Tear-jerking Western songs: recommended classics and popular tracks

Bohemian RhapsodyQueen

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)

This is a track that resonates like a grand, roughly six-minute tale, as if you’re watching a single film.

Created by Queen, the song’s structure is breathtaking as it whirls from a beautiful ballad to opera and then into fierce rock.

Yet behind its dramatic sound lies the anguished cry of a protagonist who regrets his sins and struggles against fate, tightening your chest with sorrow.

Released ahead of the landmark album A Night at the Opera in October 1975, it’s also known for its memorable use in the film Wayne’s World.

When you’re crushed by inescapable loneliness or despair, surrendering yourself to this vast sonic world will let emotions well up from the depths of your heart.

Lover, You Should’ve Come OverJeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley – Lover, You Should’ve Come Over (Official Video)

This is an achingly beautiful soul ballad left behind by the legendary American singer Jeff Buckley, who died far too young at 30.

It sings of the helpless regret and burning longing after a breakup.

If you’ve ever let go of someone precious because of youthful mistakes, you’ll likely find this song deeply relatable.

Wishing “I wanted you to come see me,” only to realize it’s too late—those feelings with nowhere to go are truly painful.

The track appears on the classic album Grace and was also featured in the drama FlashForward.

Even decades after its August 1994 release, it continues to move hearts.

On a quiet night when you want to be alone with your thoughts, you might let yourself sink into this heavenly voice.

WonderwallOasis

Oasis – Wonderwall (Official Video)

It’s a song by the British rock band Oasis that captures a faint hope and a sense of loneliness—the feeling that someone might come to save you.

Sung over an acoustic backdrop, it conveys a heartfelt plea for a “wonder wall” of sorts, a presence that could rescue the singer.

The protagonist’s yearning for help from someone dear, even while burdened by anxiety and solitude, is something many can relate to.

Featured on the classic 1995 album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and released as a single the same year, the song’s music video won a BRIT Award in 1996.

When you’re a bit worn out by life or facing a vague unease at night, listening to this track might let its warmth seep into your heart and give you the courage to lean on someone.

HelloAdele

Adele – Hello (Official Music Video)

It’s a hit tune that used to play on FM radio all the time, with a deeply reverberant vocal that leaves an impression like it keeps resonating deep in your ears.

When you listen to it at times of extreme fatigue, when your emotions feel drained, it seems to soothe you and revive your spirit.

It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to YesterdayBoyz II Men

Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

After parting with someone dear, have you ever felt your chest tighten with the thought that you can never return to the joyful “yesterday”? The song “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by the American R&B group Boyz II Men is a classic that sings of longing for the past and the pain of farewell.

Precisely because it’s performed a cappella, without any instruments, the warmth and poignancy of their voices seep directly into the heart.

It’s as if the beautiful harmonies gently embrace the sorrow that overflows no matter how hard you try to hold it back.

This song feels like a warm presence that quietly stays close to a heart that has experienced a painful parting, allowing the tears to flow.

Summertime SadnessLana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness (Official Music Video)

“Summertime Sadness,” a signature song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey.

It’s an achingly beautiful track that sings of the radiant days of summer and the sense of loss brought on by a friend’s tragic end.

Lana Del Rey’s languid, dreamlike vocals match the song’s melancholic atmosphere perfectly.

The chorus, pleading “Kiss me hard before you go,” feels like the climax of a tragic film.

As you listen, happy memories resurface even as you’re confronted with the reality that there’s no going back—you may find yourself unable to hold back tears.

HallelujahJeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (Official Video – Live at Bearsville)

It’s a work by the Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, but it’s a classic that has been sung by many different artists.

Owing in part to its use in foreign TV dramas, Jeff Buckley’s version is probably the one most widely known to the general public.