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Top 10 Sad Girl Anthems

DJing at WUSC and working at New Brookland Tavern has opened so many musical doors for me in the best way & I could not be more thankful! I have had the privilege to DJ at the Senate, Music Farm CHS, & New Brookland Tavern. I mainly DJ Emo Nights (5 & counting), but on October 7th, I got to host our 4th ‘Sad Girls Night Out’! Each night, different songs are favored, but I have discussed with regulars of these events & created a list of the top ten ‘Sad Girl Anthems’ that are continued crowd favorites. I love how diverse the list is, and the fact that it is not dominated by solely Olivia Rodrigo or Taylor Swift, but every genre is represented, as well as the different lyrical and musical ways to express sadness, such as anger, revenge, hate, or reflection.

The official top 10 Sad Girl Anthems are:

  1. Misery Business—Paramore (2007 Riot!)
  2. Since U Been Gone—Kelly Clarkson (2004 Breakaway)
  3. Back to December (Taylor’s Version)—Taylor Swift (2023 Speak Now Taylor’s Version) ((2010 Speak Now))
  4. All I Wanted—Paramore (2009 Brand New Eyes)
  5. The Climb—Miley Cyrus (2009 Hannah Montana The Movie)
  6. Before He Cheats—Carrie Underwood (2005 Some Hearts)
  7. get him back!—Olivia Rodrigo (2023 GUTS)
  8. First Love/Late Spring—Mitski (2014 Bury Me At Makeout Creek)
  9. Night Shift—Lucy Dacus (2018 Historian)
  10. Complicated—Avril Lavigne (2002 Let Go)

Honorable Mention: All Too Well (10 Minute Version)—Taylor Swift (2021 Red ((Taylor’s Version)) (((2012 Red))) I typically play this as the outro while everyone is leaving so Swifties can stay & sing, but those who do not know the song ‘all too well’ do not have to listen to 10 minutes of an unfamiliar song.

I love the fact that Paramore has two songs on here because they are also hits at emo night, and it is a huge change of pace, yet still sad. Sad Girls Night Out is not solely for the girls, but we do solely play female artists. Although the theme is ‘Sad’, everyone seems to leave the venue more relaxed, leaving behind all of their sadness, anger, resentment, or negativity towards anything in their lives—whether that be a breakup, exams, daddy issues, work, etc. The sense of community through music is so strong when we can all bond over one of the most common emotions.


Arden Riley

unlimited breadHits with olive Arden displays all genres! Each song, artist & album can be tied to a fun fact or personal story! Tune in to hear what's goin on in the local music scene! All set lists, as well as music-related content can be found on twitter @oliveArden ! I wanna play what you wanna hear!


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