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The 10 Best Songs About Mental Health

Joao Nsita
5 hours ago
16 min read

This is a season that naturally invites introspection, a time for turning inward and taking stock of our own, often very complex, inner worlds. In an age where the conversation around mental health is more open and more vital than ever, we are increasingly turning to music not just as a source of entertainment, but as a profound source of comfort, of validation, and of understanding.

The power of a great song is its unique ability to articulate the feelings that we often struggle to put into words. A single lyric, a particular melody, can make us feel seen, heard, and profoundly less alone in our struggles. On social media platforms like TikTok and Pinterest, this connection between music and mental wellness is a massive and incredibly important trend. We see users sharing the songs that have gotten them through their darkest times, creating heartfelt video edits that pair powerful lyrics with personal stories, and curating "mental health playlists" that have become a lifeline for millions. The trend is a beautiful and powerful testament to the fact that music is, and always has been, one of our most essential tools for navigating the complexities of the human experience.

To rank the ten “best” songs about mental health is to journey through a landscape of incredible bravery, vulnerability, and artistic honesty. It is to celebrate the artists who have had the courage to turn their own struggles into a source of connection and hope for others. This is not just a list of sad songs; it is a curated collection of anthems of resilience, of poignant explorations of the darkness, and of powerful, life-affirming reminders that it’s okay not to be okay.

This is your definitive, in-depth guide to the music that matters. We have curated a list of ten of the most powerful, influential, and enduringly important songs about mental health, presented in descending order. We will take a deep dive into each of these incredible tracks, exploring the stories behind them, the lyrical genius that makes them so resonant, and the profound impact they have had on the cultural conversation. So, put your headphones on, and let’s explore the music that gives a voice to the quiet battles and the hard-won victories of the mind.

Enjoyed what you read? If you find this article insightful and it helps you feel a little less alone, please consider supporting our work. Your generosity allows us to continue creating and sharing in-depth, valuable content on mental wellness and the power of art. You can make a donation by moving your cursor to the top of the article or scrolling down to the bottom. Every little bit helps us spread the love, one song at a time!

10. "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty (2003)

The Vibe: A surprisingly upbeat, and incredibly catchy, pop-rock anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they were "a little bit crazy."

The Lyrical Heart: "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell / I know right now you can't tell / But stay a while and maybe then you'll see / A different side of me."

The Deeper Meaning: Released in the early 2000s, a time when candid conversations about mental health were still relatively rare in mainstream pop music, "Unwell" was a groundbreaking and deeply important song. The track, with its bright, jangling, banjo-driven melody, is a perfect and deliberate juxtaposition to its deeply anxious lyrics. This is the song's genius: it sounds like a cheerful, radio-friendly hit, but it is, at its core, a powerful and deeply relatable exploration of living with anxiety and panic attacks. The lyrics perfectly capture the feeling of being in a state of high anxiety, the paranoia of feeling like you are being watched, and the desperate, pleading desire for the people you love to understand that what you are experiencing is not a character flaw, but an illness.

The Lasting Impact: The song was a massive commercial success and has become an enduring anthem for millions of people. It is a song that offers a powerful and gentle form of validation. Its central message—that feeling "unwell" is not the same as being "crazy"—was a crucial and stigma-shattering one. It is a song that says, "I see you, I understand you, and you are not alone." For more on the symptoms of anxiety, the NHS website is a fantastic and reliable resource. The song’s powerful and timeless message is a key to its success, a theme you can explore in our list of The Top 5 Best Classic Movies of All Time.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Unwell" on services like Spotify and Apple Music. You can purchase the album More Than You Think You Are from major music retailers.

9. "Help!" by The Beatles (1965)

The Vibe: A frantic, joyful, and deceptively upbeat pop masterpiece that is secretly a desperate, and deeply sincere, cry for help.

The Lyrical Heart: "Help me if you can, I'm feeling down / And I do appreciate you being 'round / Help me get my feet back on the ground / Won't you please, please help me?"

The Deeper Meaning: On the surface, "Help!" is a classic, energetic, and incredibly catchy piece of mid-60s Beatles pop. But beneath the surface of the upbeat tempo and the jangly guitars lies one of John Lennon's most personal and vulnerable songs. He wrote the song during a period of immense personal turmoil, as the pressures of Beatlemania were beginning to take their toll on his mental health. He was, in his own words, "fat and depressed," and the song was a literal cry for help, a rare and honest admission of vulnerability from the biggest rock star in the world.

The Lasting Impact: The song is a powerful and poignant reminder that mental health struggles can affect anyone, regardless of their fame, their success, or their outward appearance. It is a testament to the fact that some of the most joyful-sounding music can come from the darkest of places. The song's dual nature—its upbeat sound and its desperate lyrics—perfectly captures the often-hidden nature of depression. It is a timeless classic that has taken on a new and deeper meaning in the modern era of mental health awareness. For more on the incredible legacy of The Beatles, the official The Beatles website is the ultimate resource. The show’s complex heroes are a fascinating character study, a theme you can explore in our list of the Top 5 Best Movies with an Origin Story.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Help!" and the entire Beatles catalogue on all major music platforms.

8. "Liability" by Lorde (2017)

The Vibe: A sparse, heartbreaking, and devastatingly beautiful piano ballad that is a powerful and unflinching look at the loneliness of feeling like you are "too much" for other people.

The Lyrical Heart: "The truth is I am a toy that people enjoy / 'Til all of the tricks don't work anymore / And then they are bored of me."

The Deeper Meaning: From her critically acclaimed masterpiece album, Melodrama, "Liability" is one of the most raw, honest, and vulnerable songs about self-perception and mental health in modern pop music. The song is a quiet, devastating exploration of the feeling of being a burden on the people you love. Lorde has said that the song was inspired by a moment of intense self-realization, a painful recognition of the ways in which her own fame and her own intense emotions can push people away. The lyrics are a masterpiece of self-deprecating, and heartbreaking, honesty.

The Lasting Impact: The song has become an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they were "too intense," "too sensitive," or "too much." It is a song that finds a strange and beautiful kind of power in accepting your own perceived flaws. It is a profoundly moving and deeply relatable piece of songwriting that has solidified Lorde's status as one of the most intelligent and emotionally resonant artists of her generation. For a deep dive into the making of the Melodrama album, the Pitchfork review is a fantastic and insightful read.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Liability" and the album Melodrama on all major music platforms.

7. "Fake Happy" by Paramore (2017)

The Vibe: A deceptively upbeat, synth-pop-infused indie-rock track that is a brilliant and incisive critique of performative happiness.

The Lyrical Heart: "I'm so good at lighting up a room / Oh, honey, please don't look at me like that / Please, I'm just- just don't / I'm going to draw my lipstick on in the shape of a smile."

The Deeper Meaning: "Fake Happy" is one of the standout tracks from Paramore's critically acclaimed album, After Laughter. The song is a perfect encapsulation of the album's central theme: the juxtaposition of bright, 80s-inspired, synth-pop sounds with deeply melancholic and often very dark lyrics. The song is a powerful and incredibly relatable exploration of the exhaustion of having to put on a brave face, of having to perform happiness for the sake of others, even when you are crumbling on the inside.

The Lasting Impact: The song has become a powerful anthem for a generation that is grappling with the immense pressure to present a perfect, curated version of their lives on social media. It is a song that gives a voice to the quiet, everyday struggle of depression and the feeling of being disconnected from your own emotions. It is a smart, powerful, and deeply necessary piece of social commentary, all wrapped up in an incredibly catchy pop song. The show’s complex and often fiery relationships are a fascinating character study, a theme you can explore in our list of The Top 7 Best Movies About Toxic Relationships.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Fake Happy" and the album After Laughter on all major music platforms.

6. "Breathe Me" by Sia (2004)

The Vibe: A raw, devastating, and incredibly powerful piano ballad that is one of the most haunting and beautiful songs about reaching breaking point ever written.

The Lyrical Heart: "Ouch, I have lost myself again / Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found / Yeah, I think that I might break / Lost myself again, and I feel unsafe."

The Deeper Meaning: Before she was a global, hit-making pop superstar, Sia was a critically acclaimed indie artist, and "Breathe Me" is the song that introduced many to her incredible, raw talent. The song is a sparse, simple, and utterly devastating cry for help. It is a song that perfectly captures the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by your own emotions, of feeling small, fragile, and desperately in need of comfort and safety. Sia's vocal performance is a masterpiece of vulnerability, her voice cracking and breaking with the raw emotion of the lyrics.

The Lasting Impact: The song gained a massive, global audience after it was used in the iconic and emotionally devastating final montage of the HBO series Six Feet Under. It has since become a timeless and beloved anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they were at the absolute end of their rope. It is a powerful and profound reminder that it is okay to be not okay, and that there is a strange and beautiful strength in admitting your own vulnerability. The song’s powerful storytelling is a key to its success, a theme you can explore in our list of The Top 5 Best Drama Movies of All Time.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Breathe Me" and the album Colour the Small One on all major music platforms.

5. "idontwannabeyouanymore" by Billie Eilish (2017)

The Vibe: A sparse, jazzy, and deeply melancholic ballad that is a powerful and heartbreaking exploration of body dysmorphia and self-loathing.

The Lyrical Heart: "If 'I love you' was a promise / Would you break it, if you're honest? / Tell the mirror what you know she's heard before / I don't wanna be you anymore."

The Deeper Meaning: From her breakout EP, Don't Smile at Me, this song is a perfect example of the incredible, raw, and often very dark talent of Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas. The song is a quiet, devastating, and incredibly honest look at the painful and often very private struggle of not feeling comfortable in your own skin. The lyrics are a direct address to her own reflection, a heartbreakingly sad conversation with the person in the mirror. Billie's vocal performance is a masterpiece of understated, breathy vulnerability, a voice that sounds like it is on the verge of breaking.

The Lasting Impact: The song was a huge, word-of-mouth hit and has become one of her most beloved and critically acclaimed tracks. It is a song that has resonated deeply with a generation of young people who are grappling with the immense pressures of social media and the constant comparison that it breeds. It is a powerful and important song that gives a voice to a struggle that is often silent and hidden. For a deep dive into the work of this incredible artist, the official Billie Eilish website is a great resource. The show’s complex hero is a fascinating character study, a theme you can explore in our list of the Top 5 Best Movies with an Origin Story.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "idontwannabeyouanymore" and the EP Don't Smile at Me on all major music platforms.

4. "Numb" by Linkin Park (2003)

The Vibe: The ultimate, iconic, and incredibly powerful nu-metal anthem of teenage angst, frustration, and the immense pressure of expectation.

The Lyrical Heart: "I've become so numb, I can't feel you there / Become so tired, so much more aware / I'm becoming this, all I want to do / Is be more like me and be less like you."

The Deeper Meaning: From their groundbreaking and massively successful album, Meteora, "Numb" is one of the most iconic and enduring anthems of the 2000s. The song is a powerful and explosive expression of the frustration of feeling like you are being forced to live up to someone else's expectations, of losing your own identity in the process of trying to please others. The song's iconic structure, which alternates between Chester Bennington's raw, powerful, and screamed vocals in the chorus and Mike Shinoda's more melodic, rapped verse, perfectly captures the song's internal conflict between quiet frustration and explosive rage.

The Lasting Impact: The song was a massive, global hit and has become the signature song for an entire generation of rock fans. The song’s tragic power has only deepened in the years following the heartbreaking death of Chester Bennington by suicide in 2017. It is a song that has become a powerful and cathartic anthem for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood, unheard, or on the verge of breaking. For those struggling with their own mental health, the UK-based charity Mind is an incredible resource that offers support and advice. The song’s powerful storytelling is a key to its success, a theme you can explore in our list of The Top 5 Best Biopics of All Time.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Numb" and the album Meteora on all major music platforms.

3. "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato (2011)

The Vibe: A powerful, raw, and deeply emotional ballad of resilience, a triumphant and defiant anthem of survival.

The Lyrical Heart: "You can take everything I have / You can break everything I am / Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper / Go on and try to tear me down / I will be rising from the ground / Like a skyscraper."

The Deeper Meaning: "Skyscraper" is more than just a song; it is a survivor's testimony. The song was recorded before Demi Lovato entered treatment for physical and emotional issues in 2010. After leaving treatment, they re-recorded the vocal, but ultimately decided to release the original, more fragile version, because it was a more authentic representation of their journey. The song is a powerful and unflinching look at hitting rock bottom and finding the strength to get back up again. Demi's vocal performance is a masterpiece of raw, unfiltered emotion, her voice cracking with a vulnerability that is absolutely breathtaking.

The Lasting Impact: The song was a huge critical and commercial success and has become a powerful and beloved anthem of resilience for millions of people around the world. It is a song that has been a source of strength and hope for those who are struggling with their own mental health, eating disorders, and addiction. It is a powerful and beautiful reminder that it is in our most broken moments that we can often find our greatest strength. For more on Demi Lovato's incredible journey, their YouTube documentary series "Dancing with the Devil" is a powerful and honest watch.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Skyscraper" and the album Unbroken on all major music platforms.

2. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. (1991)

The Vibe: A cryptic, melancholic, and instantly iconic alternative rock masterpiece that is a powerful and universal exploration of obsession, doubt, and unrequited love.

The Lyrical Heart: "That's me in the corner / That's me in the spot-light / Losing my religion / Trying to keep up with you / And I don't know if I can do it."

The Deeper Meaning: One of the most famous and often misinterpreted songs of all time, "Losing My Religion" is not about religious faith. The title is an old Southern American colloquialism that means to be at the end of your rope, to lose your temper or your composure. The song, with its iconic and beautiful mandolin riff, is a powerful and poignant exploration of the obsessive, one-sided nature of a crush. It perfectly captures the feeling of overthinking every single interaction, of being consumed by doubt, and of the fear of having said too much. Michael Stipe’s vocal performance is a masterpiece of mumbled, stream-of-consciousness vulnerability.

The Lasting Impact: The song was a massive, unexpected, and genre-defining global hit that transformed R.E.M. from a beloved, American college-rock band into international superstars. The song's beautiful and surreal, Caravaggio-inspired music video was a staple of MTV and won multiple awards. The song is a timeless and powerful anthem for anyone who has ever been consumed by the private, and often painful, madness of an unrequited love. The show’s complex and often fiery relationships are a fascinating character study, a theme you can explore in our list of The Top 5 Best Movies About Love. For more on the band's incredible legacy, Pitchfork's retrospective review of the album Out of Time is a fantastic read.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "Losing My Religion" and the album Out of Time on all major music platforms.

1. "1-800-273-8255" by Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid (2017)

Why It's at the Top: No other song on this list has had a more direct, a more powerful, and a more verifiably life-saving impact than this one. "1-800-273-8255" is not just a song about mental health; it is a literal and functional tool for suicide prevention. The song's title is the phone number for the American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The narrative of the song is a work of genius, told in three parts. The first verse is from the perspective of someone who is in crisis and wants to end their life. The second verse is the response from the crisis line operator, offering a voice of hope and understanding. And the final, triumphant verse is from the perspective of the same person, who has chosen to live. It is one of the most powerful, important, and brilliantly executed songs of the 21st century.

The Lasting Impact: The song was a massive, global, multi-platinum hit. But its true impact cannot be measured in sales or chart positions. A study published in the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that in the periods following the song's release and its high-profile performances (like at the MTV VMAs), the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline received a huge and statistically significant increase in calls. The study estimated that the song was associated with a reduction in suicides. It is a powerful and undeniable testament to the ability of music to not just start a conversation, but to genuinely and literally save lives. It is, without a doubt, the most important and the best song about mental health of all time. For anyone in the UK struggling with their mental health, the Samaritans are available to talk 24/7.

Where to Buy and Stream: Stream "1-800-273-8255" and the album Everybody on all major music platforms.

Conclusion

In a world that can often feel isolating, the simple, profound act of listening to a song can be a powerful and life-affirming reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. The ten songs on this list are a testament to the incredible bravery of the artists who have had the courage to turn their own pain, their own anxiety, and their own vulnerability into a source of connection and hope for millions of people around the world.

These are more than just songs; they are lifelines. They are the anthems we turn to when we need to feel understood, the ballads we cry to when we need a release, and the powerful, resilient stories that remind us of our own strength. As the conversation around mental health continues to open up, the importance of this kind of art—art that is honest, that is empathetic, and that is not afraid to explore the darkness—has never been greater.

Enjoyed what you read? If you found this article insightful and it helps you feel a little less alone, please consider supporting our work. Your generosity allows us to continue creating and sharing in-depth, valuable content on mental wellness and the power of art. You can make a donation by moving your cursor to the top of the article or scrolling down to the bottom. Every little bit helps us spread the love, one article at a time!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the significance of the title "1-800-273-8255"? The title is the phone number for the American National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The UK equivalent, run by the Samaritans, is 116 123.

2. Why are so many "happy" sounding songs on a list about mental health? Songs like "Unwell" and "Help!" brilliantly use an upbeat, major-key sound to create a powerful juxtaposition with their anxious or depressive lyrics. This often reflects the real-life experience of "masking" or hiding one's mental health struggles behind a cheerful facade.

3. What is "nu-metal"? Nu-metal was a subgenre of alternative metal that was incredibly popular in the late 90s and early 2000s. It fused elements of heavy metal with other genres like hip-hop, funk, and industrial music. Linkin Park was one of the most famous and successful bands of the genre.

4. Where can I find playlists dedicated to mental health? Many streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have user- and editorially-curated playlists dedicated to mental health, with titles like "Mental Health Awareness" or "Songs for a Hard Day." Mental health charities like Mind also sometimes share playlists and resources.

5. Are all these songs based on the artists' personal experiences? Many of them are. Songs by artists like John Lennon, Lorde, and Demi Lovato are famously drawn from their own, very real struggles with mental health. This authenticity is a huge part of what makes the songs so powerful.

6. What does "losing my religion" mean? In the context of the R.E.M. song, "losing my religion" is a colloquialism from the American South that means to be at the end of your rope, to lose your temper, or to feel like you are about to snap. It is not about a loss of religious faith.

7. How can music actually help with mental health? Music has been shown to have a profound impact on our mood and our neurochemistry. It can reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels, it can release dopamine (the "feel-good" chemical), and listening to relatable lyrics can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

8. Where can I find help if I am struggling with my own mental health? If you are in the UK, the NHS website is a fantastic starting point with a huge range of resources. Charities like Mind and the Samaritans also offer incredible support, advice, and a listening ear. You are not alone.

9. What is a "power ballad"? A power ballad, like "Skyscraper," is a type of song that begins slowly and emotionally and builds to a loud, dramatic, and powerful climax, often with a big chorus and a soaring vocal performance.

10. I love the music in these songs. Where can I find out more about the artists? A great way to discover more about an artist is to listen to their full albums, not just the singles. You can also find fantastic, in-depth artist biographies and discography reviews on music websites like Pitchfork and AllMusic.