@Donald Anderson

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

Whether it’s a weekday morning or Saturday night, get going with this personalized set of upbeat music. Refreshed every Monday.

Songs to help you relax and unwind. Updated every Sunday.

A tear-jerking song can be about a sad situation, such as grieving a loved one or living through a terrible breakup, although some actually describe happy times: the ache of loving someone so much it hurts, or feeling nostalgic for a carefree, lovely day. As a testament to this emotional diversity, tearjerkers aren’t all slow, downtrodden dirges. These songs come in all sonic shapes and sizes: majestic pop ballads, skeletal folk songs, wistful R&B slow jams, earnest rock songs, and even towering power ballads. Tear-jerking songs also feature striking moments—like, say, an inimitable Prince guitar solo—or succeed on the strength of a brilliantly executed vocal: Whitney Houston’s glassy vibrato; the lonely, keening bray of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon; Jeff Buckley’s fragile, heartbroken falsetto; or Sinéad O’Connor’s full-throated, anguished warble. No matter the style—or whether these songs induce tears of joy or sadness—the ultimate goal is to make your eyes well up.

Even when she's putting words (and melodies) in other people's mouths, Carole King excels at making music out of the excruciating, exhilarating moments that resonate in your heart and gut. Whether framed as big-budget piano pop, cozy strummed folk, or bruised girl-group singalongs, her songs are intimate soundtracks for the movie that is your life.

Nobody knows how to do misery the way they did in the ’50s and ’60s. Part of it is that it wasn’t as culturally acceptable, especially for men. But in the absence of being able to vent feelings in public, or with friends and family, the artists here turned to the miniature melancholies of pop, imbuing simple songs with almost operatic heft. We update picks here regularly. If something pulls at those heartstrings, add it to your library.