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.
Blake Shelton — “I’m Sorry”
In a video posted to his official YouTube account, Blake Shelton explained that he actually had “I’m Sorry” “in [his] back pocket for a few years,” but didn’t cut it “out of fear of whether [he] could actually perform that vocal or not.” Once he realized that he could, Shelton felt the song was still missing something, so he asked Martina McBride to sing on it with him. The song appeared on his sixth studio album, Red River Blue. Listen here.
Linkin Park – “In Between”
“Let me apologize to begin with/Let me apologize for what I’m about to say/But trying to be genuine was harder than it seemed/And somehow I got caught up in between,” Linkin Park multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Mike Shinoda sings in the opening verse to “In Between.” In the song, Shinoda expresses apologetic feelings, but struggles to find the words to really convey what he means. The singer hopes that his “actions” can “speak the words they can,” because the things he “wan[s]t to say” “get lost before they come.” The song appeared on the band’s third studio album, Minutes to Midnight. Listen here.
Ciara – “Sorry”
Ciara spoke at length about “Sorry” with Essence, saying that she “had to stop [her]self from crying when [she] was writing it.” She said the song was about someone she really loved, and that it was her “way of saying something that [she’s] wanted to say to someone for a long time.” “It’s very real to my heart.” she said. Ciara sings about someone she feels she is owed an apology from, singing: “All you had to do is say that I’m sorry.” The song peaked at No. 6 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Listen here.
Halsey — “Sorry”
In this piano-driven ballad, Halsey sings about her insecurities, which make them push their lovers away. They apologize to their hypothetical lover for the fact that their insecurities make it difficult for them to let people get close, singing: “So I’m sorry to my unknown lover/Sorry that I can’t believe that anybody ever really/Starts to fall in love with me,” and admitting that they “run away when things are good.” The song appeared on Halsey’s second studio album, hopeless fountain kingdom. Listen here.
Akon – “Sorry, Blame It On Me”
Akon’s “Sorry, Blame It On Me” was written after a video of the singer dancing suggestively with an underage girl onstage at a club surfaced online. Per The New York Times, the scandal led to Verizon dropping its sponsorship on Gwen Stefani’s Sweet Escape Tour, for which Akon was the opening act. The events that transpired are addressed pretty head-on in the song, as Akon sings: “I’m sorry that it took so long to speak/But I was on tour with Gwen Stefani/I’m sorry for the hand that she was dealt/For the embarrassment that she felt/Just a little young girl tryin’ to have fun/Her daddy should’ve never let her out that young/I’m sorry for Club Zen getting shut down/I hope they manage better next time around.” He also takes the opportunity to apologize to his family for not being there for them. The apologetic song ended up reaching No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
The Decemberists – “Apology Song”
“Apology Song” confusingly appears as the sixth track on the Decemberists’ debut EP, 5 Songs. The track originally wasn’t a part of the EP when the band first self-released it but was added once it was re-released by Hush Records, hence the discrepancy. The apology in question is a bit of an anomaly for this list, as it isn’t meant for a lover. Lead singer Colin Meloy begs for forgiveness from a friend after losing his bicycle, which he calls by the name Madeline. Listen here.
The Monkees — “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”
“A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” was written by Neil Diamond, who had written the Monkees’ previous hit single, “I’m a Believer.” It tells the story of a man claiming responsibility for difficulties in a relationship, all while pleading with his lover that while he might be at fault, she is “a little bit” too. He gently asks his lover to claim some responsibility, as the song goes: “I’m a little bit wrong/And you’re a little bit right,” which implies that they are both at times, right and wrong. The acoustic guitar-driven number reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart, giving the Monkees another smash hit. Listen here.
Bryan Adams – “Please Forgive Me”
“Please Forgive Me” was the lone single and bonus track off of Bryan Adams’ 1993 compilation album So Far So Good. In an interview with Songfacts, Adams said that the song was written in France after songwriter Mutt Lange came up with the concept. The track is notable for its use of a modulation, which Adams had previously avoided doing in songs, as he “never liked” them. “Please forgive me, I know not what I do/Please forgive me, I can’t stop loving you,” he sings about a lover he can’t seem to forget about. The song was a big hit for Adams, reaching No.7 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Listen here.
Chicago — “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”
“Hard to Say I’m Sorry” was co-written by producer David Foster and Chicago bassist Peter Cetera, who sang lead on the track. The apologetic power ballad is sung from the perspective of someone who has a difficult time apologizing, but doesn’t want to lose their significant other, and promises to redeem themselves, singing: “After all that we’ve been through/I will make it up to you, I promise to.” The song was the band’s second No. 1 single, spending two weeks on the Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
will.i.am. feat. Cheryl Cole – “Heartbreaker”
will.i.am’s dancy “sorry” song features Cheryl Cole, who was a member of Girls Aloud at the time. will.i.am originally included a version of “Heartbreaker” that did not include Cole on his 2007 solo album Songs About Girls, but told the BBC he re-recorded it with her when his record company suggested her and after meeting Cole, hit it off with her. The lyrics are delivered in a stuttering style, as will.i.am sings “I’m s-s-s-sorry/I didn’t mean to break your heart.” The collaboration was subsequently included on Cole’s debut solo album, 3 Words. Listen here.
Demi Lovato – “Sorry Not Sorry”
This one is not really an apology song per se, unless you want to apologize for not being sorry. The concept might be a little confusing, but there is nothing confusing about the song’s message, about being unapologetically yourself, and not caring about what others might think. “Baby, I’m sorry (I’m not sorry)/Bein’ so bad got me feelin’ so good,” Lovato sings about their newfound self-confidence. “Sorry Not Sorry” was the lead single off of Lovato’s sixth album, Tell Me You Love Me. It was a summer hit, peaking at No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
Christina Aguilera – “Hurt”
“Hurt” was the second single off of Christina Aguilera’s fifth studio album, Back to Basics. The emotional ballad is about losing someone and was written by Aguilera, Mark Ronson and the singer’s longtime collaborator, Linda Perry, who had herself just lost her father. Aguilera’s powerful vocals express grief as she sings: “Oh I’m sorry for blaming you/For everything I just couldn’t do/And I’ve hurt myself by hurting you.” The sad track peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 charts. Listen here.
Bob Dylan — “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)”
The fourth track off of Bob Dylan’s iconic Blonde on Blonde record, “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)” recounts a series of misconnects between the narrator and a young woman he has mistreated, which the narrator apologizes for. “I didn’t mean/To make you so sad/You just happened to be there, that’s all,” he explains himself. The song was released as a single, but failed to make it to the Hot 100 chart, reaching No. 119 on the Bubbling Under chart. Listen here.
Madonna – “Sorry”
“Sorry” was the second single off of Madonna’s dance album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. The disco-inspired track does not ask for forgiveness, but rather rejects an apology: “Please don’t say you’re sorry/I’ve heard it all before and I/Can take care of myself.” When answering questions on her website in 2005, Madonna shared that “Sorry” is the song from Confessions that took the longest to finish because she thought it was “too melodramatic” and “could never decide when it was right.” The song incorporates French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi, Lithuanian and Japanese, as Madonna sings the equivalent of “I’m sorry” and “Forgive me” in different languages. The song peaked at No. 58 on the Hot 100 chart and was a big dance hit for Madonna, reaching No.1 on both the Dance Club Songs chart and the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. Listen here.
Eminem – “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”
Eminem’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” is definitely not an apology song in the traditional sense. While the rapper does apologize to his mother for hurting her and making her cry, he does so sarcastically, taking it back and expressing how she hurt him during his childhood. Eminem depicts serious events from his childhood, like his father’s abandonment of his family, and his mother’s alleged drug use. He also touches on his own life as a parent, describing how he tries to be a good parent to her despite difficulties. “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
Taylor Swift – “Back To December”
Taylor Swift’s “Back to December” has been described by Swift as a songwriting first for her as she explained in a video that she has “never apologized to someone in a song before.” She said that the song is about someone that was “incredible” and “perfect” to her, but that she was “really careless with him.” That person was confirmed to be actor Taylor Lautner, whom Swift dated in 2009 after they met on the set of the movie Valentine’s Day. Swift expresses her remorse for not treating Lautner right, singing “You gave me roses and I left them there to die / So this is me swallowin’ my pride / Standin’ in front of you sayin’ I’m sorry for that night / And I go back to December all the time.” The song was the second single off of Speak Now and peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
OneRepublic – “Apologize”
Written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, “Apologize” appeared on both Timbaland’s second studio album Shock Value, and OneRepublic’s debut album Dreaming Out Loud. Per the Huffington Post, the song broke the Pop Airplay record for biggest radio airplay hit, with was broken by Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love,” also co-written by Tedder. In “Apologize,” Tedder does not sing about apologizing, rather he’s telling someone that has continually wronged him that it is now “too late to apologize.” The song was ranked 64 on Billboard’s list of the Top 100 of Hot 100 hits. Listen here.
Justin Bieber – “Sorry”
The second single off Bieber’s 2015 album Purpose, “Sorry,” might not sound like an apology song, but the lyrics do describe sincere feelings of regret. Justin Bieber co-wrote the track with Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Skrillex and BloodPop, and told Ellen Degeneres while appearing on her show that it was “a little” about ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez. On it, he sings about wanting to redeem himself to his lover, asking if it’s “too late now to say sorry?” The song was a huge hit for Bieber, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
Cher – “If I Could Turn Back Time”
Cher originally didn’t like “If I Could Turn Back Time,” the lead single off of her 1989 album Heart of Stone. In an interview with People, the song’s songwriter, Diane Warren, recounts getting down on her knees and pleading with Cher to consider it. “I told her I wasn’t going to leave the room until she said yes, and finally, just to get rid of me, she did,” she said. “If I could turn back time/If I could find a way/I’d take back those words that hurt you and you’d stay,” she sings in the opening verse, expressing remorse. The song was seen as a comeback for Cher, peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Listen here.
OutKast – “Ms. Jackson”
OutKast’s catchy “Ms. Jackson” was born out of very sincere apologetic feelings André 3000 had towards singer Erykah Badu, with whom he had a child, and her mother, Ms. Gipson. The track begins with Andre dedicating the song to the “baby mamas’ mamas.” In 2016, Badu shared her feelings when she first heard the song on RapRadar’s podcast, saying “I still had a kind of sore spot, like I don’t want to hear that, especially when I heard Big Boi’s verse.” Her reaction wasn’t all bad though, with the singer adding: “And then when I heard André’s verse, I felt very good because his verse was really, really inspiring. He just told how he felt and I’ve always respected that and listened to what he felt and appreciated it.” She also revealed that her mother is the proud owner of a “Ms. Jackson” license plate. The song reached No. 69 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Listen here.
Nirvana – “All Apologies”
“All Apologies” was released as a double A side in 1993 along with “Rape Me,” and was the final single Nirvana released before Kurt Cobain’s death. The song has a repetitive structure, which immediately begins with Cobain expressing an regretful attitude, singing “What else should I be?/All apologies/What else could I say?/Everyone is gay/What else could I write?/I don’t have the right/What else should I be?/All apologies,” in the opening verse. Cobain dedicated the song to his newborn daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, and wife, Courtney love, during Nirvana’s set at the Reading Festival in 1992. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart. Listen here.
Elton John - “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”
This mournful ballad was written by Elton John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. It’s one of the few songs that John is said to have written lyrics for. It describes a lover trying hard to keep a dying relationship from fading, when they know deep down that it is already dead. “What have I gotta do to make you love me?/What have I gotta do to make you care?” John sings with despair. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 charts and was later recorded by boy band Blue in 2002. Listen here.
Adele – “Hello”
Adele’s wistful comeback single “Hello” takes on the same nostalgia and regret of her earlier hit, “Someone Like You,” as the singer reconnects with an old lover to rehash their relationship and apologize for “breaking [their] heart.” According to Rolling Stone, the songwriting process was slow, with six months passing between writing the verses and then the chorus. “We had half a song written,” producer/co-writer Greg Kurstin told the magazine. He admitted not knowing if the song was ever going to be finished. Luckily, it was finished, and Adele made her triumphant return, telling her fans “Hello, it’s me,” and the song was a No. 1 hit internationally, including on the Hot 100 charts. Listen here.
Prince and the Revolution – “Purple Rain”
Oddly enough, Prince’s epic “Purple Rain” originally started off as a country song. According to Lisa Coleman, Prince’s keyboardist, the singer wasn’t convinced it was a Prince song and offered it to Stevie Nicks, who turned it down because “she felt intimidated by it.” The song was eventually brought back out in rehearsals and rearranged without the country feeling. “I never meant to cause you any sorrow/I never meant to cause you any pain/I only wanted to one time to see you laughing/I only wanted to see you/Laughing in the purple rain,” he sings apologetically in the chill-inducing opening verse. “Purple Rain” was recorded live, in 1983 at a benefit show in Minneapolis. Coleman remembers Prince being “really excited” and saying: “We’re making history tonight.” The track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has remained one of Prince’s most iconic songs. Listen here.
John Lennon – “Jealous Guy”
John Lennon originally wrote the melody for his 1971 solo track “Jealous Guy” while the Beatles were in India in 1968. Lennon and Paul McCartney had both been inspired by the Maharishi about the “son of Mother Nature.” Lennon wrote “Child of Nature” at the time, and the Beatles recorded a demo of it upon their return, but McCartney’s take on the idea, “Mother Nature’s Son,” was ultimately included in the Beatles’ White Album. “Child of Nature” was shelved for a few years until Lennon was working on his Imagine album, and the lyrics were changed to express regret, with Lennon singing “I didn’t mean to hurt you/I’m sorry that I made you cry/Oh no, I didn’t want to hurt you/I’m just a jealous guy.” Following Lennon’s death in 1980, the song became an international hit in 1981 when Roxy Music covered it as a tribute to the Beatle, reaching No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Listen here.
