Love Songs of Angry Emotions and Relationship Problems

Angry Love SongsAn Exploration of Less Than Perfect Love Through the Eyes of Classic Rock

Combining the power of rock music and love, an exploration of less than perfect love through the eyes of classic rock music, noting that not every love story has a happy ending. 

Love is the strongest of emotions. This exploration of less than perfect love through the eyes of classic rock music exposes the roller coaster of emotions with relationship problems, and reminds us that not every love story has a happy ending. The songs are listed by title, recording artist, and year of release.

Starting Off Nostalgic

Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley, 1969:  Any collection of songs mentioning rock and roll, and love, needs to include something by the king, Elvis Presley. Suspicious Minds is about a dysfunctional relationship on the verge of a break up. The song would be Elvis's last hit of his career to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Mellow Songs of Abnormal Relationships

Lyin' Eyes, Eagles, 1975:  The Eagles as group found a way to to create hits that blend a perfect mix of pop, rock, and country.  This
song of less than perfect love, reached the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number eight on the country charts, received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Group, and was also nominated for Record of the Year.

When Will I Be Loved, The Everly Brothers, 1960: Being lied to and mistreated made this song a hit in two different decades. Written by Phil Everly, "When Will I Be Loved" was hit single for the Everly Brothers in the summer of 1960.  

"When Will I Be Loved" was released as a single by rock recording artist Linda Ronstadt in 1975.  Much like the Eagles, Ronstadt had a way to blend the sounds of pop, rock, and country to create hits.  Her version of the song went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and charted at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles.

The Angry Lover

Love is a strong emotion, so it stands to reason that when love goes wrong, a lot of anger follows. There are so many songs about anger and love, that coming up with a short list to represent this category was not easy.  This group of hard rock ballads cry out, and scream out, love angst.

Cold As Ice, Foreigner, 1977: When love goes bad, angry name calling and bitterness will follow, as expressed in this hit by  British-American rock band Foreigner.  Reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, this is one of the best know songs by Foreigner

You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi, 1986:  This heavy ballad about a angry past love, was a number one hit by the hard rocking boys from New Jersey. In 2009 it was named the 20th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

I Hate Myself For Loving You, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 1988: A hard rock band from the Philly area, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, drive a heavy beat in the ballad about a angry past love. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Football fans may recognize the reworked version of the song as the opening theme for NBC's Sunday Night Football series

Lamenting Lost Love

Look Away, Chicago, 1988: The song is a very upbeat and lively tune, and when the song was popular many sang it as a happy song.  When listening to the song pay attention to the words, the guy is telling his former love, do not look at me if you see me on the streets because I am so torn up over losing you. Listen closely and hear hear the severe pain of a lost love.  The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1988.

Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone), Cinderella, 1988:  Cinderella is best known as a heavy metal band from Philly, yet their biggest hit was this slow power ballad peaking at number 12 on the charts in November 1988. Another song about a lost love, and a person pondering what when wrong.

Explore and Enjoy

Anytime you come up with a short list of songs to represent a theme there are always songs that someone will feel were left off.

Hopefully this list will get you thinking, and singing, about less than perfect love through the eyes of classic rock music. Support the intellectual property of musicians by downloading these songs legally from your favorite online music service.