The 30 Best Songs to Say ‘Sorry’

So you screwed up.

It happens to the best of us, even Justin Bieber , Adele and John Lennon , all who have come out with stellar apologetic tunes about saying “sorry.” No matter what bad blood you’re dealing with, why not make it better with a song? We’ve compiled a list of 25 of the best apology songs out there to help make amends and ask for forgiveness from a friend whose bike you might have lost, a significant other you weren’t there for or a family member you let down.

There really is something for everyone here.

Think you might be the one deserving of an apology? You’re in luck (apart from the needing an apology part, of course), because we’ve also included a few songs about that, too, so feel free to send this list to whoever wronged you to get the ball rolling.

There are also a few for when you’re — as Demi Lovato would say — “Sorry Not Sorry,” or when, like Madonna , you couldn’t care less about an apology because you’ve “heard it all before.” The songs in this list range from rock and country to pop, from huge hits to deep cuts.

We made sure to cover all the classic apology songs, along with some lesser obvious contenders you wouldn’t expect.

Read on to discover the surprising plethora of “sorry” songs that exist and learn about the very real stories that inspired some of these heartfelt tracks.

Because sometimes sorry really is “the hardest word to say,” so it might be easier to sing .