There are times when we need music to lift us up, and many of the songs on this list fulfill that extremely well. But there are also times when we need music just to get by, and “Everybody Hurts” is a song that has been there for me, doing that all through my life. I remember hearing it as a teenager and the refrain becoming a way for me to deal with the death of a friend. Simply knowing that I wasn’t the only one going through pain was enough to inspire me to “hold on.” There is a great comfort in commiserating with someone, and R.E.M. has set forth a song that will instantly connect you to everyone else. I always get that sense that someone is listening to my problems when I hear this song. It’s a powerful feeling, and one that has never left me when listening to this gem.

-S. Russ