The best divorce songs for every stage of the split

Somewhere between the paperwork and the apartment hunt, everyone going through a divorce builds a soundtrack, deliberately or not. Music does something the legal process cannot: it keeps you company. Here is a playlist for the whole arc, organized by stage. Titles only; the streaming service of your choice will do the rest.

Stage 1: The sad part

• Nothing Compares 2 U, Sinead O'Connor
• Someone Like You, Adele
• Yesterday, The Beatles
• All Too Well, Taylor Swift
• Tears in Heaven era Eric Clapton, for the quietest nights

Stage 2: The angry part

• You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
• Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood
• Irreplaceable, Beyonce
• Gives You Hell, The All-American Rejects
• These Boots Are Made for Walkin', Nancy Sinatra

Stage 3: Acceptance

• Let It Be, The Beatles
• Landslide, Fleetwood Mac
• Both Sides Now, Joni Mitchell
• Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande, the rare breakup song with gratitude in it

Stage 4: The surprisingly good part

• I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor, the anthem for a reason
• Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
• Good as Hell, Lizzo
• Stronger, Kelly Clarkson again, because she understood the assignment
• Truth Hurts, Lizzo again, for the same reason

The fourth playlist is the one people forget to make, and it is the one worth queuing in advance. There is a version of you on the other side of this who is doing fine, and she or he already has a soundtrack.

When you are ready for the practical part between stage one and stage four, our complete divorce guide keeps it as painless as the paperwork allows, and the eligibility check takes two minutes.