The best songs about apologizing: 10 sincere apologies

Whether it’s a romantic relationship ending, a fight with a friend, or confronting a mistake that can’t be undone, we’ve all found ourselves in situations where a sincere apology was necessary. Thankfully, music has often guided us down the right path, and the best songs about sorry help us express remorse and ask for forgiveness.

From lovelorn soul songs to introspective piano ballads, these heartfelt apologies help us make the right choices in the here and now, thanks to raw, vulnerable lyrics that capture the complicated feelings of regret, guilt, and the hope for redemption.

Here is our list of the best songs about sorry, each one giving the listener the strength to take responsibility for past mistakes and ask for forgiveness wherever it is due.

The best songs about apologizing: 10 sincere apologies

10: Ramones: Swallow My Pride (1977)

Let’s face it: If you’ve screwed up and need to apologize, you can do worse than get some advice from the Ramones. On the band’s 1977 single “Swallow My Pride,” singer Johnny Ramone, with typical punk verve, searches for a glimmer of optimism as he confronts his past difficulties (“Things looked bleak, but they’re looking good again”) before urging himself to “swallow his pride” and do exactly what needs to be done. Whether or not he apologized (and for what) is pure speculation, but don’t let that stop you from taking note.