.

Olivia’s expressive vocals brilliantly convey complex emotions, drawing listeners into her world.

It’s a song worth hearing not only as a breakup track, but also as a step toward growth.

DeucesChris Brown ft. Tyga, Kevin McCall60rank/position

Chris Brown – Deuces (Official HD Video) ft. Tyga, Kevin McCall

It’s a laid-back, downtempo R&B ballad featuring Chris Brown’s smooth vocals.

The song drew attention amid speculation that it might be about his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend, the singer Rihanna.

Out of TimeThe Weeknd61rank/position

The Weeknd – Out of Time (Official Video)

Hailing from Canada and transcending the boundaries of contemporary R&B to stand as a top star in the world of popular music, The Weeknd is known for crafting many songs inspired by his own romantic experiences.

His ability to transform even messages steeped in lingering feelings for an ex into mysterious, beautiful masterpieces is nothing short of remarkable.

Among his sad yet beautiful breakup songs, this time we’ll focus on “Out of Time,” released in 2022.

Featured on his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, it became a hot topic for sampling “MIDNIGHT PRETENDERS,” composed by Tetsurō Oda and included on Tomoko Aran’s 1983 album Fuyū Kūkan—a classic of Japanese city pop.

While the track is a sleek, urban pop song that’s a pleasure to listen to, the lyrics, as the title suggests, express thoughts for a former lover that arrive too late, no matter how much one regrets.

Some listeners may find it so relatable that it’s almost painful.

One Right NowPost Malone, The Weeknd62rank/position

Post Malone, The Weeknd – One Right Now (Official Music Video)

Released in November 2021, One Right Now is a collaboration between Post Malone and The Weeknd, two artists who command enormous support in the contemporary pop scene.

Built on a sleek synth-pop track that reflects a post-2020s trend, the interplay of Malone’s and The Weeknd’s emotional vocals and melodies creates a stunning contrast—truly exquisite.

Lyrically, however, it seems to be a message to an ex whose infidelity likely caused the breakup, conveying a sense of saying goodbye to the past relationship and already having someone new.

That said, depending on how you interpret it, it can also read as the poignant lament of a man still full of lingering attachment, unable to fully move on.

With that in mind—perhaps reading too much into it—the music video, in which the two stage a brutal shootout, feels oddly suggestive as well.

Closing TimeSemisonic63rank/position

Semisonic – Closing Time (Official Music Video)

Semisonic, an alternative rock band popular in the United States.

Their well-known classic “Closing Time,” released in 1998, became a major hit—topping Billboard’s Modern Rock chart and reaching high positions in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Its philosophical lyrics and emotionally resonant melody perfectly capture the mood of saying goodbye.

Be sure to check it out.