Songs About Betrayal: 70 Best Songs About Betrayal of All Time

Ray has been an online music writer for over two years. Having sung in multiple competitions as a youth, he has a passion for the art.

1. "Bad Blood"

Artist: Taylor Swift

Album: 1989

Genre: Hip-Hop, Pop Music

Year Released: 2014

Facts About "Bad Blood"

• "Bad Blood" is a pop song recorded by Taylor Swift for her fifth studio album 1989.
• Taylor Swift composed the lyrics of "Bad Blood" with Kendrick Lamar and the producers' Max Martin and Shellback.
• The song is about the betrayal of a friend. Swift revealed that the friend she's talking about tried to sabotage her concert.
• The song peaked #1 in different countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, and the United States.
• The track won the Best Music Video at the 58th Grammy Awards and the Video of the Year at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.
• "Bad Blood" held the 24-Hour Vevo Record with around 20 million views in 2015.

2. "You Give Love a Bad Name"

Artist: Bon Jovi

Album: Slippery When Wet

Genre: Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Year Released: 1986

Facts About “You Give Love a Bad Name”

• “You Give Love a Bad Name” is a single released by Bon Jovi for his 1986 album Slippery When Wet and became his #1 hit.
• It is a betrayal song that talks about a woman who has rejected her lover.
• The track peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
• VH1 gave “You Give Love a Bad Name” a spot in the list of the 20th Greatest Hard Rock Songs of All Time.

3. "Take a Bow"

Artist: Rihanna

Album: Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded

Genre: R&B Music

Year Released: 2008

Facts About “Take a Bow”

• “Take a Bow” is an R&B song containing elements of dance-pop recorded by Rihanna for her album Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded.
• “Take a Bow” peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and the U.S. Pop Songs Chart.
• The track depicts how a female protagonist expresses apathy in rekindling her relationship with an ex-boyfriend who is disloyal and dishonourable.
• The single has powerful lyrics and balladry.
• The composers and producers of this song were notable people in the music industry, namely Ne-Yo and StarGate.

4. "Say My Name"

Artist: Destiny Child

Album: The Writing’s on the Wall

Genre: R&B Music, Pop Music

Year Released: 1999

Facts About “Say My Name”

• “Say My Name” is a pop R&B song by the famous American girl group Destiny’s Child.
• The track won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
• The single got the 7th position for Billboard’s 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
• “Say My Name” won the Best R&B Video at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
• The song is about betrayal and cheating of a guy to a female protagonist. The lyrics depict a girl telephoning her lover and suspecting him of doing such a thing.

5. "Cry Me a River"

Artist: Justin Timberlake

Album: Justified

Genre: R&B Music

Year Released: 2002

Facts About “Cry Me a River”

• “Cry Me a River” is an R&B song by Justin Timberlake from his album Justified.
• The song is about Timberlake’s past relationship with Britney Spears.
• The song depicts a brokenhearted guy who moves on from his ex-girlfriend who betrayed and cheated him.
• The track won the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
• The single peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and Pop Song Chart.

6. "First Cut Is the Deepest"

Artist: P.P. Arnold

Album: New Masters

Genre: Country Music, Adult Contemporary, Pop Music

Year Released: 1967

Facts About "First Cut Is the Deepest"

• "First Cut Is the Deepest" is an original P.P. Arnold song popularized by Sheryl Crow.
• The song's lyrics are about a person looking to love again after being betrayed and disappointed in their first attempt.
• Arnold's version of the song reached #18 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
• Meanwhile, Crow's version became one of the biggest radio hits of 2003.
• The track peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

7. "You Ought a Know"

Artist: Alanis Morissette

Album: Jagged Little Pill

Genre: Alternative Rock, Post-Grunge

Year Released: 1995

Facts About “You Ought a Know”

• “You Ought a Know” is an alternative rock song by Alanis Morissette for her third studio album Jagged Little Pill.
• The track won the Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards.
• Although Morissette did not identify the person behind this song, it portrays betrayal and cheating.
• The single received so much success in countries like the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherland, and the United Kingdom.

8. "Irreplaceable"

Artist: Beyoncé

Album: B’Day

Genre: R&B Music, Pop Music

Year Released: 2006

Facts About “Irreplaceable”

• “Irreplaceable” is a piece of pop-ballad R&B music recorded and produced by Beyoncé.
• The song portrays women empowerment.
• The song is about the betrayal of an unfaithful man with a girl causing their relationship to breakdown.
• The music video of the track won the Video of the Year Award at the 2007 Black Entertainment Television Awards.

9. "You're Not Sorry"

Artist: Taylor Swift

Album: Fearless

Genre: Country Rock

Year Released: 2008

Facts About “You’re Not Sorry”

• “You’re Not Sorry” is a country song written and produced by Taylor Swift under Big Machine Records.
• The song is a power ballad talking about Swift’s ex-boyfriend, who appeared to be his opposite, thus being a betrayal.
• The track reached #11 on the Canadian Hot 100 and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• The country song even reached #21 on the U.S. Billboard Pop 100.

10. "Jar of Hearts"

Artist: Christina Perri

Album: The Ocean Way Sessions and Lovestrong

Genre: Pop Music

Year Released: 2010

Facts About “Jar of Hearts”

• “Jar of Hearts” is the debut single of Christina Perri under Atlantic Records.
• The song rose to Top 20 on iTunes after a week of release.
• The track is about Perri’s real love life experience with someone he wanted to rekindle a relationship.
• The song reached #17 and #21 in the United States and Canada, respectively.
• The song reached #4 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
• The track was the 11th best-selling single of 2011 in the United Kingdom.

11. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"

Artist: Marvin Gaye

Album: In the Groove

Genre: Soul Music, R&B Music

Year Released: 1968

Facts About "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"

• "I Head It Through the Grapevine" is a song recorded by Marvin Gaye and written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield.
• The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Charts.
• The track got the 81st spot on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time published by Rolling Stone.
• The song's lyrics narrate a singer's feelings of betrayal and skepticism when he hears of his lover's unfaithfulness from other people, thus the words "through the grapevine."

12. "Sandcastles"

Artist: Beyoncé

Album: Lemonade

Genre: Soul Music

Year Released: 2016

Facts About “Sandcastles”

• “Sandcastles” is a soul-ballad song recorded by Beyoncé for her sixth studio album in 2016 Lemonade.
• Vincent Berry II wrote the song with Malik Yusef, inspired by his past love relationship.
• The song is about a heartbreaking ending of Berry’s ten-year relationship.
• The music also promotes forgiveness and reconciliation.
• According to critics, this betrayal song is one of the most emotional tracks in the album.

13. "Heartless"

Artist: Kanye West

Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Genre: Pop Music

Year Released: 2008

Facts About “Heartless”

• “Heartless” is a pop song recorded by Kanye West released by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam.
• The song features Kanye West singing through an auto-tune processor.
• The song is about a sad breakup of two lovers, caused by betrayal.
• The track debuted at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks, and #1 on the U.S. Hot 100 Airplay Chart.

14. "Cry"

Artist: Kelly Clarkson

Album: All I Ever Wanted

Genre: Pop Rock Music

Year Released: 2010

Facts About “Cry”

• “Cry” is a pop-rock ballad recorded and written by Kelly Clarkson for her fourth studio album All I Ever Wanted in 2009.
• The track has elements of waltz ballad and country music.
• “Cry” is a song about betrayal talking about a friendship that went bitter.
• Clarkson described this track to be the most personal song in the album.
• The track reached #96 on the Canadian Hot 100, #100 on the Irish Singles Chart and #116 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

15. "Smile"

Artist: Lily Allen

Album: Alright, Still

Genre: Reggae Pop, Rocksteady

Year Released: 2006

Facts About “Smile”

• “Smile” is Lily Allen’s debut single in 2006 released under Regal Recordings.
• The lyrics of the song talk about the betrayal of Lily’s boyfriend while enjoying his unhappiness.
• This song made Lily Allen the so-called “Theoretical Pop Princess.”
• The track got spots in the top 40 songs on charts from countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.

16. "How Do You Sleep?"

Artist: LCD Soundsystem

Album: American Dream

Genre: Electropop

Year Released: 2017

Facts About “How Do You Sleep?”

• “How Do You Sleep?” is an electropop song by the American band LCD Soundsystem released in 2017.
• “How Do You Sleep” is a song about Murphy’s unresolved emotional issues with his pair Tim Goldsworthy, the co-founder of DFA Records.
• The song depicts the betrayal of Goldsworthy on leaving New York for the U.K. and breaching the contract.

17. "Rolling in the Deep"

Artist: Adele

Album: 21

Genre: Pop Music

Year Released: 2010

Facts About “Rolling in the Deep”

• “Rolling in the Deep” is the lead single and opening track of Adele’s second studio album 21.
• Adele described the track as a pop song with a dark-bluesy gospel disco tune.
• The lyrics of the song describe the emotions of a belittled lover arise from betrayal.
• The song peaked at #1 in different countries.
• The track stayed at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Charts.

18. "The Worst"

Artist: Jhene Aiko

Album: Sail Out

Genre: R&B Music, Alternative R&B Music

Year Released: 2013

Facts About “The Worst”

• “The Worst” is an R&B song by Jhene Aiko, an American singer, and songwriter.
• Aiko wrote the lyrics of the song with Myron Birdsong.
• The track is about Aiko’s regret of falling in love with someone who betrayed her.
• The music reached #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Airplay Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Chart.
• The track won the Centric Award at the 2014 BET Awards held at Los Angeles, California.

19. "Run for Your Life"

Artist: The Beatles

Album: Rubber Soul

Genre: Rock and Roll, Rock Music

Year Released: 1965

Facts About “Run for Your Life”

• “Run for Your Life” is a rock song by the legendary rock band The Beatles.
• John Lennon and McCartney composed the lyrics of the “Run for Your Life.”
• The track depicts an obsession of a guy towards a “little girl.” It portrays a threatening tone towards the girl.
• Some of the most notable covers are Nancy Sinatra, Gary Lewis, Johnny Rivers, and Thee Headcoatees.

20. "Let Me Let You Know"

Artist: Pink

Album: Can’t Take Me Home

Genre: Pop Music

Year Released: 2000

Facts About “Let Me Let You Know”

• “Let Me Let You Know” is a pop song recorded by Pink from her album Can’t Take Me Home.
• Tricky Stewart and Sean Hall produced the track and co-wrote the lyrics with Robin Thicke and Neal Creque in 2000.
• It is a song about betrayal about the female singer Pink leaving her male lover for hurting her in so many ways.

21. "Heart Wants What It Wants"

Artist: Selene Gomez

Album: For You

Genre: Pop Music, R&B Music

Year Released: 2014

Facts About “Heart Wants What It Wants”

• “Heart Wants What It Wants” is a pop-R&B song released by Selena Gomez through Hollywood Records.
• Selena Gomez composed the lyrics with Antonina Armato, David Jost, and Tim James.
• The track has a minimal electropop beat with a mid-tempo pop vibe.
• The single peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 n Canadian Charts, and #40 in 16 other countries.
• “Heart Wants What It Wants” is Gomez’s interpretation of her love with a bad boy regardless of knowing he may not stand up for her.

22. "Snuff"

Artist: Slipknot

Album: All Hope Is Gone

Genre: Sentimental Ballad, Alternative Rock Music

Year Released: 2009

Facts About "Snuff"

• "Snuff" is an alternative rock-ballad single released by Slipknot for his radio edit and fourth album All Hope Is Gone.
• The track peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart in 2009.
• It is a song portraying a girl's betrayal with Corey Taylor, who thought that the girl who helped her through a lot would feel the same way he did.
• Roadrunner Records placed the track on #6 for the Greatest Music Videos of All Time.

23. "Positively 4th Street"

Artist: Bob Dylan

Album: Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits

Genre: Classic Rock, Folk Rock

Year Released: 1965

Facts About “Positively 4th Street”

• “Positively 4th Street” is a song performed by Bob Dylan released by Columbia Records.
• The single peaked at #1 on the Canadian RPM Chart, #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
• It is a harmonic song talking about the betrayal of Dylan’s backstabber friends.
• The song placed a spot in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

24. "Unwanted"

Artist: Avril Lavigne

Album: Let Go

Genre: Hard Rock, Post-Grunge Music

Year Released: 2003

Facts About “Unwanted”

• “Unwanted” is one of the five songs Avril Lavigne wrote for her album Let Go, released as a radio single.
• “Unwanted” is a song about the betrayal of boys to girls in a relationship. The song portrays how terrible boys are.
• The single has a heavy guitar vibe.

25. "Goodbye"

Artist: Secondhand Serenade

Album: A Twist in My Story

Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock Music

Year Released: 2008

Facts About "Goodbye"

• "Goodbye" is an angry song coming last on the album A Twist in My Story.
• "Goodbye" is a sad song about John Vesely, feeling betrayed by his partner, who paid a lot more attention to his side projects, while Vesely gave everything for the band.
• The song's original composition was for the acoustic guitar, then decided to use a band tone for the ending.

26. "Whipping Post"

Artist: The Allman Brothers Band

Album: The Allman Brothers Band

Genre: Southern Rock Music, Blues Rock

Year Released: 1969

Facts About "Whipping Post"

• "Whipping Post" is a five-minute rock song released by The Allman Brothers Band and written by Gregg Allman, the band's vocalist and songwriter.
• The single placed a spot on both the list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
• It is a blues-rock song about an evil woman and futile existential sadness.

27. "Use Me"

Artist: Bill Withers

Album: Still Bill

Genre: Soul Music, Funk Music

Year Released: 1972

Facts About “Use Me”

• “Use Me” is a soul song recorded by Bill Withers for his 1972 album Still Bill.
• The single peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles.
• “Use Me” reached #5 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100, #14 on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening, and #33 on the Canada RPM Hot Singles.
• The song features a repeated bass with complicated percussion rhythm.
• The song portrays a sexy vibe as described by the critic Robert Christgau, an American music journalist.

28. "Medicine"

Artist: Queen Naija

Album: Queen Naija

Genre: Contemporary R&B Music, R&B/Soul

Year Released: 2018

Facts About "Medicine"

• "Medicine" is an R&B song self-released by Queen Naija.
• The single made a #45 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018.
• Naija described "Medicine" as an explanation of what happened in her marriage. The song depicts the cheating situation committed by her husband.
• The song deals with Queen's emotions and heartbreak due to the betrayal of her ex-partner.

29. "I Hate U"

Artist: Prince

Album: The Gold Experience

Genre: R&B Music

Year Released: 1995

Facts About "I Hate U"

• "I Hate U" is an R&B song recorded by Prince for his 1995 album The Gold Experience.
• Prince revealed that the song's lyrics are about Carmen Electra, who he thinks went out and slept with another guy.
• The song depicts the feeling of betrayal.
• The single peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles and #9 on the U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40.

30. "Right My Wrongs"

Artist: Bryson Tiller

Album: TRAP SOUL

Genre: R&B Music, Soul Music

Year Released: 2015

Facts About “Right My Wrongs”

• Bryson Tiller was 23 when he released this apologetic composition for his album TRAP SOUL.
• The sad song portrays a person asking for forgiveness and then apologizing for the betrayal he has done.
• The moral lesson of “Right My Wrongs” is never to hurt someone you truly love.

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© 2020 Ray