100 Best Torch Songs

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Classic Torch Songs for Your Playlist

Love manifests itself in strange ways. When you suffer from unrequited love, it feels unimaginably painful. Torch songs echo the varied sentiments associated with unreciprocated feelings of love, whether you move on or feel stuck in the moment forever. When you have strong feelings for someone and the other person is oblivious to them, you may feel lovelorn and lost in love.

What Are Torch Songs?

Torch songs are sentimental songs that portray different aspects of unrequited love or lost love. The term “torch” originates from the idiom “to carry a torch for someone” which refers at being in love or romantically infatuated with a person who does not reciprocate these feelings. Typically, torch songs explore complex situations in which relationships end but one individual still has strong and intense feelings of love for the other, thereby keeping the flame alive with unrequited love.

Through different forms of lament, torch songs convey passionate expressions of grief and sorrow. Regret and disappointment about love are showcased in a confessional manner with lyrics drawing the listener’s attention towards different melancholic attributes that affect relationships. In certain songs, singers and songwriters intricately describe how it feels when a person you love does not love you back and moves on to find a new partner.

What Is Torch Singing?

Torch-singing refers to a passionate jazz-influenced style of vocal delivery that relies on a distinct melodic structure. Primarily used in ballads, this form of singing expresses the devotion of loving a person unconditionally, even if the person does not love you back.

The passion and intensity of lovelorn feelings and unrequited love is exquisitely showcased with a mournful ambiance of lyrics and music. Although torch-singing is often associated with the laidback or theatrical singing styles in jazz, blues, and broadway, over the years, new forms of torch ballads have become excessively popular in the realms of mainstream pop, rock, and R&B.

Characteristics of Torch Love Songs

Typically, torch love songs are characterized with somber elements of melancholy. The feeling of pensive sadness associated with unrequited love is described in an emotive manner in these songs. The gloomy mood in torch songs attributes to deep distress caused by failed relationships. The intensity of one-sided love is sometimes thematically used to justify certain actions committed by a lovelorn person. Certain torch ballads convey the message of misunderstood feelings about love in a philosophical manner.

Although a wide range of characteristics is associated with torch love songs, lyrics in these songs often depict or symbolize

• Disappointment
• Loss
• Sorrow
• Grief
• Lost Love
• Feelings
• Misfortune
• Depression
• Loneliness
• Unrequited Love
• Heartbreak
• Guilt
• Behavioral Addiction
• Rejection
• Hopelessness
• Woe
• Anguish
• Retribution
• Ego
• Hurt

The list below showcases an epic collection of torch songs from different genres. If you have a view, opinion, or song suggestion about the unrequited game of love, let us know in the comments section.

Top 10 Best Torch Songs

1. “Good for You”—Selena Gomez featuring ASAP Rocky
2. “Hello”—Adele
3. “It Will Rain”—Bruno Mars
4. “Drivers License”—Olivia Rodrigo
5. “Love the Way You Lie”—Eminem featuring Rihanna
6. “Havana”—Camila Cabello
7. “One Last Time”—Ariana Grande
8. “Young and Beautiful”—Lana Del Rey
9. “Back to Black”—Amy Winehouse
10. “Stay”—Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko

#11–20

11. “Bad Liar”—Selena Gomez

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12. “Te Amo”—Rihanna

13. “Blue Jeans”—Lana Del Rey

14. “80’s Romance”—The Belle Stars

15. “You Belong with Me”—Taylor Swift

16. “As Long As You Love Me”—Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean

17. “Radioactive”—Rita Ora

18. “Bad Things”—Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello

19. “All I Ask”—Adele

20. “Close”—Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo

#21–40

21. “Boyfriend”—Tegan and Sara

22. “Yesterday”—The Beatles

23. “The One That Got Away”—Katy Perry

24. “Eternal Flame”—The Bangles

25. “…Baby One More Time”—Britney Spears

26. “Cry Me a River”—Arthur Hamilton

27. “All Night”—Beyoncé

28. “Brokenhearted”—Karmin

29. “I’m Sorry”—John Denver

30. “Animals”—Maroon 5

31. “Lover”—Taylor Swift

32. “Destiny”—Zero 7

33. “All Mine”—Portishead

34. “Wicked Game”—Chris Isaak

35. “Un-Break My Heart”—Toni Braxton

36. “Mirrors”—Justin Timberlake

37. “I Know You”—Skylar Grey

38. “Hold Back the River”—James Bay

39. “Miss You”—Aaliyah

40. “Heartbreak Hotel”—Elvis Presley

#41–60

41. “Work from Home”—Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign

42. “Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now)”—Phil Collins

43. “Let Me Love You”—DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber

44. “Never Forget You”—Zara Larsson and MNEK

45. “Stitches”—Shawn Mendes

46. “Love on the Brain”—Rihanna

47. “Back to December”—Taylor Swift

48. “Crying in the Club”—Camila Cabello

49. “Nothing Compares 2 You”—Sinead O’Connor

50. “When We Were Young”—Adele

51. “Give Your Heart a Break”—Demi Lovato

52. “Black Magic”—Little Mix

53. “Come Back to Me”—Janet Jackson

54. “Finding U Again”—Mark Ronson featuring Camila Cabello

55. “Maps”—Maroon 5

56. “Talking to the Moon”—Bruno Mars

57. “Kayleigh”—Marillion

58. “Sorry”—Justin Bieber

59. “Changed the Way You Kiss Me”—Example

60. “Giant in My Heart”—Kiesza

#61–80

61. “We Belong Together”—Mariah Carey

62. “High by the Beach”—Lana Del Rey

63. “Where Are U Now”—Jack U with Justin Bieber

64. “Criminal”—Britney Spears

65. “Dancing With a Stranger”—Sam Smith and Normani

66. “Finally Found You”—Enrique Iglesias

67. “Work”—Rihanna featuring Drake

68. “Powerful”—Major Lazer featuring Ellie Goulding

69. “I Will Always Love You”—Whitney Houston

70. “When You’re Gone”—Avril Lavigne

71. “Suspicious Minds”—Elvis Presley

72. “Really Don’t Care”—Demi Lovato featuring Cheryl Lloyd

73. “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”—Yvonne Elliman

74. “Stay”—Hurts

75. “Goodbye My Lover”—James Blunt

76. “Summertime Sadness”—Lana Del Rey

77. “My All”—Mariah Carey

78. “Too Good at Goodbyes”—Sam Smith

79. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”—The Righteous Brothers

80. “What Do You Mean?”—Justin Bieber

#81–100

81. “How You Remind Me”—Nickelback

82. “Used to Love You”—Gwen Stefani

83. “Teardrops on My Guitar”—Taylor Swift

84. “Secret Love Song”—Little Mix

85. “When I Was Your Man”—Bruno Mars

86. “Can’t Let Go”—Mariah Carey

87. “Tearin’ Up My Heart”—NSYNC

88. “Rhythm of the Rain”—The Cascades

89. “Put it in a Love Song”—Alicia Keys featuring Beyoncé

90. “Makes Me Wonder”—Maroon 5

91. “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”—Backstreet Boys

92. “Wish You Were Here”—Avril Lavigne

93. “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back”—Shawn Mendes

94. “Ultraviolence”—Lana Del Rey

95. “Stay”—Zedd and Alessia Cara

96. “Want U Back”—Cheryl Lloyd

97. “Fetish”—Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane

98. “Without You”—David Guetta featuring Usher

99. “Can’t Remember to Forget You”—Shakira featuring Rihanna

100. “Better Than I Know Myself”—Adam Lambert

List of Other Notable Torch Music

• “It Was Always You”—Maroon 5
• “Back for Good”—Take That
• “Just Can’t Get Enough”—Black Eyed Peas
• “Carousel”—Melanie Martinez
• “Hold Tight”—Justin Bieber
• “Stone Cold”—Demi Lovato
• “Battle Scars”—Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco
• “All Around the World”—Lisa Stansfield
• “Bittersweet”—Fantasia
• “Dangerous”—Cascada
• “Adore”—Cashmere Cat featuring Ariana Grande
• “Feelings”—Maroon 5
• “Crying”—Roy Orbison
• “I Get Lonely”—Janet Jackson
• “Have You Ever?”—Brandy Norwood
• “If I Can’t Have You”—Bee Gees
• “Get Her Back”—Robin Thicke
• “Everything Is Embarrassing”—Sky Ferreira
• “Let Me Love You”—Mario
• “Glad You Came”—The Wanted
• “Mercy”—Shawn Mendes
• “When I Lost You”—Sarah Whatmome
• “Can’t Let Go”—Anthony Hamilton
• “When You’re Gone”—Bryan Adams featuring Melanie C
• “P.S. I Love You”—Robin Daggers
• “All That Matters”—Justin Bieber
• “How Will I Know”—Whitney Houston
• “Breathing”—Jason Derulo
• “Empty Room”—Sanna Nielsen
• “According to You”—Orianthi
• “Doing It”—Charli XCX featuring Rita Ora
• “Good Things Fall Apart”—Illenium and Jon Bellion
• “Blue Gardenia”—Nat King Cole
• “Kiss It Better”—Rihanna
• “Tryin’ to Get Over You”—Vince Gill
• “Cruel”—Snakehips featuring Zayn
• “Where Is the Love”—Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
• “Renegades”—X Ambassadors
• “Gangsta”—Kehlani
• “Let Me Down Easy”—Betty LaVette
• “Excuse Me Miss”—Jay-Z
• “Since I Don’t Have You”—The Skyliners
• “I Surrender”—Celine Dion
• “Forget Me Nots”—Patrice Rushen
• “Hungry Eyes”—Eric Carmen
• “Desire”—Years & Years
• “I Can’t Stop Loving You”—Don Gibson
• “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)”—Aretha Franklin
• “Sandcastles in the Sand”—Cobie Smulders
• “Here We Go Again”—Demi Lovato

• “Spending My Time”—Roxette
• “You’re Mine (Eternal)”—Mariah Carey
• “Getaway Car”—Taylor Swift
• “Love Me Again”—John Newman
• “You’re in Love”—Wilson Phillips
• “Have You Seen Her”—The Chi-Lites
• “Come and Get It”—John Newman
• “Official Girl”—Cassie
• “Trust Your Love”—Koda Kumi
• “Forever Now”—Ne-Yo
• “Harder to Breathe”—Maroon 5
• “Santa Monica”—Theory of a Deadman
• “The Man That Got Away”—Judy Garland
• “End of the World”—Skeeter Davis
• “U Drive Me Crazy”—NSYNC
• “I’ll Be Around”—The Spinners
• “Cheating”—John Newman
• “The Name of the Game”—ABBA
• “I Don’t Know Why”—Stevie Wonder
• “SOS”—Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc
• “Joey”—Concrete Blonde
• “Missing You”—Mary J. Blige
• “If I Never See Your Face Again”—Maroon 5 featuring Rihanna
• “Gone”—NSYNC
• “Miracle”—Cascada
• “You Were Mine”—Dixie Chicks
• “Down in the Depths (On the Ninetieth Floor)”—Ethel Merman
• “Straight Up”—Paula Abdul
• “If You’re Not the One”—Daniel Bedingfield
• “When She Loved Me”—Sarah McLachlan
• “Crazy”—K-Ci and JoJo
• “Save Me, San Francisco”—Train
• “Just When I Needed You Most”—Randy VanWarmer
• “Here I Go Again”—Mario
• “I’ll Stand By You”—The Pretenders
• “Always Wanting You”—Merle Haggard and The Strangers
• “Missing”—Everything but the Girl
• “I’ll Come Too”—James Blake
• “Misery”—Maroon 5
• “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”—Dawn Penn
• “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)”—Backstreet Boys
• “I Stay in Love”—Mariah Carey
• “Written in Stone”—Lea Salonga
• “So Sick”—Ne-Yo
• “All Cried Out”—Alison Moyet
• “What Do I Have To Do”—Kylie Minogue
• “I’m Going Down”—Rose Royce
• “The Things We Did Las Summer”—Jo Stafford
• “It’s Gonna Be Me”—NSYNC
• “You’re Not the One”—Sky Ferreira

• “Like I Would”—Zayn
• “The Only Exception”—Paramore
• “Headlights”—Eminem featuring Nate Ruess
• “Sledgehammer”—Fifth Harmony
• “Asking Too Much”—All That Remains
• “Take Care”—Drake featuring Rihanna
• “Dark Paradise”—Lana Del Rey
• “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”—Dionne Warwick
• “Whole Lotta History”—Girls Aloud
• “Moanin’ Low”—Eva Taylor
• “Self Esteem”—The Offspring
• “If You Come Back”—Blue
• “Not Over You”—Gavin DeGraw
• “Will You”—P.O.D.
• “Sparrow”—Emeli Sande
• “I Go to Pieces”—Peter and Gordon
• “Love Hurts”—Nazareth
• “Chains”—Nick Jonas
• “Paralyzer”—Finger Eleven
• “I Don’t Believe You”—Pink
• “She’s Gone”—Hall & Oates
• “Work Out”—J. Cole
• “Flame”—Tinashe
• “Crying Time”—Ray Charles
• “No Reply”—The Beatles
• “Bluer Than Blue”—Michael Johnson
• “I Can’t Make You Love Me”—Bonnie Raitt
• “The Archer”—Taylor Swift
• “Somebody Else’s Guy”—Jocelyn Brown
• “He Did With Me”—Vicki Lawrence
• “You Don’t Know Me”—Cindy Walker
• “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me”—Sandie Shaw
• “Lovebird”—Leona Lewis
• “Wedding Bell Blues”— The 5th Dimension
• “Is It a Crime?”—Sade
• “Not Alone Anymore”—Traveling Wilburys
• “Second Hand Heart”—Ben Haenow featuring Kelly Clarkson
• “It’s You”—Zyan
• “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)”—A Flock of Seagulls
• “Raging”—Kygo featuring Kodaline
• “Boy”—Erasure
• “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”—Dusty Springfield
• “Another Lonely Night”—Adam Lambert
• “Stormy Weather”—Ethel Waters
• “Latch”—Disclosure featuring Sam Smith
• “It’s the Same Old Song”—The Four Tops
• “Hello Jealousy”—Gin Blossoms
• “She’s Funny That Way”—Marion Harris
• “Without You”—Badfinger
• “Only One”—Yellowcard

• “Walk On By”—Dionne Warwick
• “Sussudio”—Phil Collins
• “Missing You”—Black Eyed Peas
• “Don’t Say You Love Me”—Fifth Harmony
• “I Still Can’t Get Over Loving You”—Ray Parker Jr.
• “Ass Back Home”—Gym Class Heroes
• “Never Gonna Leave This Bed”—Maroon 5
• “Mine Again”—Mariah Carey
• “Locked Away”—R City featuring Adam Levine
• “I’ll Never Stop”—NSYNC
• “Missing You”—Case
• “Obsession”—Sky Ferreira
• “Tell Me You Love Me”—Demi Lovato
• “Drive By”—Train
• “Won’t Go Home Without You”—Maroon 5
• “I Want You Back”—NSYNC
• “Stupid Girl”—Cold
• “My Man”—Tamar Braxton
• “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”—Jennifer Holiday
• “Sober”—Selena Gomez
• “I Fall to Pieces”—Patsy Cline
• “Miss You”—Westlife
• “Just a Friend”—Biz Markie
• “No Reply at All”—Genesis
• “Middle of the Night”—The Vamps and Martin Jensen
• “(I Can’t) Forget About You”—R5
• “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”—Crystal Gayle
• “Milk”—Garbage
• “Caroline, No”—Brian Wilson
• “Wish I Didn’t Miss You”—Angie Stone
• “Make Me Wanna Die”—The Pretty Reckless
• “Thinking of You I Drive Myself Crazy”—NSYNC
• “Hurt So Bad”—Little Anthony 7 The Imperials
• “Show Me Love”—Robin Schulz featuring J.U.D.G.E.
• “Gold”—Victoria Justice
• “Wrong”—Zyan featuring Kehlani
• “Because of You”—Ne-Yo
• “Lost Without Your Love”—Bread
• “The World We Knew (Over and Over)”—Frank Sinatra
• “I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry”—Jane Withers
• “Anyone Who Had a Heart”—Dionne Warwick
• “Never There”—Cake
• “Give a Little More”—Maroon 5
• “To Love You More”—Celine Dion
• “Ooo Ooo Baby”—The Miracles
• “Heartbreaker”—Justin Bieber
• “Angel in the Night”—Basshunter
• “It Was Almost Like a Song”—Ronnie Milsap
• “Shape of My Heart”—Backstreet Boys
• “My Love”—Jill Scott

© 2021 Ansel Pereira