Top 10 Saddest Heavy Metal Songs

Fade to Black - Metallica

This song is about someone losing the will to live. Like One, it is about someone being tortured by their past and believing that life has nothing for them. Unlike One, the guy in this one actually commits suicide.

Best heavy metal song ever. When I feel sad, I listen to this song, and by the end of the song, I feel better. I love this song, and the solos in it are very nice.

This song is the song with the best and most emotional solo in my opinion, and I don't mean the intro. This song is engraved in my mind, knowing that this is the saddest metal song I know. Cemetery Gates is on par, but the solo is just phenomenal. This makes it hit the #1 spot as the saddest metal song of all time.

One - Metallica

I think One takes the spot, and I'm sad that people don't agree with me. Fade to Black is very sad, but One takes it to another level. It talks about emptiness, sadness, and the struggle of life. It's about a boy who wishes for death as he is in a coma. I think it doesn't get sadder than that.

Being alive with nobody around to hear your longing to scream for help is the worst hell imaginable. This will always and forever be one of, if not the saddest, metal songs ever.

Being trapped in my own body is my worst nightmare. This song always gives me the chills if not the cries.

Cemetery Gates - Pantera

The heaviest sad song of all time by far. Dimebag's riffs can be sad and angry. Amazing.

Listen to the argument and the sad, angry back-and-forth between Phil's voice and Dimebag's guitar. Convinced yet?

It talks about the reality of death and how it's hard to cope with someone's death.

So Far Away - Avenged Sevenfold

I almost cried the first time listening to it. At first, I thought it was a cover of So Far Away by Staind, but I now realize it is something much bigger. The Rev will live on.

Honestly, one of the best yet saddest songs I have ever heard. For those of you who talk down on us for thinking so, you haven't REALLY heard the lyrics.

You can hear the emotion in Matt's voice as he copes with the loss of his brother.

Snuff - Slipknot

More of an acoustic rock song than a metal song. Still, it manages to get me choked up every time I listen to it.

My smile was taken long ago
It took the death of hope to let you go...
If you still care then never let me know...

This song makes you feel what you wish you never had to.

Daddy - Korn

This song alone on the album was hard to listen to, but it's even harder to listen to when you watch as Korn plays this song live and Jonathan Davis has to relive the horrors of what this song means to him.

One of the most meaningful songs ever. You can even hear him crying in the song. How can this be at 28? I would put it at number 1. Plus, it makes me cry.

Why isn't this higher on this list? The raw emotions make me angry at Jon's assaulter and happy that they're dead.

Beyond the Realms of Death - Judas Priest

The saddest metal song ever (1978) - music, lyrics, performance. It's about suicide and right to choose whether to live or die (if you feel you don't fit in). It's a controversial viewpoint but the song is a masterpiece.
Halford wrote the lyrics and dedicated the song to "Anita Bryant and all those schmucks" (she was on a major anti-gay campaign in 1977). I wonder if Halfie wanted to kill himself because he was gay. The character in the song was saved once, but he will try again.
"He had enough
He couldn't take anymore
He'd found a place
In his mind and slammed the door
No matter how they tried
They couldn't understand
...
This is my life, this is my life
I'll decide not you
Keep the world with all its sin
It's not fit for livin' in
Yeah! I will start again
It can take forever, and ever, and ever
And ever, but I'll still win."

Voice of the Soul - Death

It isn't easy to make an instrumental song and have it sound sad like this. Chuck Schuldiner was one of the best musicians of heavy metal, although he is remembered more for being the first death metal vocalist.

For me, "Voice of the Soul" is the best instrumental song ever and one of the best sad songs. When I first listened to it, I fell in love with the song. It's pure beauty.

One of my favorite metal instrumental pieces (I added Black Star by Yngwie and Anybody There? by Rainbow - they also induce a similar feeling of being existentially lonely).

In This River - Black Label Society

An amazing tribute to Dimebag Darrell from Zakk Wylde. "In This River all shall fade to black, In This River ain't no coming back".

1916 - Motorhead

This one almost broke me. No song has ever done that to me before. Top 10 of all sad songs, it's truly beautiful.

Lemmy has a voice that fits everything very well. In this one, it fit the role perfectly.

This sounds nothing like Lemmy, but it is one of their best. Gets you thinking.

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In My Last Mourning... - Thy Light

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Sana Sana Sana, Cura Cura Cura - Psychonaut 4

Fiddler on the Green - Demons & Wizards

This amazing ballad is based on real-life events: the singer and lyricist saw two car accidents in one week (same place!) and two kids were killed - a boy and a girl.
In the song, this story goes like that: Death took the life of the boy by mistake and to make up for it, the reaper also took the life of the girl, who would have been his soulmate in life. The reaper talks to the girl: "Would you mind if I take you?"
Words can't describe this perfect vocal performance and beautiful music (by Hansi Kürsch and Jon Schaffer, respectively).

Yes! This needs to be on the list.

Here Comes the Tears - Judas Priest

For me, this song is tied for the saddest song with "Run of the Mill," also by Priest. Another song that will tear up most anyone, especially if you read the lyrics and listen.

I don't see how this is not number 1. It's literally the most powerfully sad song I have ever heard. If you do not find it depressing, you will still definitely find it sad and haunting.

Alison Hell - Annihilator

I have listened to all the songs mentioned above and love them, but the reason for me voting for this is because they are an extremely underrated band. Let everybody know about them. These guys are great.

The story behind it is sad, but the way Annihilator tells it isn't very sad, which is why I don't think it should be here. Great song, but to be sad, the mood of the song has to be sad.

Parents ignored the psychological problems of their daughter, and her disease progressed to the point of no return. Sad and terrifying story.

Hurt - Nine Inch Nails

Dreamer - Ozzy Osbourne

I'm just a dreamer, I dream my life away... One of Ozzy's softer sounds, and one of his best songs.

How the Gods Kill - Danzig

Very sad and very scary. Some occult elements in the video. Great vocals from this underrated singer - he sounds like a darker, heavier, and better version of Jim Morrison.

Danzig never changed. Their magic of music still prevails. This song is a perfect example.

Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden

Born Foam: Backtrack - Between the Buried and Me

My Last Sunrise - Demons & Wizards

One of the most intense metal songs (lyrics and music) and one of the greatest vocal performances in metal.
There's only one metal song that moves me so much - Beyond the Realms of Death by Judas Priest. Both songs are extremely sad, dark and hopeless.
"These are my last words - I need to rest
In fear and anger, I'll lay down my head
A faithless spirit in a broken man
... The hope became another lie
like the non-existing Father-God
I'll close my eyes, goodbye
Don't wait for me on the other side".
Looks like Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian and Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth teamed up to create the saddest metal songs and albums ever - thematically and tonally.
Songs are not only sad and dark - they are awesome.

My House on Mars - Ayreon

I Won't See You Tonight - Avenged Sevenfold

I honestly don't see how this isn't in at least the top 10. I mean, dang... this song can make a 6-foot, 7-inch person cry his eyes out! Love this song and love this band also. R.I.P. The Rev

This song legitimately brings tears. Avenged Sevenfold is so amazing, honestly the most talented band ever.

Synyster's guitar is crying with you too while you are listening to this.

The Unforgiven - Metallica

Should be higher on the list. "Newborn joins this earth and quickly he's subdued, through constant pain and scourge the young boy learns the rules." A sad song for sure and really good.

Finally Free - Dream Theater

In My Darkest Hour - Megadeth

Probably not the number one best Megadeth song, but definitely in the top 5, and musically probably in the top 3.

This song is filled with loneliness and lost hope. As if you reached the best part of your life just to fall to the bottom.

This is the saddest one for real.