The best breakup albums ever – from Joni Mitchell to Lily Allen

Opening with a deeply melancholic vibe, if that’s your jam, Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher is a masterclass in quiet devastation. Its hauntingly delicate instrumentation and audio effects are meant to make it borderline unsettling in the best way – like an eerie read-through of her diary. 

 “ICU (I See You)”, about her relationship with drummer Marshall Vore, is a gut-wrenching breakup track – with its double entendre title also nods to the term’s medical meaning, it’s especially striking as Phoebe co-wrote this track with Marshall, providing a rare perspective from both sides. “Moon Song” captures the quiet pain of a one-sided love that is utterly self-sacrificing and ultimately tragic. If you’re in the mood to sink into raw emotion, and bitingly honest lyrics, this is one to put on repeat.

The debut album from Disney sweetheart Olivia Rodrigo, this record-breaking album is packed with punchy pop-rock hits as well as tender heartbreak anthems like “drivers license”. If you’re like me, and are a little older than the star, you might wonder whether a teenager’s perspective is going to resonate with you, but I promise the album’s themes feel absolutely ageless.

There are the popular powerful anthems like “traitor” and “good 4 u”, but outside of her raw megahits, there’s quieter ballads like “favorite crime” that are equally affecting, blending intimacy and subtlety with Olivia’s sharp lyricism. It’s an album that serves up emotional immediacy for those of us needing to rage, but equally tender tracks that resonate years later. 

Confession – I think Lorde’s debut, Pure Heroine, is her best work, but Melodrama serves as a better breakup record. While her first album feels more observational, Melodrama immerses us in a world of sleek electro-pop that captures the intensely personal, coming-of-age experience of a first heartbreak. 

There are no shortage of deeply affecting, confronting tracks – from the vulnerability of “Liability” to the poignant honesty of “Writer in the Dark”, but this album also serves up the irresistible dance track “Green Light”, so you’ll experience a full spectrum of feelings. Structured as a concept album, it takes us through the arc of a house party, from the chaotic opening to the reflective aftermath, capturing everything in between in a way that feels raw and vividly cinematic.

The literal blueprint for a breakup album, Rumours is a timeless classic that is still many of our go-to listens nearly half a century after its release. In case you were unaware and you haven’t seen those iconic clips of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham performing “Silver Springs”, the two had ended their romantic relationship shortly before recording the record, while fellow bandmates Christine and John McVie divorced during the album’s making. Needless to say, this one is supercharged with real-life emotional gravity.

Outside of the aforementioned track, with its emotional crescendo and powerful undertones of unresolved tension, “The Chain” and “I Don’t Want to Know” pack in betrayal, lingering resentment, and plenty of bittersweet reflections on love lost. It’s nothing short of a masterpiece for the heartbroken.

I’ve spoken before about my love for this album – and how severely underrated it is – but it’s even more prevalent in the category of heartbreak. With every song on the record written solely by Taylor, Speak Now is a deeply personal foray into storytelling, chronicling the highs and lows of her teen loves.

“Dear John” – rumoured to be written about John Mayer – is packed full of incredibly searing lyrics that feel very West End Girl-esque, while tracks like “Enchanted” offer happier respites about the dizzying magic of meeting someone new. One of my personal favourites, the haunting, quiet subtlety of “Last Kiss” also lingers long after it ends. If you’ve been swept up in Taylor’s modern stuff recently, definitely consider returning to this tour de force next time you need a good cry.

Few albums capture the full spectrum of love and heartbreak like Blue. Written in the wake of her separation from Graham Nash and a tumultuous relationship with James Taylor, Joni Mitchell’s inimitable style turns the record into a confessional journey that spans different kinds of love, meaning there’s someone to soundtrack whatever kind of heartbreak you’re feeling.

From marital love in “My Old Man’, romantic heartbreak in “River ", and even the ache of longing for home in “California”, Joni pushes beyond the conventional portrayals of love often found in a traditional breakup album, mapping a wide range of emotion and infusing the tracks with plenty of yearning and nostalgia. Her distinctive voice, smoky and piercing, gives each song a sense of intimacy and emotional clarity that feels like you’re stepping into her private world, yet also relating to every lyric she sings.

Lana Del Rey truly has an album for every stage of your breakup, but for something that captures the blazing, fresh emotion of West End Girl, I feel like Ultraviolence is unbeatable. The album is one of her darker, stripped-back records that explores turbulent love, borderline obsession, with her classic ethereal style. 

“Cruel World” details Lana breaking free from toxic dynamics while reflecting on the nostalgia of a past relationship, while her ode to “unfixable” partners comes in the form of “Shades of Cool”, thought to be about her relationship with Barrie James O'Neill. Produced with reverb-soaked guitars and cinematic strings, carried by Lana’s languid vocals, Ultraviolence is a moody, darker look at heartbreak – though if you’re beyond the wallowing stage, Blue Bannisters is a criminally underrated option for those in the healing stage.

An intense and vulnerable journey through heartbreak, Grace is Jeff Buckley’s only studio album after his career was cut short when he tragically died in 1997. Already one of the most promising voices of his generation, his art has transcended his life and continued to soundtrack the heartbreak and grief of listeners across decades.

The yearning ache of “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” is a standout, and his most popular song, and there’s also the reflective melancholy of “So Real” and the title track, which is speculated to detail his goodbye with then-girlfriend Rebecca Moore at an airport before he moved to New York. His signature mix of rock, folk, and soul-infused vocals – often described as a melting pot of genres – is transcendent, and coupled with his electric storytelling, make this one of the best illustrations of heartbreak.

Recorded in a secluded Wisconsin cabin by the band’s frontman, Justin Vernon, Bon Iver’s debut album, burst onto the scene to critical acclaim. Reflective of its isolated setting, it’s a deeply minimalistic yet blisteringly personal, chronicling Justin’s reflections on past relationships and life experiences with remarkable honesty

The intimate falsetto of the singer, layered over sparse guitar and hauntingly minimal arrangements, give the tracks their confessional feeling. Deeply raw tracks like “Skinny Love” and “Flume” are nuanced takes on both the fragility and strength of love, while the epilogue “Re:Stacks” meditates on letting go and finding a path forward. Though melancholic, it’s also very comforting, and cemented Bon Iver as masters of storytelling and sonic innovation.

No breakup album list would be complete without the searing international breakthrough of Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill. Therapy in the form of a record for many, Alanis changed the face of female musicians when she leaned into the cathartic emotions of unbridled rage, with the album’s visceral lyrics resonating with fans worldwide and still packing an unmatched punch to this day.

“You Oughta Know”, widely rumoured to be about her ex-boyfriend Dave Coulier, is the ultimate angry breakup anthem and tracks like “Perfect” and “Right Through You” explore themes of familial strain and sexism in the music industry. It’s a portrait of a woman who’s just had enough, coupled with confessional lyrics, Alanis’ intense alt-rock delivery, and razor-sharp emotional honesty.