Missing someone is one of the most universal feelings there is. Whether it’s a lost love, a friend who moved away, or someone who’s gone forever, these songs put words to that ache. On this page, you’ll find a great list of songs about missing someone, spanning all genres and eras.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Missing Someone Playlist at the bottom of this page!
Best Songs About Missing Someone
1. “Marvins Room” – Drake
Lyric Sample: “I’m just saying you could do better, and I’ll start hatin’ only if you make me.”
Drake’s 2011 track is about a lonely, late-night phone call to an ex who has moved on.
2. “For the First Time” – Mac DeMarco
Lyric Sample: “While she’s been away, living day-to-day has been tough.”
DeMarco’s 2017 hit pop song is about the pain of being apart from someone you care about and counting down to the moment you see them again.
Related: “For the First Time” Song Meaning
3. “Faking My Own Suicide” – Relient K
Lyric Sample: “To get your attention, I’m faking my own suicide.”
Despite the dark title, this quirky 2007 pop-punk song is about wanting attention from someone who isn’t noticing you.
4. “I Miss You” – Blink-182
Lyric Sample: “Don’t waste your time on me, you’re already the voice inside my head.”
Blink-182’s ballad is about the “ghost” of a relationship and the desperation of wanting someone to come back home.
Related: “I Miss You” Song Meaning
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5. “Drivers License” – Olivia Rodrigo
Lyric Sample: “I got my driver’s license last week, just like we always talked about.”
In her 2021 breakout hit, Rodrigo drives through the suburbs alone after a breakup. She sings about the sting of achieving a milestone without the person she intended to share it with.
Related: MTV VMAs – Song of the Year
6. “The Night We Met” – Lord Huron
Lyric Sample: “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you.”
This 2015 hit became inescapable after appearing on the 13 Reasons Why soundtrack. It’s about wishing you could go back to the night a relationship began, before it all went wrong.
Related: “The Night We Met” Song Meaning
7. “Missing U” – Robyn
Lyric Sample: “I keep digging through our waste of time.”
Robyn describes the empty space left behind after a relationship ends. It’s about someone being physically gone even when their influence remains everywhere.
8. “Wish You Were Here” – Pink Floyd
Lyric Sample: “How I wish, how I wish you were here.”
Pink Floyd wrote this for their former bandmate Syd Barrett. It’s a classic track about missing someone who is still physically present but mentally or emotionally different.
Related: “Wish You Were Here” Song Meaning
9. “Coldest Winter” – Kanye West
Lyric Sample: “Goodbye my friend, I won’t ever love again.”
West wrote this after the death of his mother and a major breakup. He frames his grief as an unending season of cold where there is no hope of the person returning.
Related: Songs About Death
10. “Good Grief” – Bastille
Lyric Sample: “Every minute and every hour, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more.”
“Good Grief” is about the messy process of grieving someone. It covers those moments where you forget they’re gone for a second, only for the reality to hit you again.
11. “Supermarket Flowers” – Ed Sheeran
Lyric Sample: “You were an angel in the shape of my mum.”
Sheeran wrote this from his mother’s perspective following his grandmother’s death. He sings about the mundane tasks of cleaning out a hospital room and saying a final goodbye.
Related: “Supermarket Flowers” Song Meaning
12. “Where’d You Go?” – Fort Minor
Lyric Sample: “Seems like it’s been forever that you’ve been gone.”
This 2005 track is from the perspective of the person left behind when someone else chases their dreams. It’s about the loneliness of being the one waiting at home while a partner is always on the road.
13. “Eyelids” – PVRIS
Lyric Sample: “I wake up and I can feel you by my side, but I can’t find you in the dark.”
“Eyelids” is a 2014 indie song about only being able to see someone when your eyes are shut. It deals with the frustration of having a person exist only in your dreams and memories.
14. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” – Aerosmith
Lyric Sample: “I just want to stay in this moment forever.”
This classic ’90s ballad is about wanting to cherish every single second with a partner.
Related: Best Love Songs
15. “Despair in the Departure Lounge” – Arctic Monkeys
Lyric Sample: “But it’s alright, ’cause you love me.”
This 2006 tune is about the unique kind of misery found in airports. It’s about the boredom and loneliness of traveling while your mind is entirely fixed on the person you left behind.
🎧 Listen to the Full Playlist ↓
16. “Someone Great” – LCD Soundsystem
Lyric Sample: “The worst is all the lovely weather.”
This electronic track describes the sudden realization that someone important is gone. It’s about the disconnect between the world moving on and your own internal grief.
17. “Lay Me Down” – Sam Smith
Lyric Sample: “Can I lay by your side, next to you?”
In “Lay Me Down,” Smith begs to be reunited with a lost loved one. It’s about the silence of an empty bed and wanting to be next to them one last time.
18. “I Miss You” – Incubus
Lyric Sample: “To see you when I wake up is a gift I didn’t think could be real.”
“I Miss You” is about being away from a partner and how quickly the days start to feel long and empty when they aren’t around.
19. “Stick Season” – Noah Kahan
Lyric Sample: “And now I’m stuck between my anger and the blame that I can’t face.”
Kahan sings about being stuck in his hometown after a breakup while his ex has moved on to a bigger city. He compares the transition of the seasons to the cold, empty feeling of being left behind.
Related: “Stick Season” Song Meaning
20. “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Sinéad O’Connor
Lyric Sample: “It’s been seven hours and fifteen days since you took your love away.”
Written by Prince, “Nothing Compares 2 U” is the definitive song about post-breakup depression. It’s about the realization that no amount of freedom or new experiences can replace the person you lost.
Related: Grammy Award for Record of the Year
21. “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” – The Script
Lyric Sample: “Thinkin’ maybe you’ll come back here to the place that we’d meet.”
The Script’s ballad describes a man waiting on the exact street corner where he first met his ex, hoping she’ll see him and come back.
22. “Flume” – Bon Iver
Lyric Sample: “I am my mother’s only one, it’s enough.”
“Flume” is an indie folk song about loss and the fragmented memories of a relationship that has slipped away.
23. “Someone Like You” – Adele
Lyric Sample: “Never mind, I’ll find someone like you. I wish nothing but the best for you, too.”
Adele’s 2011 hit is about showing up at an ex’s house and finding out they’ve started a new life. It’s a bittersweet look at trying to find peace while still being heartbroken.
Related: “Someone Like You” Song Meaning
24. “I Go to Sleep” – Sia
Lyric Sample: “When I look up from my pillow, I dream you are there with me.”
Sia covers this classic about a person who can only be with their lover in their dreams. It’s about the dread of waking up and remembering that they’re gone.
25. “When You’re Gone” – Avril Lavigne
Lyric Sample: “When you’re gone, the pieces of my heart are missing you.”
“When You’re Gone” is a 2007 pop-rock ballad about the small things you miss when a partner is away, like the way they walk or the clothes they leave behind.
26. “Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi
Lyric Sample: “Now the day bleeds into nightfall, and you’re not here to get me through it all.”
Capaldi’s hit is about the crushing feeling of having to learn how to be alone again. It’s about the desperation of needing someone to be there for you through the aftermath.
Related: “Someone You Loved” Song Meaning
27. “Dance With My Father” – Luther Vandross
Lyric Sample: “If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him.”
Vandross wrote this as a tribute to his father, who died when he was young. It’s a beautiful, sad wish for just one more chance to be with him.
Related: Best Songs About Fathers
28. “Here Without You” – 3 Doors Down
Lyric Sample: “I think about you, baby, and I dream about you all the time.”
Brad Arnold wrote this hit power ballad about his wife and the difficulty of being apart while the band was on the road. It became one of the most played songs by military families during the Iraq War.
29. “Oklahoma City” – Zach Bryan
Lyric Sample: “But if you ever decide to bring your pain and your pride, back to this side of Oklahoma City.”
In “Oklahoma City,” Bryan sings about the new distance between him and someone important back home. It’s about the nostalgia of home and the people you had to leave behind to grow up.
30. “Back to December” – Taylor Swift
Lyric Sample: “Maybe this is wishful thinkin’, probably mindless dreamin’.”
Swift uses “Back to December” to apologize for a past breakup. It’s about her regret of hurting someone and wishing she could go back in time to fix the relationship.
Related: Songs About December
31. “One Sweet Day” – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
Lyric Sample: “Never had I imagined living without your smile.”
This 1995 song is about losing someone before you had the chance to say everything you wanted to say. Carey had lost a close collaborator to AIDS, and Boyz II Men had lost their tour manager to a shooting.
Related: Grammy – Records of the Year
32. “I Miss You” – DMX ft. Faith Evans
Lyric Sample: “What I wouldn’t give for one mo’ hug, from grandma.”
DMX gets vulnerable in this track about the loss of his grandmother. It’s about the lessons she taught him and the void her death left in his life.
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33. “If I Could Be Where You Are” – Enya
Lyric Sample: “If I could be where you are, I would bring you home.”
In this 2005 track, Enya describes the pain of separation and the hope of finding her way back to a partner. It’s about the solitude where missing someone becomes the primary focus of the day.
34. “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” – The Police
Lyric Sample: “Cold wind blows right through that open door.”
This groovy 1979 track is about the emptiness of a room after a partner leaves. Sting sings about a relationship that ended abruptly and the lonely space left behind.
35. “Hello, I’m in Delaware” – City and Colour
Lyric Sample: “And I will see you again, I will see you again a long time from now.”
Dallas Green wrote this while on tour about the exhaustion and isolation of being away from home. It’s about the mental fog of travel and wanting to be back with his partner.
36. “All I Want” – Kodaline
Lyric Sample: “All I want is nothing more, to hear you knocking at my door.”
This 2013 indie-folk song is about the pain of being left by someone you still love. It’s a plea for them to come back because life feels incomplete without them.
Related: “All I Want” Song Meaning
37. “So Far Away” – Carole King
Lyric Sample: “So far away, doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore?”
King’s 1971 classic is about the frustration of physical distance in a relationship. She sings about how hard it is to stay connected when you’re constantly in different places.
38. “Goodbye’s (The Saddest Word)” – Celine Dion
Lyric Sample: “Goodbye’s the saddest word I’ll ever hear.”
Dion sings about the eventual heartbreak of having to say goodbye to her mother. It’s a song about the fear of the day when the person who raised you is no longer there.
39. “I’m Already There” – Lonestar
Lyric Sample: “I’m already there, take a look around.”
This 2001 country hit is about a father telling his family that even though he’s away, he’s still with them in spirit.
Related: CMA – Single of the Year
40. “Let Her Go” – Passenger
Lyric Sample: “Well, you only need the light when it’s burning low.”
“Let Her Go” is about the common mistake of only realizing how much you love someone after they’ve left. It’s a series of metaphors about only appreciating things once they’re gone.
Related: “Let Her Go” Song Meaning
41. “What Hurts the Most” – Rascal Flatts
Lyric Sample: “It’s hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go.”
This 2006 crossover hit is about the words you saved up and never said, and how that silence ends up hurting more than the goodbye itself.
42. “See You Again” – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth
Lyric Sample: “It’s been a long day without you, my friend, and I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.”
Written as a tribute to actor Paul Walker, “See You Again” is about the bond of friendship and the hope of seeing them again in the afterlife.
Related: Funeral Songs for Mom
43. “Miss You Like Crazy” – Natalie Cole
Lyric Sample: “I miss you like crazy, I miss you more each day.”
Cole’s 1989 hit describes the realization that no matter how much time passes, the feeling of missing someone never really fades.
44. “Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers
Lyric Sample: “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, it’s not warm when she’s away.”
In this classic, Withers uses the metaphor of light and heat to describe his partner. When she’s gone, his world goes dark and cold, no matter what time of day it is.
Related: Songs About Sunshine
45. “For No One” – The Beatles
Lyric Sample: “And in her eyes, you see nothing, no sign of love behind the tears, cried for no one.”
In “For No One,” Paul McCartney sings about a love that has vanished on one side. It’s about the pain of living with someone who no longer feels anything for you, making them seem like a stranger.
46. “Baby Come Back” – Player
Lyric Sample: “There was something in everything about you.”
This 1970s soft rock classic is about the futile effort to distract yourself from a breakup. Player founders Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley co-wrote this fresh off their own breakups.
Related: Best Songs with “Baby” in the Title
47. “Daydream” – The Aces
Lyric Sample: “Daydream about me, and I know that you hate the nights without me, baby, I hate ’em too.”
This indie-pop track is about being so obsessed with a distant partner that you spend your entire day stuck in your own head. It’s about the disconnect between reality and the “daydream” of being together.
48. “Home” – Michael Bublé
Lyric Sample: “Another summer day, has come and gone away, in Paris and Rome, but I wanna go home.”
Bublé wrote this hit while traveling, describing the luxury of fame as being meaningless if he can’t be with the person he loves.
Related: Best Songs About Home
49. “Goodbye My Lover” – James Blunt
Lyric Sample: “You have been the one, you have been the one for me.”
Blunt’s 2005 ballad is a final, painful goodbye to a soulmate who is moving on. He looks at their shared history and the realization that he is no longer part of her future.
50. “Once Upon a Time” – Down Low
Lyric Sample: “All alone without you.”
This ’90s rap track is about the transition from a happy “once upon a time” to the lonely reality of the present.
51. “Missing You” – John Waite
Lyric Sample: “I ain’t missin’ you at all, since you’ve been gone.”
Waite’s biggest hit features a narrator who keeps telling himself he isn’t missing his ex, even though every lyric proves that he is. It’s about the denial we use to get through heartbreak.
Conclusion
These songs are proof that the feeling of missing someone is universal, whether it’s an ex, a parent, a friend, or someone who’s gone too soon. Sometimes the best thing you can do is put on a song that puts your feelings to music.
For more tracks with unique themes, be sure to check out Songs with Months in the Title and our other themed lists!
