Music to Grieve to
listen to sad music and feel better with andrew
featuring artists like
The Staves, Robb Murphy, Colin Hay, Shelby Lynne, Dawes, Tim Minchin, Radiohead, Nick Cave, First The Winter
Listen on your favorite platform
Listening to sad music after losing a loved one, being diagnosed with a terminal illness, or finalizing a divorce might seem counterintuitive, but this somber sounding activity has been proven to help.
Nothing can prepare you for grief, nor is there a right or wrong way to deal with it, but sad music is an easily accessible and highly effective tool that can help you begin to heal.
The music on this list is not designed to cheer you up – although oddly – after listening to it, you’ll likely feel better – it’s designed to meet you where you’re at – to connect with how you’re feeling – to create a space where you can just sit and be with your grief and to know that – that’s OK.
It covers all genres and all topics so it’s likely that not all tracks will resonate with you – but some will – and some will shake you to your core – according to the science – this is a good thing!
The Overnight Parade – Lazy Activists
17 June 2020
Ever found yourself singing along to a lyric that in retrospect makes no sense at all – but at the time – couldn’t have been any more perfect? And I don’t mean just singing – I mean throwing your head back and wailing like a drunken banshee as you attempt to expel the pit of grief from your stomach…
Yes! I thought you might have – me too – if so – you’ll probably dig this track…
Lull Yourself to Sleep – Freya Ward
9 June 2020
Time ticks by, the world changes, people change, culture changes and yet – somethings don’t.
The ebb and flow of joy and grief – both experienced in contrast to the other – is a constant that the human condition will never escape. Right now joy’s in short supply and grief seems to be dominating the planet – but if history tells us anything – it’s that this too shall pass…
Magdalena’s Song – First the Winter
11 May 2020
I’ve noticed a disturbing trend on the Grieve to list of late where – for one reason or another – the tracks are becoming a little more optimistic – a little more hopeful. And while yes – there are times when that’s appropriate – it’s the sadness of a track that we’re drawn to – the pure melancholy of a love remembered or a life cut short – or – as with this week’s track – both!..
Show On The Road – Tom Freund
18 April 2020
Are we doomed?
Is this how it’s going to be?
Forever?
Damn I hope not…
Experimental Mice – First the Winter
17 March 2020
Do you have hope?
I know – it’s a heavy question – particularly at this time of writing when the corona virus is reshaping the planet – but – maybe because of that – the question has validity.
So…
Do you?
Do you really?
Do you have hope?…
To Love – Jon Worthy & The Bends
19 February 2020
I’ve been thinking a lot about Music to Grieve To and and about what kind of playlist I want it to be. The idea is solid – both for the audience – in that listening to sad music is good for you – and for artists because hell, if you can’t write a sad song – then – maybe this game isn’t for you!..
Tolling of the Fire Bell – Fiona Joy Hawkins, Jill Haley, Eugene Friesen
31 January 2020
It’s taken me a while to write this – I don’t know why – maybe it’s because I’m looking at it from the outside in – knowing that I should feel grief for what’s happening – and yet – not quite connecting with it.
It’s not like I don’t have ties to Australia – my sister’s family live in Sydney – I’ve seen pictures of their favorite beach nothing but flames. Hell, I live in California where towns are getting wiped out every year and the idea of LA burning up doesn’t seem so strange…
There Can Be No Absolution – What After This?
19 December 2019
It’s that time of year again, isn’t it?
For westerners or even caucasian southerners the mood is definitely upbeat as people prepare for Christmas and the new year festivities. But for those who are smack in the middle of the grieving process, it can be brutal…
A Little Rain Has Never Hurt No One – a balladeer
11 December 2019
One of my favorite lines from last year was:
“inspirational quotes – in quotes – make me want to throw up – preferably on the person who posted them.”
It was Autumn Dawn Leader’s track that resulted in that particular piece of invective and I’m so grateful to her for the inspiration 🙂
Love Should Be Loved Again – Liebeskid
5 December 2019
They say love should be loved again, you just have to wait.
A cure is on the way.
They say love can ́t be owned or it can ́t be claimed.
Give up what you cannot have.
Bugger!
Feel Something – Colin Powers
20 November 2019
What I look for on this list is not outstanding production – outstanding melody – something new – no – what I look for is humanity – is pure authentic honesty – is the expression of what it’s like to be human – to live and reveal the power that loss of love can evoke…
Armour – Tanya Ransom
8 November 2019
And I’m ready to fight
And I’m ready to fight
And I’m ready to fight
you tonight
tonight, tonight, tonight
Oh hell yes! ‘Cos that’s the ultimate truth isn’t it – at the end of day – there’s only one person that’s going to get you out of the hole…
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to be creative and brilliant without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As a creator / contributor at musicto I’m part of a global creator community that collaborates through music. You can learn more about our community here.