More Breakup Songs to Wallow in Over The Holidays

Thanks to all of you Rhythm Planetfriends and fans who sent in your own personal picks for more "Breakup Songs to Wallow In" after our Thanksgiving show. I decided to spin them on this week's pre-holiday show. You sent in so many touching expressions of heartbreak that I wish I could have included all of them, but there wasn't enough time on our show for the 40-plus songs you guys suggested.

Years ago on December 27, I was royally dumped just two days after the big, joyous holiday. My ex-girlfriend at the time left me for some other guy. I was completely blindsided when I came home one day to an empty home. Without any prior indication or explanation, she had moved in with him, leaving me no way of getting in touch with her—nothing! I was left alone to brood and stew, completely desolate and miserable. Mystified, too. New Year's Eve was obviously also a huge bummer; in desperation, I called my therapist.

Nobody ever likes getting dumped. But getting dumped during the holidays is even worse.

All this to say, I can commiserate with being dumped during the holidays. While recording this show in studio today, I actually choked up a bit listening to the Bill Withers and Nina Simone picks. I've always said that Nina is a sure way to get the tears flowing. I also love the flat, deadpan delivery of George Jones and especially like the Merle Haggard song.

Also added to our list is Joni Mitchell's classic holiday break-up song, "River," where despite being the 'dumper,' she still paints a heart-wrenching picture of herself feeling crappy for having "made [her] baby cry." Oh, man...it has all the makings of the perfect Christmas downer so I just had to include it. There was also a Marianne Faithfull song that I really wanted to play, but her lyrics would probably have raised an FCC eyebrow...or two.

So a big thank you to Ricky Schultz, Alex Quilici, Jennifer Fuertes Collins, James Donahue, Amir Vokshoor, David Gaar, Victoria Stevens, Marc Goldstein, Zareh Arevshatian, Glenna Thompson, Michael Barnes, and Anne Zimmerman for sharing all of your stories and tunes that made this playlist possible!

I wish everyone out there the happiest of holidays this season, and PLEASE try not to drown yourself in the eggnog!!! But should any of you find yourselves suffering the effects of the holidaze, feel free to post your tune(s) and stories here or on the Rhythm Planet Facebook page!

Rhythm Planet Playlist: 12/19/14

1. George Jones / "He Stopped Loving Her Today" / I Am What I Am / Epic/Legacy

2. Barbara Lewis / "Hello Stranger" / Baby, I'm Yours / Rhino Atlantic

3. Joy Division / "Love Will Tear Us Apart" / Love Will Tear Us Apart/ Cleopatra Records

4. Bill Withers / "Hope She'll be Happier" / Just as I Am / Columbia/Legacy

5. Nina Simone / "You Can Have Him" / Precious & Rare: Nina Simone / Le Chant du Monde

6. Nancy Wilson / "Guess Who I Saw Today" / I Want to Be Loved / Mood Indigo

7. Massive Attack / "Better Things" / Protection / Circa

8. Merle Haggard / "Holding Things Together" / Merle Haggard: 40 Greatest Hits/ Intersound

9. Holly Cole Trio / "Losing My Mind" / Color and Light: Jazz Sketches on Sondheim / Sony Classical

10. Jacques Brel / "Ne Me Quitte Pas" / Ne Me Quitte Pas / Svetlana Novojilova Shulguina

11. Glen Campbell / "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" / By the Time I Get to Phoenix / Capitol Nashville

12. Lhasa de Sela / "El Desierto" / La Llorona / Atlantic

13. Everything But the Girl / "Missing" / Amplified Heart/ Atlantic

14. Johnny Hartman / "When Your Lover Has Gone" / Songs From the Heart / Bethlehem Records

15. Joni Mitchell / "River" / Blue / Rhino