Moods: Sad

If you're ready to kick back and relax with some classic country ballads, some of the most iconic artists ever to emerge from Nashville are ready to bring you down easy.

You've just been through a bad breakup and all you want is some alone time with your friends Ben and Jerry. So grab a spoon and turn up the volume on this pop breakup mix -- just don't forget to stock up on tissues first.

Lush, cathartic tracks of unrequited love, from jazz giants to modern indie stars. Heartbreak isn't pretty, but it sure sounds nice.

Let these emotional indie tunes bring you back to that perfect time of uncertainty, when your feelings (and music) couldn't matter more.

Even if it's for the best, nothing hurts quite like a break-up. Spending time with these melancholy and soulful R&B ballads will soothe your pain.

A diverse collection of songs that are perfect for a night of wallowing in post-breakup sadness.

If you're in for a night of alone-time, these mellow and melancholy indie songs will be all the company you need.

Sometimes it takes a grown man to make a grown man cry. These songs, all by great male artists, take guys to their emotional zeniths.

Whether you're feeling world weary, lovelorn or just plain apathetic, the snail's-speed tempos and relentlessly downbeat lyrics of sadcore provide the perfect soundtrack for staying in bed around the clock.

Nothing helps a blue mood like hearing from someone who knows just how you feel. From the sensitive singer-songwriters of the early '70s to the gloomy indie rockers of today, this is the perfect playlist when you're in the mood to mope.

You sit down at your gate and are filled with nostalgia for the place and people you're leaving. This melancholy collection of songs was made for that bittersweet moment.

Let the mistakes of last night melt away to the beautiful melodies of these soul-searching songs, from today and years past.

If it's raining outside, you should be listening to this.

Boozy rock, cool synth pop, and some nocturnal melodrama for stumbling home at 4:00 a.m.

What becomes of the brokenhearted? They console themselves with these classic soul songs about love and loss.

Wind down after a long night out with these boozy nocturnal ballads from the classic singer-songwriters of the '60s, '70s and '80s.

A playlist that sounds like a beautifully haunting shade of blue. Like a dramatic, unconventional, and artistic kind of melancholy. Like a stiff drink in a dim place.

At the end of the relationship, sometimes you just want to wallow. These classic lost-love ballads from the 1980s are the perfect soundtrack to a good cry.

Put on your slippers, wrap yourself in a blanket, and get cozy by the fire.

The softer side of contemporary country music. Songs with themes of love, heartbreak, patriotism and nostalgia that evoke that comforting, down-home feeling.

Hazy, soothing pop songs that'll make you feel like you're having the best dream ever.

Sink into the gently serrated sound of shoegaze, that amorphous strain of British indie pop of the late '80s and early '90s. All the original shoegazer hits are here, from all the key figures in the scene that celebrated itself.

The massive post-war folk revival in Britain emphasized 19th century work songs, including industrial labor songs and sea shanties. Here are the most important recordings of Britian's traditional music movement.

This playlist features mellow indie tunes that provide the perfect soundtrack for working, studying, or just plain old relaxing.

This playlist of mostly acoustic guitar-centric songs is perfect for long, relaxing nights in your bedroom. By yourself, or with someone special, listen to this until the sun rises.

The hardest partying, most indulgent '80s rock stars were at their best when they showed their sensitive side. These hit love songs feature the dramatic choruses, passionate vocals, wailing guitar solos, and epic drum fills that defined an era.

These quiet, pensive tunes are perfect for an overcast day, either curled up at home or settled in at a cozy cafe.

You may have dumped me, but I still have my Moog. Classic synth pop from the '80s to today, all detailing the down side to love.

Get intimate with these lushly arranged records (idiosyncratic alt-pop, moody soul, classy balladry) full of artful elegance.

Classic sounding, and sometimes sentimental, these nocturnal rock ballads are the perfect nightcap after a long day of sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

Nocturnal and textural electronica for long nights spent by yourself or with someone special. Listen to this until the sun rises.

Trumpeter and singer Chet Baker came out of the first flowering of the West Coast school of cool modern jazz in the early 1950s. This playlist explores that time and place, with a particular emphasis on languid ballads.

Starting in the late 1940s, a new, more cerebral and mellower response to bebop became one of the dominant strains in jazz. Enjoy the birth, maturation and continuation of cool jazz, with an emphasis on ballads.

Many of the solo artists that emerged in the 1970s became widely referred to as "singer-songwriters." These artists wrote and performed songs that were personal, sincere, introspective, and, most importantly, timeless.

Everyone with a soft spot for singer/songwriters knows their Troubadour History 101, filled with songsmiths from previous generations, but here's where you'll find the best of the current crop of artists committed to the crafting of thoughtful tunes.

From World War II through the early '60s, The Golden Age of Big Band Jazz brought us some of the greatest interpreters of song, arguably ever. This velvet sound is the stuff of legend.

Surrounded by strip malls and cookie cutter houses, the 'burbs can be a real drag. Embrace the malaise with a mix of melancholy, ambient and washed out fuzz.

Elliott Smith is one of indie rock's most celebrated singer-songwriters. Listen to songs by Smith as well as his greatest influences, closest contemporaries, and indebted followers.

Enjoy these predominantly acoustic, unplugged songs with a distinctly wintry feel. Imagine yourself snowed-in on a winter day, sitting by the fireplace with little to do but reflect.

The hit TV show Grey's Anatomy is known for featuring great songs and breaking new artists. These are songs from all seven seasons.

A Julliard-trained pianist, Nina Simone was as comfortable with Broadway standards as she was with African polyrhythmic rave-ups. Here are the best songs from her influences and contemporaries and the songs she covered with her unmistakable voice. http://ninasimone.com

Delve into the quiet, ballad-oriented side of Miles Davis, along with a wide selection of the contemplative moods of members of his classic 1950s and '60s bands. Get mellow with Miles.

Whether you're leaving for college, moving, or just taking a long trip, leaving home is always bittersweet. Here are some songs to help you on your way.

Not simply songs about autumn, but alternative tunes that bear an autumnal vibe, from melancholy piano ballads to rustic folk, these songs will give you that falling-leaves-and-chilly-breeze feeling.