There are 90s songs about heartbreak to capture all of the different emotions that you feel after a breakup. There are songs about sadness, frustration, and having a hard time letting go. Just be forewarned: the tunes on this might leave you feeling a little nostalgic and just a tad sad. Or maybe these 90s songs about heartbreak will actually help you make it through a breakup:
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When it comes to 90s songs about heartbreak, no one did a better job of describing a breakup than Gwen Stefani. Perhaps her pain was even more poignant since this song wasn't just about any ex-boyfriend—it was about band mate Tony Kanal breaking up with her. She sings about losing her best friend, and she revisits the horror of hearing the dreaded breakup talk. The way she begs her lover to stop speaking can still make you feel sorry for the poor girl. But at least all that pain paid off in the form of a hit song and a future with Bush singer Gavin Rossdale.
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Lauryn Hill's voice is definitely one the best of the 90s. The singer did an amazing job documenting a tumultuous, destructive relationship in this smooth, soulful song. Interestingly, it's also about an ex-boyfriend band mate—her old flame is The Fugees member Wyclef Jean. The song is about the kind of couple that constantly makes up and breaks up, and Lauryn finally decides that she's had enough. Here are some of the lyrics: "See I know what we've got to do / You let go and I'll let go too / 'Cause no one's hurt me more than you / And no one ever will."
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While Lauryn was telling her lover that things were just too crazy to let the relationship continue, Jewel was telling hers that they were meant to be together. In this song, she documents a day starting with breakfast and ending with bedtime. However, she points out just how painful every mundane little thing feels now that she's alone. It's amazing how tragic she makes a line like this sound: "I brush my teeth and put the cap back on / I know you hate it when I leave the light on." She just can't escape the ghost of the guy who broke her heart.
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Nothing compares to Sinead's expressive, ethereal voice. Miley Cyrus can try to imitate the Irish singer, but the naked wrecking ball rider is going to have a hard time topping this ballad about heartbreak. You can tell just how badly Sinead is hurting with these opening lyrics: "It's been seven hours and fifteen days / Since you took your love away." She also sings about wanting another chance and not being able to stop thinking about her lover. It's a super sad song that just might leave you shedding a few tears like Sinead does in the very memorable music video.
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Love can definitely make you act a fool. This song is about the crazy way love can make you beg someone who is bad for you to stay. It is nice that this tune is a little more upbeat than others on this list, because you don't always want to listen to breakup songs that make you cry. In fact, this one is kind of fun to sing along to. However, some lyrics are really sad. Here's an example: "I don't care if you really care / As long as you don't go." Ladies, don't stay with a guy if you know that he's fooling you by pretending to be in love with you.
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This is another breakup song that doesn't sound quite so sad. In fact, it seems rather lighthearted on the first listen. But if you really pay attention to the lyrics, you'll realize that it's actually about a girl who catches her man holding hands with another woman. She then has to deal with the lingering feelings that she experiences. Singer Dolores O'Riordan wrote the song about a life event that often leads to heartbreak: her first kiss.
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I had such a big girl crush on Natalie Imbruglia. I'm sure a lot of Directioners became familiar with this song after One Direction covered it, but you just can't beat Natalie's sweet voice. I'm guessing some genius picked the song for 1D to sing because they knew girls would giggle whenever the guys sang the part about being naked on the floor. But the song is serious stuff—it's about falling for a guy and later realizing that he's not who you thought he was. In other words, you've been projecting an image of perfection onto a man who is far from perfect. Here are some of the lyrics: "Well, you couldn't be that man I adored / You don't seem to know / Seem to care what your heart is for."
So if you're in a weird place where you're feeling nostalgic and heartbroken after a breakup, you might want to revisit the 90s by listening to songs like these. And yes, I know that I probably missed a ton of great breakup tunes from the decade that saw the death of Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder's wonderful romance. So which songs would you add to this list?