Any good "depressing" song recommendations?

[NewSc2]

Ones that you could just kick back and chill to - so far my best kinda depressing song is Chopin - Nocturne for Violin and Piano. The violin just sounds very mellow over the piano.

I'm not talking about songs that are made about depressing subjects, like Blink 182 - Stay Together for the Kids.

Preferably non-lyrical, but if the lyrics don't dominate the song then that's cool. Maybe operas or something?

Edit: i'm not sure if depressing is the exact genre, but i'm talking along the lines of like... Coldplay - Trouble, Radiohead - Creep, and like the poster below, moonlight sonata

 

[datalink7]

I don't know too many non lyrical ones, but on the topic of depression:

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven
Ben Harper - Another Lonely Day
Enya - Only Time <--might check this one out
Beethoven - Moonligh Sonata<--definently check this one out for non-lyrical

 

[YayYay]

Who Me by buckethead is good.

 

[thomsbrain]

tori amos's early stuff was pretty heartbreaking. or the stuff on joni mitchell's blue.
portishead is violently sad.
sigur ros is like that weird kind of sad you get sometimes in movies where it's this confusing emotion and you're not sure if it's uplifting or if you want to slit your wrists. this might fit your bill cause he sings in icelandic so you can't understand what he's singing.
dashboard confessional's first two LP's were pretty dour. too bad he got a band and messed up the dynamics.
the last song from the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack "Selmasongs"... i can't remember what it's called
taking back sunday has some great sad lyrics. check out "your own disaster"
all of radiohead's ok computer ought to do the trick.
jimmy eat world's "for me this is heaven"
something corporate's "konstantine" -- on a side note, this song quotes the above jimmy eat world song. listen to one after the other, and sob your heart out.
eels "manchild"

that oughta do it for now. don't get me too carried away.

 

[5489]

how bout that one theme song to Requiem for a Dream.

I think it's depressing

 

[NewSc2]

portishead is violently sad.

i get in the mood for portishead sometimes, but now i'm kinda leaning towards classical/jazz/soft music selections

 

[gopunk]

blink 182 - story of a lonely guy

the lyrics are depressing, but the song is in and of itself. not depressing, but sort of wistful. it's acoustic btw.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: NewSc2

portishead is violently sad.

i get in the mood for portishead sometimes, but now i'm kinda leaning towards classical/jazz/soft music selections

Portishead - Roads

"THE" most depressing song ever, play it, repeat it

 

[DaveSimmons]

Almost all of Richard Thompson's catalog, especially the old Richard & Linda Thompson albums and his solo Daring Adventures.

Kate Bush and Happy Rhodes (heavily influenced by Bush) have some good dark material

Clannad is stronger Celtic music than Enya, more mournful / wistful, especially the songs in gaelic

Joemy Wilson's Celtic instrumentals on hammered dulcimer (+ other acoustic players), Carolan's Cottege is especially good.

Vivialdi's concertos for lute include some powerful slow movements, there is (was?) a nice CD of them on the BIS label by Jakob Lindberg (sp?).

 

[silverpig]

SRV's version of Little Wing


The song isn't depressing in and of itself, but it is pretty mellow, and non-lyrical.

 

[yellowperil]

Misery loves company

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Radiohead - Let Down, How to Disappear Completely
Elliott Smith - Miss Misery, Between the Bars
Beck - Lost Cause

 

[udonoogen]

something corporate, saves the day, dashboard confessional, anything emo

 

[GlassHouse]

Infant Eyes - Wayne Shorter - tender, deep, sad, yet uplifting
When The Sun Comes Down - Joshua Redman - makes me want to cry or laugh or scream to the world

 

[SHoddyCOmp]

Originally posted by: datalink7
I don't know too many non lyrical ones, but on the topic of depression:

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven
Ben Harper - Another Lonely Day
Enya - Only Time <--might check this one out
Beethoven - Moonligh Sonata<--definently check this one out for non-lyrical

Thats an itneresting occurence, im listenign to only time right now....ah

 

[sobriquet]

Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings.

 

[luv2chill]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
tori amos's early stuff was pretty heartbreaking. or the stuff on joni mitchell's blue.
portishead is violently sad.
sigur ros is like that weird kind of sad you get sometimes in movies where it's this confusing emotion and you're not sure if it's uplifting or if you want to slit your wrists. this might fit your bill cause he sings in icelandic so you can't understand what he's singing.
dashboard confessional's first two LP's were pretty dour. too bad he got a band and messed up the dynamics.
the last song from the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack "Selmasongs"... i can't remember what it's called
taking back sunday has some great sad lyrics. check out "your own disaster"
all of radiohead's ok computer ought to do the trick.
jimmy eat world's "for me this is heaven"
something corporate's "konstantine" -- on a side note, this song quotes the above jimmy eat world song. listen to one after the other, and sob your heart out.
eels "manchild"

that oughta do it for now. don't get me too carried away.

Damn dude!! You have great taste! I'm going to see Sigur Ros here in a couple weeks and I can't wait! Have you heard ( ) yet? It's another masteripiece IMHO... finally a studio version of Nj&oacute;snav&eacute;lin!!

Also kudos to the chap that mentioned Richard Thompson... the british folk scene doesn't get enough attention. Speaking of...

my contribution is anything by Nick Drake. That man was an absolute genius. He was on this earth for only a short time, but left us with so much (a la Jeff Buckley). He was severely depressed during the last half of his life, so his songs are resultingly solemn (especally his final and best album "Pink Moon").

Although it sounds like you're looking more for New Age stuff. Download "Thanksgiving" by George Winston... if that fits the bill then I'll recommend some others.

l2c

EditL Yellowperil I missed your post... nice choices. Elliott Smith is fantastic. I've been trying to tackle "Angeles" on guitar and it's kicking my ass!

 

[amnesiac]

Ben Folds Five is pretty depressing.

 

[SHoddyCOmp]

I just got portishead - nobody loves me, crap this song rox. Just what i like Its got a bobble or skip or something at 1:52 though...bummer.

 

[Bobomatic]

NewSc2, I have one that beats Chopin's Nocturne for Violin and Piano

Clara Rockmore - Rachmaninoff Vocalise

 

[luv2chill]

Originally posted by: SHoddyCOmp
I just got portishead - nobody loves me, crap this song rox. Just what i like Its got a bobble or skip or something at 1:52 though...bummer.

Look for it under its real title "Sour Times" and you'll probably get a bunch more results (and a better chance at getting a non kazaa'd version )

l2c

 

[SHoddyCOmp]

ah ok, yea im on WinMX right now.

 

[NewSc2]

i know nobody's said this, but Phantom Planet - Lonely Day is pretty depressing, great lyrics too..

except the part where the guy's shouting the lyrics kind of bugs when you're in just a calm mood.

 

[Kadarin]

Here's my recommendations:

early New Order, such as "Ceremony", "In a Lonely Place", "Everything's Gone Green"
Joy Division (pretty much anything will do, but their hit was "Love Will Tear Us Apart"\
Clan of Xymox: Much of the "Medusa" album has that wistful depressing quality
The Cure, "Pictures of You", and some others
Sisterhood (a Sisters of Mercy spinoff), pretty much anything..

 

[SHoddyCOmp]

wow, you rock l2c . I was going to download another version of what i got but i just tried the 'real' name and got a good song that isnt all jacked. schweet.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

My Dying Bride
Especially their song For My Fallen Angel