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, Tom Khan
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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!
Opus 20 – Dustin O’Halloran
18 March 2017
That’s the thing about solo piano – just 2 notes in and you’re done – captured by an emotion that you can’t quite identify until – aaah, yes – there it is, …sadness…
Moving Forward – Colony House
16 March 2017
Insane amount of energy in this one – sometimes the sadness is invigorating – hell – it’s an emotion…
Throes – Half Moon Run – Grieve to
15 March 2017
This track is on a couple of playlists, making it onto the Music to Descend in an Airplane playlist as well. It’s so beautiful in its sadness that it’s kinda hopeful.
The Day You Went Away – Wendy Matthews
14 March 2017
The awkwardness and silence of miscarriage – especially in that first trimester. Women are told not to tell anyone they are pregnant, and when the pregnancy fails they silently grieve their loss.
Lord, I’m Discouraged – The Hold Steady
10 March 2017
Sad music doesn’t have to bring you down – sometimes a sad song punches you in the gut and leaves you staggering but strangely energized. When you have a lyricist like Craig Finn and a guitar player like Tad Kubler, you get pummeled on many different levels.
Trozo – Tristan Eckerson
8 March 2017
Some tracks just have a way of bringing you into a specific state of mind – I wasn’t thinking of the music to grieve to playlist when I heard this but I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards.
Spirits – Jamie Woon
8 March 2017
Not all music to grieve to has to be downtempo and sad sounding. You never know what track is going to be associated with certain events in your life and while much of the music on this playlist tugs at the heartstrings, tracks like this one are more up-lifting.
L’alternativa – bzur
8 March 2017
I’ve composed this one keeping in mind an idea of consolation after loss, just follow its flow and let it take care of you 🙂
When I’m Gone – Joey + Rory
8 March 2017
My husband and I decided life was too short to wait for retirement to have fun so we went out to buy a travel trailer. While standing in the fourth one, he had a heart attack and died. Two weeks after the funeral, I carried on with our dream, bought a 16 foot camper, and spent three months in the wilderness and backroads of Colorado…alone.
Mad World – Tears For Fears
7 March 2017
Submitted by the team at Solace Club – here’s what they do:
We offer people who are dealing with grief a care package designed by a psychologist to help make their journey in grief a little less painful. For example, our triage box has many items to help with the physical symptoms of grief in the early stages such as nausea, difficulties with sleep, forgetfulness.
Night Call – London Grammer
24 February 2017
If I had to choose between this and Kavinsky’s original version – 9 times out of 10 I’d go with his Daft Punk inspired 80’s overdose of synths and vocoders – but that’s because I’m a generally happy dude. But – when I’m hurting and everything’s shit – I’m choosing this stripped down haunting female vocal and I’m going to drink to it!
Make It Holy – The Staves
23 February 2017
Music’s amazing isn’t it?! Songs are these things that suddenly appear in our life and attach themselves to an event, a time, a memory – and they never disappear. Songwriters can tell you what they meant when they wrote the song, but they also recognize that once its “out there” the meaning is whatever you, the listener, interpret it to be.
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.