The 25 Most Exquisitely Sad Songs in the Whole World: No. 6
'He Stopped Loving Her Today'
George Jones (1980)
The Breakdown: Sung by the country star with the most tears in his beer this side of Hank Sr., a jilted lover carries his old flame's memory until his dying day.
The Waterworks: "I went to see him just today/Oh, but I didn't see no tears/All dressed up to go away/First time I'd seen him smile in years."
Casualty Count: One fatally broken heart.
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Posted by Spinner Staff
Filed under: Songs, The Hit List
Reader Comments(1 of 4)
Mewdrmat 5-05-2007
This song makes me cry every single time i hear it. Old country songs just have a way of making people cry
Kathyat 5-05-2007
Written while he divorced Tammy. You have to see the video where he sings and Tammy is in the wings, listening, with tears in her eyes. I still love performing this song whenever I can.
Great song!
Shannonat 5-05-2007
best song of all time!!!!!!!! love it love it love it!!!!
Rusty McCallat 5-05-2007
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
It would have been a crime to leave this song out this list, and out of the top ten at that. Time as failed to make this gem trite, and I still get a lump in my throat, despite details that others have made cliched like the spoken word bridge.
Every songwriter in the world need to read William Blake, and Shakespeare's sonnets, and to LISTEN TO GEORGE JONES!
Beau Rayat 5-05-2007
There will never be another George Jones...That boy can make rocks cry
toniaat 5-05-2007
this is one of the best songs ever. my dad died when my brother and I were just babies, and my mother to this day 32 years later has never gotten over it. she is still angry at the world because he died. and so sad. all of our holidays were spent with other family and my mother would stay home because she would get so angry and sad and take it out on whoever, which was usually my brother and me. i feel like i lost both parents because she wasn't really there. maybe this isn't really relevant, but anyways, the song is definately one of the saddest ever.
Perez24at 5-05-2007
One of the few songs that actually made me cry out loud.
Grammy Sueat 5-05-2007
Absolutely saddest song - one local radio station refused to play it when it was released due to being so sad. Made it all the more requested. I bought the CD when it came out just for this song.
mickeyat 5-05-2007
I have to agree with Shannon.The more I listen to this song,I am amazed at the rhyme and meter.No word can be left out or added.I am a 66 year old man,and I still get tears in my eyes every time I hear this song.Has to be number one.
WILLat 5-05-2007
BEST COUNTRY SINGER EVER. THIS SONG IS JUST THE BEST SONG I EVER HEARD.
robin kinneyat 5-05-2007
What about the song "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton? To me..THAT is by far (leaps and bounds) the saddest and most genuine song in the world...never mind Hank Williams or George Jones!
Royat 5-05-2007
Oh man what can you say
Tim Maggardat 5-05-2007
Although listed at number 6, I think this this song should be number 2 trailing only Chisled In Stone.
mollyat 5-05-2007
loving until the end.... now that's the real deal... and George singing about it...he's the Bomb!
lee terrillat 5-05-2007
that song has got to be in the top 5 sad songs, it touches me bigtime, very cool keep it up. lee
Mike Bernierat 5-05-2007
Definately a number 1 or 2... George the great!!
Aimeeat 5-05-2007
I am so happy this song is on the list! I have always cried when I heard it, but never as hard as in February. My Mom was killed in a car accident on Dec. 4, 2006. For Christmas, I had bought my parents tickets to see a George Jones concert in Febuary. Because of Mom's death, I took Dad to the show. When George sange this song, we both bawled. Even though we haven't stopped loving her.
DPat 5-05-2007
Love at it's purest form! only when you're turly in love will you say that.
Redneck Womanat 5-05-2007
I love George Jones. It's old songs like this that I was raised on and that I will always love
SCat 5-05-2007
I hate to take away anything from George Jones, but for tear-jerkers, I want to at least give a serious nod to both Linda Ronstadt's "Long Long Time" and (among many others) Emmylou Harris' "Beneath Still Waters". Wow - these are powerful reflections on love gone by, or never there.