Think aloud
Anyone who’s ever fallen for someone tells you that love feels great – but only when that person’s fallen for them, too. What about when they haven’t? Well, my friends, that’s called unrequited love, and that might be the reason why you’re here, trying to drown your sorrow in some of the best songs about unrequited love.
Whether you’ve fallen head over heels for a coworker who doesn’t even know you exist or a friend who’s never entertained the possibility of being more than friends, you must be pretty heartbroken. And you know you’re silly for overthinking and overanalyzing, but you’re overwhelmed by your emotions.
Argh, you know you’re not actually with that person, but that doesn’t stop you from feeling like your entire world’s tumbling down every time you lay your eyes on them, greet them under your breath, or picture what your future children will look like.
At the end of the day, just because your feelings aren’t returned doesn’t mean they’re any less valid. And just because it’s common doesn’t mean that unrequited love isn’t heart-throbbing, soul-crushing, and majorly painful. But the truth is, the chase is seriously appealing to many and can be difficult to quit.
Before you give up on the idea of getting over the object of your infatuation, you might want to give Taylor Swift or Harry Styles a listen. We’re pretty sure that songs about unrequited love can get you through a tough time without making you feel silly or stupid for falling for someone.
So, if you’ve found yourself longing for someone you can’t have, scroll down below and uncover a wondrous world of heartbreak anthems in every genre, from bubbly pop to gritty rock. Songs about loving someone you can’t have should be their own genre, but that’s beside the point. Read on!
What are the most relatable songs about unrequited love to make you feel less alone?
1. “You’re Losing Me,” by Taylor Swift
“You say, “I don’t understand,” and I say, “I know you don’t”
We thought a cure would come through in time, now, I fear it won’t
Remember lookin’ at this room, we loved it ’cause of the light
Now, I just sit in the dark and wonder if it’s time.”
2. “Everyone Who Falls In Love,” by Cian Ducrot
“She still thinks of him when she touches my skin, oh my,
It’s still hurting her when she knows I’m not him, oh my,
Guess that’s the way when you fall into love,
Sometimes the wrong person does more than enough,
There’s a girl somewhere else, who feels the way that she does,
But what if it’s me who made her feel like she’s not enough?”
3. “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” by Bonnie Raitt
“‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t,
You can’t make your heart feel something it won’t,
Here in the dark, in these final hours,
I will lay down my heart and I’ll feel the power,
But you won’t, no you won’t,
‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t.”
4. “Dancing on My Own,” by Calum Scott
“And yeah, I know it’s stupid,
But I just gotta see it for myself.
I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her,
I’m right over here, why can’t you see me?
And I’m giving it my all,
I’m not the guy you’re taking home,
I keep dancing on my own.”
5. “Good Thing,” by Sam Smith
“I had a dream I was mugged outside your house,
I had a dream in a panic you came running out,
For a moment, you were sure I’d die on you,
For a moment, I believed you loved me, too,
But life is never like this, and you were never strong.”
6. “The Heart Wants What It Wants,” by Selena Gomez
“The bed’s getting cold and you’re not here,
The future that we hold is so unclear,
But I’m not alive until you call,
And I’ll bet the odds against it all,
Save your advice ’cause I won’t hear,
You might be right, but I don’t care,
There’s a million reasons why I should give you up,
But the heart wants what it wants.”
7. “Can I Be Him,” by James Arthur
“I heard there was someone but I know he don’t deserve you,
If you were mine I’d never let anyone hurt you, no, no,
I wanna dry those tears, kiss those lips,
It’s all that I’ve been thinking about,
‘Cause a light came on when I heard that song and I want you to sing it again.”
8. “Liability,” by Lorde
“They say, “You’re a little much for me,
You’re a liability,
You’re a little much for me.”
So they pull back, make other plans,
I understand I’m a liability,
Get you wild, make you leave,
I’m a little much for e-a-na-na-na, everyone.”
9. “Losing My Religion,” by R.E.M.
“That’s me in the corner,
That’s me in the spotlight,
Losing my religion,
Trying to keep up with you,
And I don’t know if I can do it,
Oh no I’ve said too much,
I haven’t said enough.”
10. “Wicked Game,” by Chris Isaak
“The world was on fire and no one could save me but you,
It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do,
I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you,
And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you.
No, I don’t wanna fall in love.”
11. “Make You Feel My Love,” by Adele
“I know you haven’t made your mind up yet,
But I will never do you wrong,
I’ve known it from the moment that we met,
No doubt in my mind where you belong.”
12. “Over My Head,” by Fleetwood Mac
“You can take me anytime you like,
I’ll be around if you think you might,
Love me, baby, over my head,
And hold me tight.”
13. “Jessie’s Girl,” by Rick Springfield
“And she’s watching him with those eyes,
And she’s loving him with that body, I just know it,
Yeah, and he’s holding her in his arms late, late at night,
You know, I wish that I had,
Jessie’s girl
I wish that I had Jessie’s girl,
Where can I find a woman like that?”
14. “Bleeding Love,” by Leona Lewis
“But I don’t care what they say,
I’m in love with you,
They try to pull me away,
But they don’t know the truth.
My heart’s crippled by the vein that I keep on closing,
You cut me open and I,
Keep bleeding,
Keep, keep bleeding love.”
15. “Tears,” by Clean Bandit featuring Louisa Johnson
“I tried hard to make you want me,
But we’re not supposed to be,
And the truth will always haunt me,
Even though it set me free,
And my tears flow like the ocean,
As they floated in the breeze,
They were falling in slow motion,
And they brought me to my knees.”
16. “Nothin’ on You,” by B.O.B. featuring Bruno Mars
“Beautiful girls, all over the world,
I could be chasin’ but my time would be wasted,
They got nothin’ on you, baby.”
17. “Closer Than You Might Believe,” by Alanis Morissette
“So if the love that you’re chasing after,
Is in the heart to be found in the out-of-reach,
Well, if you break it all down,
Take a good look around, you’ll see,
That it’s closer than you might believe.”
18. “Deja Vu,” by Olivia Rodrigo
“So when you gonna tell her,
That we did that, too?
She thinks it’s special,
But it’s all reused,
That was our place, I found it first,
I made the jokes you tell to her when she’s with you,
Do you get déjà vu when she’s with you?”
19. “Unrequited Love,” by Lykke Li
“Once again it’s happening,
Oh, this love is unrequited,
Twice the pain, the suffering,
Oh, my love is unrequited.”
20. “You’re Beautiful,” by James Blunt
“You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful, it’s true,
I saw your face in a crowded place
And I don’t know what to do
‘Cause I’ll never be with you.”
21. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” by The Police
“Though I’ve tried before to tell her,
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart,
Every time that I come near her,
I just lose my nerve as I’ve done from the start.”
22. “Why Don’t You Love Me,” by Beyoncé
“Why don’t you love me?
Tell me, baby, why don’t you love me? (Why don’t you?)
When I make me so damn easy to love? (to love?)
Tell me, baby, why don’t you need me? (Don’t you need me?)
When I make me so damn easy to need?”
23. “Unrequited Love,” by Yuna
“For as long as I can remember,
Like oil and water, we collide
But you don’t seem to want forever,
This adventure was only real to my eyes.”
24. “Teardrops On My Guitar,” by Taylor Swift
“Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won’t see,
That I want and I’m needing everything that we should be,
I’ll bet she’s beautiful, that girl he talks about,
And she’s got everything that I have to live without.”
25. “Ceilings,” by Lizzy Mcalpine
“But it’s not real,
And you don’t exist,
And I can’t recall the last time I was kissed,
It hits me in the car,
And it feels like the end of a movie I’ve seen before,
Before.“