Music that helps

Music can keep us company when no one else is around. It can also bring us together with other people. This page explains why, then offers a list of songs to try.

Why music can help

• It can feel like company. In a 2020 experiment, people who listened to comforting music they chose themselves after thinking about a sad loss felt less lonely and in a better mood afterward. Researchers describe music as a possible "social surrogate", a stand-in for an understanding friend.
• It carries memories of people. A 2025 study asked older adults what they would play if they felt very lonely. Many chose songs tied to people and times they loved. Familiar music can bring those connections back for a while.
• It changes how we feel. Sad songs can help us feel understood. Upbeat songs can lift energy. Both are fine. Notice what actually leaves you feeling better, not worse.

These studies are small, and music is not a cure for loneliness. But it is free or cheap, it is always there, and it is a real comfort for many people.

Singing with others

Singing in a group may be one of the fastest ways for strangers to feel close. In a 2015 study, adults who joined a new singing class felt close to their group sooner than people who joined a craft or creative writing class. The other classes caught up over the months, but singing gave a head start. Researchers called it the "ice-breaker effect".

You don't need a good voice. Ways to try:

• Community choirs. Many towns have open choirs with no audition. Ask at your library, community center, senior center or local college.
• Congregational singing. Many religious communities welcome visitors to sing. See religious and spiritual communities.
• Singing groups for health. Some areas have groups for people living with memory loss, Parkinson's or lung conditions, often with their caregivers.
• Other music groups. Drum circles, ukulele clubs, folk jam sessions, community bands and karaoke nights.

See groups, hobbies, classes and clubs for more ideas.

Ways to share music

• Make a playlist for a friend, or ask someone for "three songs that got you through a hard time".
• Go to free concerts: parks, libraries, colleges and places of worship often host them.
• Listen to a radio show and call or write in.
• Many public libraries offer free music streaming or downloads with a library card (Hoopla is one service some libraries offer). Ask your library what it has.

Songs to try

These songs have a hopeful or comforting message about loneliness, friendship or getting through hard times. The years are when each song was first released or written. A few have explicit language, noted below. Listen on any service or radio you like, or borrow from your library.

Pop and rock

• "Eleanor Rigby", The Beatles (1966). A tender look at people living unseen lives, reminding us to notice those around us.
• "With a Little Help from My Friends", The Beatles (1967). A cheerful thank-you to the friends who get us through.
• "Bridge over Troubled Water", Simon & Garfunkel (1970). A promise of steady comfort that many people play at their hardest moments.
• "You've Got a Friend", Carole King (1971). A warm reminder that real friends come when called. James Taylor's version from the same year is well loved too.
• "Don't Give Up", Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush (1986). A gentle duet for anyone who feels like a failure, written during hard economic times.
• "True Colors", Cyndi Lauper (1986). A quiet song of acceptance for anyone who feels they have to hide who they are.
• "Everybody Hurts", R.E.M. (1992). A plain, kind message that pain is shared and you are not the only one.
• "Fix You", Coldplay (2005). A song about staying beside someone through grief, which an older adults' choir sings in a moving scene of the documentary Young@Heart.
• "Count on Me", Bruno Mars (2010). A light, sunny song about simple loyalty between friends.

Soul and R&B

• "Stand by Me", Ben E. King (1961). Calm, steady and still beloved more than sixty years later.
• "A Change Is Gonna Come", Sam Cooke (1964). A song of hope after long struggle, rooted in the civil rights era.
• "Reach Out I'll Be There", Four Tops (1966). An urgent, joyful promise not to let someone face trouble alone.
• "Lean on Me", Bill Withers (1972). Simple words about asking for help and offering it, often sung by whole crowds.
• "Lovely Day", Bill Withers (1977). A sunny song about how one person can turn a gray day around.

Country

• "Coat of Many Colors", Dolly Parton (1971). A story of being teased as a poor child and holding on to your mother's love.
• "I Hope You Dance", Lee Ann Womack (2000). A gentle blessing to stay open to life and not sit on the sidelines.
• "Rainbow", Kacey Musgraves (2018). A soft song for someone who can't yet see that the storm has passed.

Gospel and spiritual

• "Amazing Grace", words by John Newton (published 1779). A hymn of rescue and second chances, sung across many traditions and by people of no faith too.
• "His Eye Is on the Sparrow", Civilla Martin and Charles Gabriel (1905). A hymn about being cared for even when you feel small and alone; Ethel Waters and Mahalia Jackson made famous recordings.
• "Precious Lord, Take My Hand", Thomas A. Dorsey (1932). Written in deep grief, it became a gospel classic of comfort.

Classical

• "Nimrod" from the Enigma Variations, Edward Elgar (1899). A musical portrait of a friend who helped Elgar through dark times.
• Largo from Symphony No. 9 "From the New World", Antonín Dvořák (1893). A slow, homesick melody that many find deeply calming.
• "Ode to Joy", finale of Symphony No. 9, Ludwig van Beethoven (1824). A celebration of human fellowship, written when Beethoven was almost completely deaf.

Hip-hop

• "Keep Ya Head Up", 2Pac (1993). An encouraging song of respect for women and single mothers facing hard lives. Explicit language.
• "Alright", Kendrick Lamar (2015). A defiant song of hope in hard times that became an anthem. Explicit language.
• "1-800-273-8255", Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (2017). A song about moving from despair toward wanting to live, named after a suicide hotline number. Explicit language. In the U.S., that line is now reached by calling or texting 988.

Folk

• "Hard Times Come Again No More", Stephen Foster (1854). An old American song of compassion for everyone who is struggling, still recorded by many artists.
• "Forever Young", Bob Dylan (1974). A blessing a parent might give a child, often played at graduations and farewells.

From around the world

• "Sukiyaki", Kyu Sakamoto (Japan, 1961). A bittersweet song about walking alone and holding your head up, which became a No. 1 hit in the U.S. in 1963.
• "Gracias a la vida", Violeta Parra (Chile, 1966). A song of thanks for the simple gifts of life, made famous worldwide by Mercedes Sosa.
• "Sodade", Cesária Évora (Cape Verde, 1992). A song of longing for home, loved by people far from the places and people they miss.
• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World", Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (Hawaiʻi, 1993). A gentle ukulele medley that many people find instantly soothing.

From musicals

• "You'll Never Walk Alone", Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (1945, from Carousel). A song of comfort after loss, now sung by stadium crowds.
• "You Will Be Found", from Dear Evan Hansen (cast recording 2017). A song written directly for anyone who feels invisible and alone.

A note of care

If certain songs pull you deeper into sadness and leave you feeling worse, it's okay to switch to something else, or to music without words. If you feel hopeless, please reach out to someone today. See need to talk right now?