Almost everyone loves a sad song, especially from the 1980s. But then there are some that are truly heartbreaking, including these three tunes, which all came out in 1989.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx
Richard Marx wrote “Right Here Waiting” by himself. On his sophomore Repeat Offender record, Marx wrote “Right Here Waiting” by thinking about his then-girlfriend, Cynthia Rhodes, who was filming a movie in South Africa.
“We were not married then,” Marx recalls (via Songfacts). “And I wanted to meet her, because I had not seen her for a few months. But my visa application was rejected. And when I came back, I wrote this song, which was more of a letter from me to her.
“It was the fastest song I wrote, in barely 20 minutes,” he continues. “And this was the time when there was no Skype and social networking, so I had to ship the track to her. The song was very personal and was not intended to go public. But my friends pursued me to record it.”
“Right Here Waiting” says, “Oceans apart, day after day / And I slowly go insane / I hear your voice on the line / But it doesn’t stop the pain / If I see you next to never / Then how can we say forever / Wherever you go / Whatever you do / I will be right here waiting for you.”
Marx reportedly first gave the song to Barbra Streisand. She ultimately passed on the song, allowing him to record it himself.
“If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Simply Red
On Simply Red’s third studio album, A New Flame, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” is written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The song was first released in 1972 by Harry Melvin & the Blue Notes. 17 years later, Simply Red had a No. 1 song with the tragic tune.
“If You Don’t Know Me By Now” says, “Oh, don’t get so excited / When I come home a little late at night / You know, we only act like children / When we argue, fuss, and fight / If you don’t know me by now / You will never, never, never know me.”
“Miss You Like Crazy” by Natalie Cole
On Natalie Cole‘s Good To Be Back album, “Miss You Like Crazy” Gerry Goffin, Michael Masser, and Preston Glass are the song’s writers. A No. 1 hit for Cole on both Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary and R&B/Hip-Hop charts, “Miss You Like Crazy” is an honest admission of the realities of life after a relationship ends.
“Miss You Like Crazy” says, “I miss you like crazy, I miss you like crazy / Ever since you went away, every hour of every day / I miss you like crazy, I miss you like crazy / No matter what I say or do / There’s just no getting over you.“
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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