American Songwriter has published a light-hearted list of four popular songs from the 1970s that are best avoided by anyone nursing a fresh breakup. The piece argues that each track, while beloved and often catchy on the surface, carries lyrics or emotional twists that could deepen heartbreak rather than soothe it, making them risky listening in the immediate aftermath of a split.

The songs featured are Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)", Bread's "Diary", Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and Hall & Oates' "She's Gone". Each entry explains why the song hits especially hard depending on the nature of the breakup, from themes of abandonment and infidelity to unresolved apologies and blunt finality.