50 Best Rock Songs About Regret
Rock Songs That Capture the Weight of Regret
There’s a certain heaviness that trails behind you when regret sets in. Not loud, not dramatic, just a low hum that follows through the quiet hours. It hits when the party’s over or the call ends too fast, when the echoes of what could’ve been still hang around like static. Rock has always known how to dig into that space, the one where pride fades and memory starts rewinding scenes you’d rather skip. These tracks don’t try to fix the feeling—they let it breathe and bruise a little.
Some songs in this mix aren’t literally built on regret, but they still carry that flavor. The way the chords lean downward, the way the singer strains through a line like they’re halfway through an apology. You can hear it in older riffs that sound worn-out and in newer ones that try to patch themselves together mid-chorus. It’s the kind of energy that sits in your chest after the door closes and you realize too late that silence can feel heavier than noise.
There’s something human in that tug between wishing things were different and knowing they can’t be. These tracks hit that space better than any clean narrative ever could. They bleed into late nights, half-finished texts, and long drives where you turn up the volume to drown out your own head. Some of these lean sad, some lean bitter, and a few hide behind distortion that can’t really cover the ache. Here are the best rock songs that hold that sense of regret in their bones.
Top 10 Regret Rock Songs
1. 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails
2. 'Yesterday' by The Beatles
3. 'Against the Wind' by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
4. 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd
5. 'High and Dry' by Radiohead
6. 'The Man Who Sold the World' by Nirvana
7. 'November Rain' by Guns N' Roses
8. 'Creep' by Radiohead
9. 'Tears in Heaven' by Eric Clapton
10. 'Behind Blue Eyes' by The Who
Classic Rock Ballads of Remorse #11 to 20
11. 'All Apologies' by Nirvana
12. 'Better Than Me' by Boys Like Girls
13. 'My Own Worst Enemy' by Lit
14. 'The Unforgiven' by Metallica
15. 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' by Aerosmith
16. 'Black' by Pearl Jam
17. 'Don't Speak' by No Doubt
18. 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac
19. 'Jaded' by Aerosmith
20. 'Adam's Song' by blink-182
Alternative Rock Songs About Past Actions #21 to 30
21. 'Cats In The Cradle' by Harry Chapin
22. 'Always' by Bon Jovi
23. 'If I Could Turn Back Time' by Cher
24. 'What I've Done' by Linkin Park
25. 'Under the Bridge' by Red Hot Chili Peppers
26. 'The Living Years' by Mike & The Mechanics
27. 'Without You' by Badfinger
28. 'Last Goodbye' by Jeff Buckley
29. 'Losing My Religion' by R.E.M.
30. 'Back to December' by Taylor Swift
Powerful Rock Tracks of Remorse #31 to 40
31. 'Every Time I Hear that Song' by Brandi Carlile
32. 'The Noose' by A Perfect Circle
33. 'Hemorrhage (In My Hands)' by Fuel
34. 'Where Did I Go Wrong' by UB40
35. 'Snuff' by Slipknot
36. 'Leave Out All the Rest' by Linkin Park
37. 'Time In A Bottle' by Jim Croce
38. 'Don't Look Back in Anger' by Oasis
39. 'Iris' by Goo Goo Dolls
40. 'The Freshmen' by The Verve Pipe
Hard Rock Songs About Bad Choices #41 to 50
41. 'Fade Away' by Seether
42. 'Damage' by Jimmy Eat World
43. 'Only Love' by Mother Mother
44. 'Shimmer' by Fuel
45. 'Sometime Around Midnight' by The Airborne Toxic Event
46. 'Hey You' by Pink Floyd
47. 'Love Hurts' by Nazareth
48. 'I Don't Love You' by My Chemical Romance
49. 'Listen to Your Heart' by Roxette
50. 'If I Get High' by Nothing But Thieves
© 2025 Carson McQueen
