Christmas isn’t always so merry for everyone.
The holiday season can be a hard one for many people, especially since there’s so much pressure to enjoy the magic of the big day. It’s hard to get in the Christmas spirit when you’re mourning a late loved one, far away from family or scrimping to make ends meet financially.
Fortunately, the country genre has a song for everything — even a less-than-happy holiday. Here, Taste of Country rounds up all the best sad country songs, written to warm the hearts of anyone who’s feeling lonely or blue.
From the classic — like Elvis Presley‘s “Blue Christmas” and Dolly Parton‘s “Hard Candy Christmas” — to the relatively obscure — like Keb’ Mo”s matter-of-fact “Christmas is Annoying” — these songs explore a variety of different experiences. You’ll find Dan + Shay singing about a poorly timed breakup, and Vince Gill reflecting on the life-altering experience of losing a sibling.
You’ll also find a couple of songs specifically written about soldiers who are overseas on Christmas, spending the holiday away from their families in order to fight for their country.
Read on for a complete roundup of the saddest country Christmas songs of all time.
19 Sad Country Christmas Songs to Make You Cry This Season
Christmas isn’t always so merry for everyone. The holiday season can be especially lonely for those who are far away from family, missing late loved ones or too busy making ends meet to splurge on the biggest, most expensive toys. No matter what’s weighing you down this Christmas, this list of sad country music has a song just for you.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak