Needing to wallow.
Sad on purpose. Records that don't try to talk you out of it — they sit with you instead.
Some grief wants to be solved. Some wants to be witnessed. These records are the second kind. None of them is going to lift you up; all of them are good company at the bottom. Stay as long as you need to.
The picks
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1
For Emma, Forever Ago
Bon Iver · 2007
Bon Iver's For Emma is the canonical breakup record — recorded alone in a cabin, voice doubled and tripled into something approaching a choir. Made for the precise moment you're in.
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2
Either/Or
Elliott Smith · 1997
Elliott Smith's Either/Or is heartbreak with a melodic instinct that won't quit. Sad in a way that doesn't ask you to feel sorry for him — just to listen.
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3
Disintegration
The Cure · 1989
The Cure's Disintegration is grief as architecture — 72 minutes of synth wash and reverb that don't try to comfort you. Pictures of You is the centerpiece.
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4
21
Adele · 2011
Adele's 21 is the most successful sad record of the 21st century for a reason. Don't be too cool to put it on.
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5
Stranger in the Alps
Phoebe Bridgers · 2017
Phoebe Bridgers' Stranger in the Alps is the modern indie entry — quiet, specific, occasionally funny, never showy. Smoke Signals and Funeral are the doorways.