Saddest Song Ever

One song that always brings tears to my eyes is STEVE VAI - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... there's so much emotion in that song

Hierophant wrote: Johnny Cash's cover of NIN's Hurt

I second that motion; it fills me with tears listening to it.
 

"Hurt" is probably enough to make anyone eat a bullet, but here's a few I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Tom Waits - "Broken Bicycles"
Pink Floyd - "High Hopes"
Concrete Blonde - "Joey"

and a few old but really sad ones -

Patsy Cline - "I Fall to Pieces"
Roy Orbison - "Crying"
Rod Stewart - "The Killing of Georgie, pts 1 & 2"

 

  shine on you crazy diamond - pink floyd

Depends on what exactly you mean by "sad" (and I'm not referring to sad/pathetic).

I think a lot of early 70's albums were tinged with what I would regard as "angst". For example:

Dark Side of the Moon (the ultimate angst-ridden album)
Crime of the Century (Supertramp)
A lot of early King Crimson
Three Friends (Gentle Giant)
The Lamb Lies Down (Genesis)
Rock Bottom (Robert Wyatt)
Even the Moody Blues teetered on the edge of angst in "Seventh Sojourn". The track "Lost in a lost world" is a perfect example.

The angst period seems to have died out in the mid-70's just before Punk upset the apple-cart. Wish You Were Here is certainly sad and instrospective, but there's no sign of angst on it.

The 80's was more or less angst-free, apart from one band that I can think of: Tears for Fears. They thrived on angst. Try "The Hurting" or "Mad world" etc. (Ultravox also come to mind, but I think they were merely "solemn" for the most part. "Dancing with tears in my eyes" is an exception.)

In contrast, the 90's seem to have spawned a new style of sadness; that of "misery". This is totally different to angst as any dictionary will show, and while both styles can be labelled "sad" they are worlds apart. In all the prog I've listened to that originated in the last 20 years I can find no trace of angst, but plenty of misery (and a lot of happy stuff too, I might add). One day I might write a book about all this.

As for the Classics, there is nothing more angst-ridden than Mahler's works, especially his later symphonies. The Deryck Cooke version of his unfinished 10th is breathtakingly emotional, and highly recommended to every prog lover. It could make a stone cry. But at the same time it is curiously positive. In my opinion the final 25 minute movement is possibly the greatest music ever written.

(Sorry for the edits but I'm adding more to this as I think of it. There definitely is a potential book here.)

Edited by ElwoodHerring

Just thought of one more: Moody Blues - Question

eduur wrote: He, I like this thread very much. Just listened to some sad tracks :} For me, as a dutchman, I listen to the lyrics much less than you English natives and therfor miss a lot, I guess. It's nice you point them out, so I take a closer look at the lyrics. "Epitath" indeed is pretty, pretty sad. Ok my, favs in the genre: Turn of the Century - Yes but above all... The Sisters - Renaissance (Novella) Both songs from 77 :}

Oh yes, the Sisters! Best of all Renaissance songs!

(Second best has to be Ocean Gypsy, of course, which is also quite sad.)

Edited by ElwoodHerring

prog:  the afore stated "Turn of the Century" by Yes.

Also, "Nevermore" by Queen is very sad (although very short).  Such a great sense of loss
Refugee's from VdGG is a beautifully sad song, as is Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum) in the same vein.  Some others:  Shine on...and Dogs(Pink Floyd) ; The Moody Blues - Melancholy Man, Watching and Waiting ; Jethro Tull - Requiem

 

non prog:  Billy Joel - Good Night Saigon

Lyrnyrd Skynyrd - Tuesday's Gone

George Harrison - My Sweet Lord (this can be either sad or inspriaitonal to me)

 

Kamelot - Don't You Cry

That song is so precious.

Animals - yes, that's another "angst" album. A late contender too, being released in 1977. "The Wall" is different though, I see that as being more of a personal whinge (as David Gilmour famously put it). And as for Final Cut, well... that just makes me cry because it's so pathetic.