This article rounds up three heartbreak ballads from the 1970s that remain emotionally potent for listeners today. It focuses on songs by Gilbert O'Sullivan, Elton John and Bill Withers, exploring how each captures a different facet of romantic pain and loss, from existential despair to quiet regret to lingering absence.

Gilbert O'Sullivan's track deals with profound heartbreak bordering on despair, its upbeat melody masking bleak lyrics. Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" examines how pride can destroy a relationship, while Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" conveys the aching emptiness left by a loved one's absence, a feeling the article says listeners instantly recognise.

– Feature highlights three enduring 1970s heartbreak songs
– Tracks by Gilbert O'Sullivan, Elton John and Bill Withers featured
– Each song reflects a different form of romantic pain