Nobody likes being betrayed, especially after investing time and effort in a relationship. Unfortunately, betrayal is something most of us will face in life, which is why many songs about betrayal have been written over the years.
When somebody does something that betrays your trust, not only does it hurt, but it also draws even more attention to the unfortunate choices you’ve made. While we would all love the opportunity to take back some of those decisions, the truth is that we can’t. However, what we can do is take these moments and learn from them. Well, that and blast some good music to help us vent our frustrations. Whether you’re dealing with betrayal from a friend, a lover, or simply of trust in general, here is an epic list of songs that can help you out.
Table of Contents
1. Love the Way You Lie by Eminem (Featuring Rhianna)
| Genre | Rap, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2010 |
| Album | Recovery |
Nobody likes to be lied to, no matter how insignificant it may be. Perhaps the only thing that can make it even worse is knowing that the other person is being dishonest. If you put all of these things together, they often lead to someone becoming trapped in an abusive relationship. This is possibly the worst form of betrayal you can suffer at the hands of your significant other. All of these things are present in Eminem’s hit single “Love the Way You Lie,” which is from the amazing 2010 album “Recovery.”
2. Real Friends by Camila Cabello
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Camila |
One of the most important things that you can find in life is a group of true friends who won’t turn their backs on you at the first opportunity they get. We all have people in our respective lives that plan to be our friends but will take the first chance they get to talk badly behind our backs. If this sounds like something you can relate to, then you will certainly enjoy the former member of the Miami-based girl group Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello’s single “Real Friends” from her 2008 debut “Camila.”
3. It Ends Tonight by All-American Rejects
| Genre | Pop Punk |
| Year Released | 2005 |
| Album | Move Along |
When All-American Rejects released their second album, “Move Along,” in the summer of 2005, they had already created a buzz in America, with their first album selling over 793,000 copies. So, how did they top that? Their follow-up was certified double-platinum by the RIAA and had three singles reach the top twenty on Billboard. The album features the piano-driven ballad “It Ends Tonight,” which lead vocalist Tyson Ritter said is about “wanting to kill your best friend.” According to the band, it was inspired by one of their guitar techs on tour.
4. Apologize by Timbaland (Featuring OneRepublic)
| Genre | R&B, Alternative Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2007 |
| Album | Shock Value |
Apologies don’t always work. There are times when the things we do hurt people so deeply and so badly that an apology simply won’t suffice. This can be worse when someone lifts you, making you feel much better about yourself, and then pulls the proverbial rug out from under you. At this point, an apology isn’t enough. That’s what Timbaland and OneRepublic are bringing on the track “Apologize.” Appearing on the 2007 album “Shock Value,” the song climbed up to the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
5. Heart Wants What It Wants by Selena Gomez
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2014 |
| Album | For You |
It’s not often that we see a smooth and successful transition from the screen to music, but Selena Gomez manages to continue to do both with style and grace. In her hit single “Heart Wants What It Wants” from 2014’s “For You,” the Teen Choice Awards winner is talking about an ex-lover whom she knows wouldn’t hurt her. However, Gomez says that there was one thing that now seems fairly insignificant that he did which got her upset. It got her upset enough to leave the relationship and cause some hard feelings.
6. Mr. Brightside by The Killers
| Genre | Alternative Pop |
| Year Released | 2004 |
| Album | Hot Fuss |
There are times when someone will betray you behind your back, and there are times when it will happen right in front of you. While the former is usually hard to accept, the latter can shatter you, as it does on the top-ten hit “Mr. Brightside,” from the 2004 debut album from The Killers, “Hot Fuss.” The song is about a couple who have just started seeing each other when the girl meets another guy and cheats on him. Calling himself Mr. Brightside is a sarcastic way of saying that he’s not over it.
7. Take A Bow by Rihanna
| Genre | R&B, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded |
Sometimes people are going to go behind their partner’s back and step outside of the relationship. What makes this worse is when they try to deny what they did, and then they apologize for their actions like nothing happened. Nothing makes them look more stupid than this. At that point, you don’t have the patience to hear an apology, no matter how sincere they appear to be. That’s what Rihanna is saying in her RIAA platinum-certified single “Take A Bow,” from her 2008 disc “Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded.”
8. Let Me Let You Know by Pink
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2000 |
| Album | Can’t Take Me Home |
One way that you can let somebody know how much they’ve hurt you once a relationship ends is through a “Dear John” letter, which is what Pink does on this song from her Billboard hit debut album “Can’t Take Me Home.” Although it’s not specifically mentioned which transgressions her ex is guilty of, we know that she wishes nothing but loneliness and misery on him, as she makes that abundantly clear throughout the track. This song is exactly what Pink is about, and she introduces herself to the world in an amazing fashion.
9. Heartless by Kanye West
| Genre | Rap, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | 808s & Heartbreak |
One of the oldest forms of betraying someone’s trust is to go behind their back in a relationship. That will rock most people to their very core and make it nearly impossible for them to trust anyone in a romantic relationship for a long time. Wondering how this person could be so heartless as to do this to you consumes most of your thoughts, although you rarely get a definitive answer. That’s my interpretation of what Kanye West was going through on the Billboard number-two track “Heartless” from his 2008 release, “808s & Heartbreak.”
10. Burden In My Hand by Soundgarden
| Genre | Grunge |
| Year Released | 1996 |
| Album | Down on the Upside |
As many times as I have heard this song, I have never considered that there are two-way completely different interpretations that can be taken from the Grammy-winning band Soundgarden’s track which was featured on 1996’s “Down on the Upside.” The first interpretation is the most literal, where lead vocalist Chris Cornell is furious with someone who has betrayed him and takes them to an abandoned location to shoot them. The second interpretation is slightly more complicated, dealing with Cornell’s heroin addiction and how it keeps betraying him, although he wants to kick it.
11. False Pretense by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
| Genre | Post Grunge, Alternative Rock |
| Year Released | 2007 |
| Album | Don’t You Fake It |
Forming in 2003 in Florida, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus saw their biggest commercial success with 2006’s platinum debut “Don’t You Fake It,” which included the hit “Face Down.” Another track that was featured on the album was a four-minute lesson on how people that you think are your friends will betray you in a heartbeat. That track was “False Pretense.” Unfortunately, there are quite a few lessons to be learned from this song that will present themselves for most of us. This song serves as a kind of warning for us.
12. Lips Of an Angel by Hinder
| Genre | Post-Grunge, Alternative Rock |
| Year Released | 2005 |
| Album | Extreme Behavior |
More often, we see people willing to step outside of their relationship, especially if there is a chance at rekindling an old romance. Some people just seem to be drawn to the drama and mess that comes with their exes. In this 2005 surprising top-five single from Hinder’s “Extreme Behavior,” a guy is on the phone with his ex-girlfriend while his current girlfriend is in the next room. It seems as though she is having problems, and he is the first person that she calls. However, he doesn’t seem to mind the attention.
13. Rolling In the Deep by Adele
| Genre | R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 2011 |
| Album | 21 |
As many times as you imagine have heard this song, and I never-ending realized what Adele’s number-one hit “Rolling In the Deep,” which is featured on the 2011 Grammy-winning album “21,” is about. I always knew that this was a song about a relationship that didn’t work out, but I never realized how skating and angry Adele is in this track. Throughout its four-minute runtime, Adele is singing about how her ex betrayed her and how she plans on exacting her revenge. And believe me, she will end up getting hers in the end.
14. You Can’t Bring Me Down by Suicidal Tendencies
| Genre | Thrash Metal |
| Year Released | 1990 |
| Album | Lights…Camera…Revolution! |
In my opinion, the 1990 Suicidal Tendencies’ highly-praised release “Lights…Camera…Revolution!” should be required listening if you are researching the best metal of that decade. This album had the band’s best lineup and showcased their impressive songwriting talent on tracks like “You Can’t Bring Me Down.” This single is a direct shot at how society is always against anybody, a little different from their preconceived notion of normality. It also takes on the topic of how society turns its back on these people if they don’t conform and become “normal.”
15. Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye
| Genre | Alternative Pop |
| Year Released | 2012 |
| Album | Making Mirrors |
Belgium-born Wouter André “Wally” De Backer got his start by releasing his first two studio albums independently. Thankfully, he changed his stage thing to Gotye, which is much more catchy. In 2012, he hit it big in the United States by spending eight weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with his single “Somebody That I Used to Know” from the historical album “Making Mirrors.” The sign is about shutting someone out of your life, acting like you never knew them because of the way the two of you broke it off.
16. Judas by Kelly Clarkson
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2007 |
| Album | My December |
People easily forget those who were in their corner once they make it big. You could be the only person that was ever there for them, and they can turn their back on you like you mean nothing to them. How easily they forget all of the times that they needed you and you were the only person there for them. This is the message behind the song “Judas,” from the original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s 2007 effort, “My December.” That’s okay because she says that she’s going to learn from this.
17. Backstabber by Kesha
| Genre | Hip Hop, Pop, R&B |
| Year Released | 2010 |
| Album | Animal |
Kesha Rose Seibert was signed to a record deal with Kemosabe Records in 2005 at the incredibly young age of 18 years old. The Young singer blew up shortly after she was featured on rapper Flo Rida’s hit single “Right Round” in 2009. One year later, future Grammy nominee Kesha released her debut album, “Animal.” That album featured the track “Backstabber,” which is about someone who likes to go around spreading other people’s business, but Kesha isn’t having any of that. She’s more than willing to call her out on what she’s said. If you’re looking for songs about betrayal of friendship, this is one you’ll definitely want to listen to.
18. Laid To Rest by Lamb Of God
| Genre | Groove Metal |
| Year Released | 2004 |
| Album | Ashes Of the Wake |
Virginia’s Lamb is God has made a career of songs dripping with malice towards those who have wronged them. Of all the things that get under Lamb Of God’s skin, betrayal is probably at the top of the list, like on “Laid To Rest,” from the beloved 2004 release, “Ashes Of the Wake.” Someone has betrayed Randy Blythe, as told through the lyrics, “I’ll chain you to the truth, for the truth shall set you free. I’ll turn the screws of vengeance and bury you with honesty,” and he’s not happy about it.
19. The First Cut Is the Deepest by Sheryl Crow
| Genre | Pop, Indie |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | C’mon America |
Generally, the first time you are ever betrayed is going to hurt worse than any other time. Because you’re not used to experiencing this kind of pain, so the initial shock of it’s going to be more painful than anything you have experienced to that point. Your body has not become desensitized to that kind of pain, although it will over time. That’s where the expression “the first cut is the deepest” comes from. It’s also where Sheryl Crow got the title for her top-twenty single from her 2003 record “C’mon America.”
20. You Lied. (Live) by Tool
| Genre | Progressive Metal |
| Year Released | 2006 |
| Album | Salival |
In 2000, the Los Angeles-based progressive metal outfit Tool released “Salival,” a limited edition box set with live versions and alternate takes of some of their fan-favorite tracks, as well as a few cover songs. One of those deep cuts was a live cover of a song originally recorded by bassist Justin Chancellor’s former band Peach, “You Lied.” Although this track is long and drawn out, its message is fairly simple. It’s about the pain and suffering that someone has been left behind to endure after a relationship ends because of dishonesty and betrayal.
21. Reinventing Your Exit by Underoath
| Genre | Hardcore Metal, Metal |
| Year Released | 2004 |
| Album | They’re Only Chasing Safety |
Underoath lead singer Spencer Chamberlain and drummer Aaron Gillespie wrote this song together for 2004’s “They’re Only Chasing Safety.” The duo, who have been part of four top-ten albums on Billboard’s Rock Album charts, have said that this song describes what happens when somebody “puts you between a rock and a hard place.” They say it’s “Like all your grace has run out, all your love for a person has run out.” Because they have been in the music industry for 25 years, they have probably encountered this difficult situation more than once.
22. Bad Blood by Taylor Swift (Featuring Kendrick Lamar)
| Genre | Pop,Country |
| Year Released | 2014 |
| Album | 1989 |
Here we are. We have officially reached the part of our list where we feel almost obliged at this point to include a Taylor Swift song about a bad relationship. Poor Taylor has been through enough bad relationships to last most families a lifetime, but at least this track features fourteen-time Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. This song, featured on Taylor’s 2014 release, “1989,” is yet another tale about somebody who’s betrayed Taylor’s trust, and now there’s nothing between the two of them. I’m not sorry, but it seems like I’ve heard this before.
23. Everything Ends by Slipknot
| Genre | Nu Metal, Metal |
| Year Released | 2001 |
| Album | Iowa |
The opening verse of Slipknot’s “Everything Ends,” which is from their highly lauded 2001 masterpiece “Iowa,” says it all. Lead vocalist Corey Taylor kicks the song off with the opening lines, “You are wrong, fucked, and overrated. I think I’m gonna be sick, and it’s your fault.” The song is based on one of Corey Taylor’s personal experiences, about a breakup he went through when he was seventeen. Corey discovered that the girl he was dating betrayed him, although it’s not specifically mentioned how, and tried to commit suicide to ease the pain. If you resonate with this song, you’ll love our angry breakup songs list.
24. Your Betrayal by Bullet For My Valentine
| Genre | Hardcore Metal |
| Year Released | 2010 |
| Album | Fever |
Formed in 1998 in Wales, Bullet For My Valentine has been one of hardcore metal’s preeminent bands for almost two-and-a-half decades and has been nominated for several Kerrang Awards, including Best British Metal Band and Best Live Band. In 2010, they released their third album, “Fever,” which included the track “Your Betrayal.” The song is about how disruption and dishonesty can ruin a relationship. It also talks about how they can cause intense emotional outbursts as well as make you constantly question yourself and your partner, which isn’t healthy for it, either.
25. Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake
| Genre | Pop, R&B |
| Year Released | 2002 |
| Album | Justified |
Maybe it’s just my personal opinion, but I have always thought that this was one of the best “kiss-off” songs ever recorded. We have all been through that one breakup where we were betrayed or cheated on, and the other person came back crying and begging for forgiveness. I wanted to look that person right in the eyes and tell them exactly what Justin Timberlake is saying on this Grammy Award-winning track from 2002’s “Justified.” Allegedly, the song was written as a response to his highly-publicized breakup with Britney Spears.
26. She Hates Me by Puddle Of Mudd
| Genre | Post-Grunge, Alternative Rock |
| Year Released | 2002 |
| Album | Come Clean |
Puddle Of Mudd has been around since 1992, forming in Kansai City, Missouri. They have sold over seven million albums and have had several songs appear on their Billboard Rock charts. They have built a rabid fan base and have had quite a bit of success performing songs about dysfunctional relationships and cheating, including the humorous track “She Hates Me.” Appearing on the band’s debut album “Come Clean” in 2002, this song was one of the first the band wrote together and is about a guy who is cheating on his girlfriend.
27. Everybody’s Fool by Evanescence
| Genre | Alternative Metal |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Fallen |
Evanescence lead vocalist Amy Lee has one of those voices that allows you to feel every emotion going through her head while she’s performing a song. That feeling isn’t any different in “Everybody’s Fool,” which is from their impressively successful diamond-certified 2003 debut album “Fallen.” In this track, Amy Lee is letting fake people know exactly how she feels about them, although it’s not specified who these people are. Many fans of the band believe that this is a direct shot at the Roman Catholic Church, but that’s never been confirmed nor denied.
28. Your Love Is a Lie by Simple Plan
| Genre | Pop Punk |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | Simple Plan |
When you are in love, it makes you blind to things that others sew. After a while, you may start to dig a little for more information, but the bad thing about investigating is that you may find something you aren’t prepared to handle. That’s the plot of “Your Love Is a Lie” from Simplest Plan’s 2008 gold-certified self-titled effort. The premise is that the guy suspects something is going on, and he finds a note from another guy. He’s heartbroken at what he’s found and can no longer trust his girlfriend.
29. You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi
| Genre | Hard Rock, Hair Metal |
| Year Released | 1986 |
| Album | Slippery When Wet |
Bon Jovi was one of the most successful acts of the 1980s, selling over 130 million albums worldwide. Their best-selling album was “Slippery When Wet,” the second best-selling album in 1986, selling 16.9 million copies based on the strength of songs like their Billboard number-one hit single “You Give Love a Bad Name.” In this song, John Bon Jovi is singing about a woman who has betrayed him in some way in their relationship. The problem is that he is so madly in love with her that he can’t let go.
30. I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace
| Genre | Alternative Rock, Post Grunge |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Three Days Grace |
I’m sure that most of you have had at least one relationship where you’ve wanted to scream this at the other person. I know I have, and so has Adam’s Gontier from Three Days Grace. This track appeared on the band’s 2003 self-titled debut and was their breakthrough radio hit. In this song, Gontier recalls many of the good times that the couple had together, but his disdain for her is so strong that the recollection of these times doesn’t inspire him to miss her. Simply put, he hates her that much.
31. Change (In the House Of Flies) by Deftones
| Genre | Nu Metal, Alternative Metal |
| Year Released | 2000 |
| Album | White Pony |
Most songs on this list are about someone who has been betrayed. However, Deftones turn this concept around, writing a song from the point of view of the person doing the betraying. This takes place on from “Change (In the House Of Flies),” which is from their platinum-certified 2000 effort, “White Pony.” This song goes against the grain, telling the story of someone who took something beautiful and changed it into something damaged and ugly. Then, this person tries to blame the change on the other, which to me, is the ultimate betrayal.
32. Frogs by Alice In Chains
| Genre | Grunge |
| Year Released | 1995 |
| Album | Alice In Chains |
When the Grammy-nominated group Alice In Chains released their self-titled album in 1995, things were falling apart for one of Seattle’s most prominent acts. Most of all, lead vocalist Layne Staley was battling his addiction, which was causing tension within the band. As most great artists do, Stanley put pen to paper, and the result was “Frogs.” In this song, you can see how heroin plays on Staley’s paranoia, making him believe that everyone is against him. Then, he’s left questioning why everything is the way it is, but he has no answers.
33. I Hate U by Prince
| Genre | R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 1995 |
| Album | The Gold Experience |
Have you ever loved someone so much that you ended up hating them? Although this is a confusing paradox, most of us can relate. Relationships are hard. We invest a great deal of our time and energy into building something special with our significant other. When they betray our trust, it brings out a plethora of emotions, including hate. That’s why I understand this track from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Prince’s 1995 classic, “The Gold Experience.” However, by the end of the song, he realizes he still really loves her.
34. Pills N Potions by Nicki Minaj
| Genre | Rap, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2014 |
| Album | The Pinkprint |
Onika Tanya Mara-Petty sits alone at the top of the mountain as the Queen of Rap. Known professionally as Nicki Minaj, she won the BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist an astonishing seven years in a row with her razor-sharp lyrics and her wit, which is as quick and as deadly as a king cobra. These. impressive talents are on full display in 2014’s “The Pinkprint,” and especially in “Pills N Potions.” This song serves as a reminder of how quickly addictions can betray you and cost you everything, including your relationship.
35. Lyin Eyes by The Eagles
| Genre | Pop, Classic Rock, Alternative Country |
| Year Released | 1976 |
| Album | One of These Nights |
There are times when people get away with lying, and there are times when their eyes tell another story. They could have the best alibi, but the look in their eyes will give them away every time. In 1976, the Eagles changed their sound, opting for more of a country feel. The result was the Grammy-winning “Lyin Eyes” from “One of These Nights.” It tells the story of a married couple, where the wife says that she is going out. She cheats on her husband and lies about it, but he knows better.
36. Say My Name by Destiny’s Child
| Genre | R&B, Pop |
| Year Released | 1999 |
| Album | The Writing’s on the Wall |
Destiny’s Child is probably the most decorated musical group of all time, winning awards from the American Music Academy, BET, Billboard, the Grammy, and much more. Their albums are also known for being thematic, with 1999’s “The Writing’s on the Wall” addressing the rules of relationships. The track “Say My Name” has the girls telling their guys that they should be proud of their significant others unless they are fooling around with someone else. In this case, the guy is cheating, as his girlfriend expected. That’s why he was acting like he was.
37. Oops, I Did It Again by Britney Spears
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2000 |
| Album | Oops, I Did It Again |
This song, which is the title track from her diamond-certified 2000 release, is a tongue-in-cheek look at how women can be players and do it just as effectively as men. In the track, Britney is telling one of her male suitors that the time the two spent with each other was meaningless. She lets him know that their relationship was nothing more than a game to her, where she played with his heart and threw it away after she finished. For her, this wasn’t the first time, nor will it be the last.
38. This Love by Pantera
| Genre | Groove Metal |
| Year Released | 1992 |
| Album | Vulgar Display of Power |
During a breakup, people say whatever they can to hurt the other person. We take shots at each other, hoping to land that blow that will make our ex-partner see how much we are hurting. In the case of Pantera’s Phil Anselmo, that manifests itself as pure rage and hatred. At least, that’s what he presents in the tracking “This Love,” from their 1992 breakthrough album that spent 80 weeks on the Billboard 200, “Vulgar Display of Power.” in this song, Anselmo has been betrayed in a relationship, and he just wants out.
39. I Don’t Care Anymore by Phil Collins
| Genre | Pop, Alternative Pop |
| Year Released | 1982 |
| Album | Hello I Must Be Going! |
One of the negative effects that having someone do hurtful things to you is that you become apathetic to the situation. Things have become so trying that you lose all ability to care. These are the times when you put on the 1982 Phil Collins record “Hello I Must Be Going!” and blast “I Don’t Care Anymore.” The song, which was nominated for a Grammy Award, has someone going behind Phil’s back and spreading false information about him. Frustrated with the situation, he throws his hands in the air and gives up.
40. No More Lies by Iron Maiden
| Genre | Heavy Metal |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Dance of Death |
I have heard several interpretations of this song, but I’ll tell you about the one that makes the most sense to me. It takes this song at face value and is about someone who has been betrayed in some way in a relationship. They are tired of the lies and must part ways with that person. However, they are not ruling out a chance at future happiness with this person. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what Steve Harris was thinking when he wrote this track from Iron Maiden’s critically-acclaimed “Dance of Death.” This is one of my personal favorite songs about betrayal of trust.
41. No Vaseline by Ice Cube
| Genre | Rap, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 1991 |
| Album | Death Certificate |
Ice Cube left the rap group NWA because he suspected that the band’s manager. Jerry Heller wasn’t paying him the royalties that he felt were owed. He was Soundgarden’s frustrated by the alleged betrayal that he wrote “No Vaseline,” which has got to be the best diss track I have ever heard. The song, which is featured on Ice Cube’s 1991 release “Death Certificate,” aims at everybody involved in the dispute with his former crew. The result is a track that is widely considered to be a classic in the rap genre.
42. Unwanted by Avril Lavigne
| Genre | Pop Punk |
| Year Released | 2002 |
| Album | Let Go |
There are two interpretations of this song that are most popular amongst Avril Lavigne fans. The first is that this is about the music industry and how they shut people out and shun them for being different. The second, of course, is about a girl who has a crush on a guy, but he chooses to ignore her because she is somewhat different from all of the “normal” girls he is used to dating. Either one works for this song from 2002’s multiplatinum “Let Go,” which sold over six million copies worldwide.
43. In My Darkest Hour by Megadeth
| Genre | Thrash Metal |
| Year Released | 1988 |
| Album | So Far, So Good… So What! |
Dave Mustaine has one of the most distinctive voices in heavy metal, and it is perfect for a seething, vitriol-filled song about being betrayed by someone whom you once trusted. The song “In My Darkest Hour” is a perfect example of how betrayal can inspire artists to write phenomenal music and is featured on Megadeth’s platinum-certified thrash metal masterpiece, “So Far, So Good… So What!” In the track, Mustaine sings about someone who betrayed him by not being there when he needed them most, which hurt him enough that he wrote this song.
44. Not Today by Eve (Featuring Mary J Blige)
| Genre | R&B, Soul, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Love & Life |
We have all been betrayed by people who have promised us the world but have not been able to deliver when the time comes. Sadly, this happens more times than you might expect in matters of the heart, especially when young children are involved. It’s easy to fall for somebody who says all the right things at the right time. Unfortunately, this is what Eve it’s rapping about (with some help from the one and only Grammy Award-winning Mary J Blige) on “Not Today,” which appears on Eve’s 2003 album “Love & Life.”
45. Use Me by Bill Withers
| Genre | R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 1972 |
| Album | Still Bill |
Most people know the talented R&B and soul legend (and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee) Bill Withers as the man who sang the upbeat and inspiring tune “Lean On Me.” However, this track, which is also found on the “Still Bill,” tells the tale of Bill enjoying the fact that he’s getting used by his lover. That’s quite a change of pace from being leaned on by friends in their time of need. Still, he must enjoy being used because he reiterates this point a few times in the song.
46. The Saints of Violence and Innuendo by Shinedown
| Genre | Alternative Rock |
| Year Released | 2022 |
| Album | Planet Zero |
When Dreve broke up in 2001, lead vocalist Brent Smith could have just given up on music. Instead, he formed the band Shinedown and has enjoyed a career that most artists can only dream of. Earlier this year, when the band released their latest album, “Planet Zero,” they saw their record-breaking 18th single reach the number-one spot on the active rock radio charts. In the latest single from that album, “The Saints of Violence and Innuendo,” Shinedown takes a stand against “the platforms and institutions that don’t value honesty, and instead use half-truths.”
47. Betrayed by KISS
| Genre | Hard Rocky |
| Year Released | 1989 |
| Album | Hot In the Shade |
Formed in 1973 in New York City, KISS knows a thing or two about betrayal, having had members quit on them as well as firing a few. In 1989, the legendary hard rock act released their fifteenth studio album, ” lHot In the Shade,” featuring “Betrayed.” This album was the last to feature Eric Carr on drums, who replaced Peter Criss. Sadly, Carr died of an aneurysm in 1991 at
the young age of 41. The track is about never giving up, and sticking to your gums, standing strong in the face of betrayal.
48. Your Enemy by Godsmack
| Genre | Nu Metal, Hard Rock |
| Year Released | 2006 |
| Album | IV |
Sometimes, people you thought were your friends may end up as enemies. This is something that Godsmack lead vocalist Sully Erna is quite familiar with. He wrote this track, which appeared on Godsmack’s 2006 release “IV,” about a guy who was once his friend and used to frequent clubs with Erna. Although the two stopped hanging out as much, this supposed “friend” would still go to clubs and use Godsmack’s name to get into the VIP section, making excuses at the end of the night as to why the band didn’t show up.
49. You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette
| Genre | Alternative Pop, Post Grunge |
| Year Released | 1995 |
| Album | Jagged Little Pill |
After a devastating breakup, it can be pretty hard for one or both of the parties involved to move on with their lives. It’s apparent that Alanis Morissette had a hard time moving on after her reported break up with Full House star Dave Coulier, which is allegedly the story behind her single “You Oughta Know” from her Billboard 200 number-one album, 1995’s “Jagged Little Pill.” Allegedly, Alanis felt so betrayed that he moved on so quickly that she decided to write a song about it. I guess she got the last laugh.
50. Positively 4th Street by Bob Dylan
| Genre | Following, Indie, Classic Rock |
| Year Released | 1965 |
| Album | Positively 4th Street |
Bob Dylan’s reputation as one of the greatest lyricists in the history of modern music precedes him. The singer-songwriter won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2016 for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” That songwriting and lyrical talent are showcased on the title track from his 1965 album” Positively 4th Street.” As the story goes, Dylan had a score to settle with Irwin Silber, who was supposed to be his friend but wrote a scaling criticism of him in the November 1964 issue of Sing Out magazine.
51. Wish by Nine Inch Nails
| Genre | Industrialization, Hard Rock, Metal |
| Year Released | 1992 |
| Album | Broken |
After the electronic sound of the Nine Inch Nails’ debut album “Pretty Hate Machine,” mastermind and lead vocalist Trent Reznor opted for a harder, more aggressive sound on his follow-up EP, 1992’s “Broken.” On that ep, Reznor’s focus became immediately apparent with the lead-off Grammy Award-winning track “Wish.” Reportedly, this song, along with the rest of the EP, was written by Trent Reznor to get even with his former manager at TVT Records, John Malm Jr., who sued Reznor for breach of contract, but Reznor was awarded $2.9 million in a counter-suit.
52. I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
| Genre | R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 1968 |
| Album | In the Groove |
Few singers and songwriters were as immensely talented in the R&B genre as Marvin Gaye, who remains as popular today as he did before he tragically died over 38 years ago. Ironically, the Motown shining star’s biggest hit was about Marvin hearing through gossip and rumors that his lover is cheating on him. Of course, that was the 1968 classic “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” which appeared on his album “In the Groove,” and spent an astonishing 17 weeks at the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
53. Cut Me Loose by Killswitch Engage
| Genre | Hardcore Metal |
| Year Released | 2016 |
| Album | Incarnate |
Rising from the ashes of Overcast and Aftershock, Killswitch Engage has become one of the most respected hardcore metal bands in the last few decades. Like most of their albums, 2016’s “Incarnate” focuses on issues important to the band and their fans, such as depression, racism, and other heavy themes. This also applies to the song “Cut Me Loose,” which addresses the themes of hopelessness and lost love where Jesse Leach tells his significant other that if they no longer have anything to offer each other, they need to go their separate ways.
54. Super Gremlin by Kodak Black
| Genre | Rap, Hip Hop |
| Year Released | 2022 |
| Album | Back for Everything |
If you’ve ever seen “Gremlins,” then you know that if you feed them after midnight, they turn from some of the most adorable creatures you’ve ever seen to hideous monsters that destroy everything in their path. That’s the metaphor that Kodak Black uses in the appropriately-titled “Super Gremlin” from his latest release, 2022’s “Back for Everything.” In this song, Kodak addresses those who claim to be your friends but take the first opportunity they get to stab you in the back, especially those who came along for the ride when you made it big.
55. Back Stabbers by The O’Jays
| Genre | R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 1972 |
| Album | Back Stabbers |
Doesn’t the title of this track from the 1972 O’Jays album of the same name say it all? Don’t get me wrong, I love it when songs are poetic and use metaphors to get their point across. I also appreciate when a band or a group is brave enough to come out and say exactly what they want to say. There’s no need to dwell on the message because the title tells you. However, if you’re wondering where you’ve heard this song before, it has appeared in two movies and four television shows.
56. Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers Band
| Genre | Southern Rock, Classic Rock |
| Year Released | 1969 |
| Album | The Allman Brothers Band |
When it comes to listing Southern rock royalty, The Allman Brothers Band sits right at the top of the list for many fans and critics. Much like Skynyrd, they are from Jacksonville, and this eleven-and-a-half-minute opus should be required listening in the genre. Featured on their 1969 self-titled debut, this track sees Gregg Allman pining over a lost love, but this is no ordinary breakup. The woman in question is now with one of his good friends, and they are together at a local bar while he is alone with his thoughts.
57. Cry For The Bad Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
| Genre | Southern Rock, Classic Rock |
| Year Released | 1976 |
| Album | Gimme Back My Bullets |
Coming out of Jacksonville, Florida, the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the most popular and successful acts of the 1970s. Since forming in 1964 as My Backyard, they have had 27 albums chart on the Billboard 200. One of those albums was the top-twenty 1976 release “Gimme Back My Bullets,” which included the track “Cry For The Bad Man.” This song takes a shot at the type of people in the music industry that Lynyrd Skynyrd despises, who treat you well as long as they’re making money off of you.
58. Put Out the Light by Joe Cocker
| Genre | Classics Rock7, R&B |
| Year Released | 19742 |
| Album | I Can Stand a Little Rain |
Being betrayed hurts, but it hurts worse when from someone whom you knew you could trust. I know what most of you are saying. That’s what betrayal is. However, there are people whom you think you can trust, and there are those that you feel down in your soul that you can trust. While it hurts when the former betrays you, I can’t even begin to describe the pain when the latter does. That’s the message behind Grammy winner Joel Cocker’s “Put Out the Light,”.from 1974’s “I Can Stand a Little Rain.”
59. Betrayal by Scarface and Gang Starr
| Genre | Rap, Hop Hop |
| Year Released | 1998 |
| Album | Moment of Truth |
Bradley Terrence Jordan made a name for himself in the Houston-based hip-hop group the Geto Boys, and that name was Scarface. In 1998, BET I Am Hip-Hop Award honoree Jordan Scarface was featured on the track “Betrayal” from the hip-hop duo Gang Starr’s fifth album, “Moment of Truth.” The track is about a young man who goes through some terrible events in his life, but still. manages to go to college and have a future playing professional basketball. Sadly, he was gunned down in the streets over some illegal activities his brother was into.
60. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Cher
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 1966 |
| Album | The Sonny Side of Chér |
This is the lead track from Cher’s 1966 record, “The Sonny Side of Chér.” The Billboard number-two song is about a couple who grew up together, playing together as children. As they grew up, they started dating and then eventually got married. Sadly, that’s the end of the happy part of this story. The guy stepped out of the marriage but didn’t bother to take the time to let Cher know that he was leaving. She says what would hurt her most is that he didn’t even take the time to lie to her.
61. Mistreated by Deep Purple
| Genre | Hard Rock, Classic Rock |
| Year Released | 1974 |
| Album | Burn |
Before he was the frontman for the ’80s hair metal band Whitesnake, David Coverdale was the second lead vocalist for hard rock’s legendary Deep Purple. By 1974, they released their eighth studio album, the gold-certified “Burn,” which featured the song “Mistreated.” This song tackles the subjects of loneliness and depression that one normally faces after a serious romantic relationship has come to an end. Coverdale is practically begging for someone to be with him and who will treat him right. Unfortunately, he has been hurt before and may not easily trust somebody else.
62. You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse
| Genre | R&B, Soul, Pop |
| Year Released | 2006 |
| Album | Back to Black |
In 2008, Amy Winehouse took home three Grammy Awards. One of them was for her album “Back to Black,” which featured the single “You Know I’m No Good.” This is a song that is told from the perspective of the betrayer. When Amy comes into the house from a night out, her boyfriend can immediately tell that she’s been cheating on him. She recognizes that she messed up but makes no apologies for her behavior. Instead, she justifies it by saying that he knew that she was no good when they got together.
Related Article: Sad Breakup Songs Playlist
63. Hell To Pay by Drowning Pool
| Genre | Nu Metal |
| Year Released | 2006 |
| Album | Hallelujah |
Drowning Pool released their sixth Studio album, “Hallelujah,” in 2016 before taking a six-year hiatus from releasing music. This would be their second album with new vocalist Jason Moreno, who was the second singer since the death of their original lead vocalist. Dave Williams, who was found dead on their tour bus in 2002. The third single from “Hallelujah” was called “Hell To Pay,” which is about a guy who catches his girl cheating on him. She wants to get past this and make things work, but the guy can’t bring himself to do it.
64. Seeing Things by The Black Crowes
| Genre | Blues Rock |
| Year Released | 1990 |
| Album | Shake Your Money Maker |
When we are comfortable in a relationship, there are lots of things that we don’t see until it’s too late. Once they finally come to light, your knee-jerk reaction may be to walk away. However, some people are raised to never give up and to try to work things out. If they feel like they have no choice but to leave, they carry that guilt for a long time until they begin to see things. That’s what The Black Crowes preach in “Seeing Things,” from 1990’s top-five selling “Shake Your Money Maker.”
65. Cut Here by The Cure
| Genre | Alternative, Goth, Pop |
| Year Released | 2001 |
| Album | Greatest Hits |
The majority of us have at least one moment in our lives that we wish we could go back and change. For example, Robert Smith, that moment was declining to have a drink with his friend Billy MacKenzie from the Scottish New Wave band The Associates, who tragically ended his own life in 1997. The lead singer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Cure, said that this song expresses his regret not to have spent whatever time he could have spent with his friend while he had the chance.
66. Run For Your Life by The Beatles
| Genre | Classic Rock, Alternative Rock |
| Year Released | 1965 |
| Album | Rubber Soul |
The Beatles never struck me as a particularly violent band, but my mind was changed when I heard “Run For Your Life,” along with the rest of 1965’s critic and fan-favorite “Rubber Soul.” Whether this song is meant to be taken as comedic or if this is their way of revealing how dark they can be is up for debate. What’s not debatable is that the message behind it is that you
don’t run around on John Lennon. If you do, let this song serve as a warning as to what can happen.
67. The Bleeding by Five Finger Death Punch
| Genre | Metal |
| Year Released | 2007 |
| Album | The Way of the Fist |
When Five Finger Death Punch released their album “The Way of the Fist” in 2007, lots of people took notice. Although the album was not a commercial success, it did crack the Billboard 200 and laid a blueprint that the rest of the metal world would start following. Featured on their debut album’s washed “The Bleeding,” which is a song about the toll that lies and deception can take on a relationship. What lead vocalist Ivan Moody is saying is that these things can lead to much more complicated things in the future.
68. Such A Night by Michael Bublé
| Genre | Easy Listening, Swing |
| Year Released | 2018 |
| Album | Love (Deluxe Edition) |
Michael Bublé is a Canadian-born crooner whose 1950s style of swing and pop music has been credited for getting people back into traditional pop. The singer has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for 2018’s “Love (Deluxe Edition),” which features the song “Such A Night.” During this track, Bublé thinks about one specific night in which he fell in love with someone, only to have them leave him before dawn. Can’t imagine meeting someone Falling that deeply in love in a few hours, but it happens.
69. We Used To Be Friends by Dandy Warhols
| Genre | Post-Punk, Alternative Pop |
| Year Released | 2003 |
| Album | Welcome to the Monkey House |
Not all stories of betrayal are about romantic relationships. Some of them are about the dissolution of past friendships because of one thing or another. Not to open any old wounds, but I’m sure that most of you reading this have experienced this at least once and think back to that friend fairly often. You may even be on the proverbial fence about wanting to reconcile. This sounds a lot like the situation being presented by the OFTA Television Award nominees in “We Used to Be Friends” from 2003’s “Welcome to the Monkey House.”
70. Smile by Lily Allen
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2006 |
| Album | Alright, Still |
Okay, now we get to let our dark sides show for a minute. When somebody does you wrong, and you break up, isn’t it strange how this person will come back to you the minute they get lonely again? Better yet, doesn’t it make you smile just a little to know that they are lonely and suffering? Sure it does, and admitting this doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you human. If you can relate to this, you can relate to the song “Smile” from her Grammy-nominated 2006 effort “Alright, Still.”
71. How Do You Sleep? By LCD Soundsystem
| Genre | Electronica, Alternative Pop, Indie, Post Punk |
| Year Released | 2017 |
| Album | American Dream |
LCD Soundsystem is a strange group, making nine-minute songs that are a strange combination of alternative, indie, electronica, post-punk, and tribal music. If you like to hear long, drawn-out songs about how relationships fall apart, then this is for you. The track from 2017’s “American Dream” is about some issues the singer had with DFA Records co-founder Tim Goldsworthy. Murphy would later be sued by the label for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. The song title was also inspired by a line uttered by John Lennon, which was directed at Paul McCartney.
72. The Girl You Lost To Cocaine by Sia
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2008 |
| Album | The Girl You Lost |
There is a lot of debate amongst Grammy-nominated Sia’s fans as to whether or not “The Girl You Lost To Cocaine” is about having to walk away from a friendship or a romantic relationship because of a bad cocaine habit. The title track to her 2008 release, “The Girl You Lost” (which was cut from the original title for censorship reasons), is about stepping away from a bad situation, but many people think that she uses cocaine as a metaphor for being tired of being someone’s crutch and dealing with their excessive drama.
73. Don’t Hurt Yourself by Beyoncé (Featuring Jack White)
| Genre | Hip Hop, R&B, Soul |
| Year Released | 2016 |
| Album | Lemonade |
Let this serve as a warning that this is not a typical Beyonce song. Instead, Queen Be is on a rampage, and she is letting all of us know exactly what’s on her mind on this track from the critically-praised 2016 album “Lemonade.” This song is a shot at her husband, the acclaimed and talented rapper Jay-Z, whom she caught stepping outside of their marriage and having several affairs. Now, we all know that Beyoncé would not take something like this lying down. Instead, she took it to the recording studio. This is easily one of the most popular songs about betrayal ever.
74. Do You Call That a Buddy? by B.B. King
| Genre | Blues |
| Year Released | 1965 |
| Album | Confessin’ the Blues |
I believe the expression, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?” serves as some kind of inspiration for the 1932 song “Do You Call That a Buddy?” by the blues legend B.B. King covered it in 1965 on his album “Confessin’ the Blues.” The song is about a guy who has been in love with a girl since childhood. However, she has a new suitor who seems to be enamored with her. While it’s not specifically mentioned, I think that he is one of the narrator’s good friends, as the title would indicate.
75. No Time To Die by Billie Eilish
| Genre | Pop |
| Year Released | 2021 |
| Album | No Time To Die (Original Soundtrack) |
Every time a new James Bond film is released, people clamor together to discuss the theme song for the film. It’s almost as important as the movie itself. For the 2021 installment of this franchise, the quirky pop star and songwriter Billie Eilish was chosen to perform the theme. Just like the movie, the song is about the main character looking to exact Revenge on someone who has wronged him. We all know that in every James Bond film, he has a love interest that eventually betrays him. This song tells that story.
76. Comfort Betrays by As I Lay Dying
| Genre | Hardcore Metal |
| Year Released | 2007 |
| Album | An Ocean Between Us |
I find it humorously ironic that As I Lay Dying has recorded a song where the main topic is betrayal, especially seeing that lead vocalist Tim Lambesis was arrested and served six years in prison for seeking out someone to murder his wife. The vocalist then reunited with the band one year after being released from prison. What’s even more hilarious is that the track from their 2007 release “An Ocean Between Us” has a narrator that is furious with a supposed “friend” because they sat by and let him almost destroy himself.
77. Unraveling by Sevendust
| Genre | Nu Metal, Alternative Metal |
| Year Released | 2010 |
| Album | Cold Day Memory |
Perhaps the most interesting theory that I have heard about this track, which comes from Sevendust’s positively-reviewed 2010 release “Cold Day Memory,” is that it’s about a person who is haunted so much by their past that it is affecting their ability to engage in new relationships, no matter how positive they could be. They have been so hurt and betrayed in their past that they are unwilling to consider entering into any kind of relationship because they simply can’t trust their partner because of how much they’ve been hurt in the past.
78. F.O.D. by Green Day
| Genre | Punk |
| Year Released | 1994 |
| Album | Dookie |
The word around the campfire is that lead vocalist, and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong wrote this song, which appears on Green Day’s diamond-certified album “Dookie,” about someone whom he can’t stand because they are a well-known backstabber. This is made evident in the initials F.O.D., which stands for “F*ck Off and Die.” It’s too bad that the person who is the subject of this song is never revealed. Is it just me, or would it be nice to know the identity of the person that Billie Joe hates so much?
79. Betrayed by Avenged Sevenfold
| Genre | Heavy Metal |
| Year Released | 2005 |
| Album | City Of Evil |
Most people know the story of what happened to the legendary guitar player from the groove metal band Pantera, The One and Only Dimebag Darrell. In case you haven’t heard, Dimebag was shot and killed while playing a gig onstage with his new band Damageplan after Pantera had broken up. The news rocked most of the metal world to its core, including Avenged Sevenfold lead vocalist M Shadows. He decided to put pen to paper as a way to express his feelings. The result was the track “Betrayed” from 2005’s “City Of Evil.”
80. Dogs by the Pink Floyd
| Genre | Progressive Rock, Classic Rock |
| Year Released | 1977 |
| Album | Animals |
In this song from the 1977’s critical darling “Animals,” Pink Floyd uses the term “dogs” to refer to Cutthroat businessmen who will do anything to gain an advantage in their respective fields. The lines “You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to so that when they turn their backs on you, you’ll get the chance to put the knife in” tell you all that you need to know regarding these people. First, they earn your trust, then they betrayed the way it works in the cutthroat world of corporate greed.
Hi, my name is Kevin and I’m from Butler, Pennsylvania. I’ve been obsessed with music and audio gear for as long as I can remember. I started this website to help people find professional advice related to a wide range of audio topics. We have a number of Audio Engineers on our team who have been designing and fixing audio gear for decades.