Music is a funny thing. One day you're listening to a synth-heavy dance track that makes you want to jump around your living room, and the next, a single melody line catches you off guard and suddenly you're thinking about that one person from ten years ago. It happens. Billy Ocean’s 1986 smash There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) is basically the poster child for this specific phenomenon.
It’s a song about songs.
Think about that for a second. It is a piece of music reflecting on the power that other music has over our internal emotional state. It’s meta before "meta" was a buzzword everyone used on social media. When it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in July of '86, it wasn't just because Billy Ocean had a voice like silk. It was because the lyrics tapped into a universal truth: we use music to calibrate our feelings, even when those feelings hurt.
The Story Behind There’ll Be Sad Songs
Most people assume a ballad this heavy must have come from a place of deep, personal heartbreak for the singer. Honestly? That’s not quite how it went down. The track was co-written by Ocean alongside Wayne Brathwaite and Barry Eastmond. The inspiration actually came from a real-life anecdote involving a friend of one of the writers.
This friend had recently gone through a brutal breakup. She was at a party, finally feeling like she was over the hump, when a specific song came on the radio. It wasn't even a "sad" song in the traditional sense, but it was their song. She completely lost it. She had to leave the room.
When Barry Eastmond heard this story, the concept clicked. He realized that a song doesn't have to be about a tragedy to be devastating; it just has to be tied to a memory. That’s the core of There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry). It captures that moment when the music starts and you realize you aren't as "over it" as you thought you were.
It’s interesting to look at the production of the mid-80s. You have these huge, gated reverb drums and lush synthesizers. By today's standards, some might call it "dated," but there’s a warmth in those Yamaha DX7 patches that modern digital plug-ins struggle to replicate. It feels like a hug from a giant, padded shoulder-bladed blazer.
Why the 80s Ballad Formula Actually Worked
We like to poke fun at the 80s. The hair was too big, the neon was too bright, and the ballads were, frankly, dramatic as hell. But there’s a reason There'll Be Sad Songs resonated so deeply. It followed a specific structural emotional arc that modern pop often ignores in favor of short, lo-fi loops.
- The "Cold" Intro: The song starts with that shimmering synth pad. It’s lonely. It sets a stage of isolation before the beat even drops.
- The Vocal Build: Billy Ocean doesn't start at a ten. He starts at a two. He’s whispering to you. He’s telling a secret.
- The Payoff: By the time he hits the bridge, he’s wailing. It’s catharsis.
If you look at the charts from 1986, Ocean was competing with giants. We’re talking about Whitney Houston’s "Greatest Love of All" and Patti LaBelle’s "On My Own." It was a year of vocal powerhouses. For a British-Trinidadian singer to dominate the R&B and Pop charts simultaneously in the US was no small feat. It proved that heartbreak has no borders.
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The Science of Why We Like Sad Music
You’ve probably done it. You’re feeling down, so what do you do? You put on the saddest playlist you own. It seems counterintuitive. Why would you want to feel worse?
Psychologists have actually looked into this. When we listen to melancholy tracks like There'll Be Sad Songs, our brains often release prolactin. This is a hormone typically associated with nursing and grief, intended to help us cope with pain. When there isn't a "real" tragedy occurring—just a song—we get the soothing effects of the hormone without the actual trauma. It’s a biological cheat code for feeling better.
Basically, Billy Ocean was providing a public service.
Beyond the Billboard: The Legacy of Love Zone
The album this track lived on, Love Zone, was a monster. It also featured "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going," which was the theme for The Jewel of the Nile. Imagine the range required to go from a high-energy, movie-soundtrack pop-rock anthem to a soul-crushing ballad like There'll Be Sad Songs.
Most artists get stuck in one lane. Ocean didn't. He moved between genres with a fluidity that gave him staying power. Even now, if you go to a wedding or a high school reunion, you’re going to hear his voice. He’s part of the cultural furniture.
But let’s talk about the lyrics for a minute.
"Sometimes I wonder why I spend these lonely hours / Thinking of you when I'm alone..."
It’s simple. It isn't trying to be Shakespeare. It’s plainspoken. That’s why it works. It sounds like something you’d actually say to yourself at 2:00 AM while staring at a ceiling fan.
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Why We Still Care Decades Later
We live in a world of 15-second TikTok sounds. Music has become increasingly disposable. Yet, tracks like There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) persist. Why?
Part of it is nostalgia, sure. But there’s also the "analog" feel of the emotion. There’s no Auto-Tune masking the vulnerability in Ocean’s delivery. When his voice cracks slightly on the high notes, you feel it. It’s human.
The song has been covered, sampled, and played in countless movies because it serves as a perfect shorthand for "this character is going through it." It’s an emotional waypoint.
Common Misconceptions About the Track
People often lump this song in with "easy listening" or "yacht rock." Honestly, that's a bit reductive. While it’s polished, it has more in common with classic Motown soul than it does with some of the more sterile soft rock of the era.
Another misconception is that it was written for a specific movie. While Billy did a lot of soundtrack work, this was a standalone hit that earned its place on the charts through radio play and word of mouth. It was the quintessential "call-in" song—the one people would phone into radio stations to dedicate to an ex-lover.
Navigating Your Own "Sad Song" Moments
If you find yourself stuck in a loop with a song that triggers bad memories, you aren't alone. It’s actually a documented neurological response called "neural resonance." Your brain is literally vibrating in sync with the emotional frequency of the music.
So, how do you handle it?
- Don't fight the feeling. If a song makes you cry, let it. That’s what it was designed for. Resistance usually just makes the emotional "hangover" last longer.
- Contextualize the memory. Remind yourself that the song belongs to a specific chapter. You can appreciate the artistry of There'll Be Sad Songs without letting it drag you back to 1986 or 2012 or whenever your heart was last broken.
- Create new associations. Listen to the song in a completely different environment. Go for a run. Clean the kitchen. Overwrite the "sad" data with mundane, productive data.
The Technical Brilliance of the Composition
If you analyze the music theory behind the track, it’s deceptively complex. The key changes and the way the bassline interacts with the melody provide a sense of "lift" even when the lyrics are "down." This creates a bittersweet tension. It’s not a dirge. It’s a mid-tempo soul ballad. That tempo—roughly 90 to 100 beats per minute—is close to a human heart rate under slight stress. It feels urgent.
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Barry Eastmond, the producer, knew exactly what he was doing. He kept the arrangement relatively sparse in the verses to give Billy’s voice room to breathe. When the background vocals come in for the chorus, they act as a "choir of empathy," reinforcing the idea that you aren't the only one feeling this way.
Actionable Steps for Music Lovers
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era of music or want to use music more effectively for your own mental health, here is what you should do:
Build a "Catharsis Playlist"
Don't just fill it with random sad songs. Look for tracks like There'll Be Sad Songs that have a clear emotional resolution. You want songs that don't just leave you in the pit but help you climb out.
Explore Billy Ocean’s Discography Beyond the Hits
If you only know him for this song and "Caribbean Queen," you’re missing out. Check out the Suddenly album. It’s a masterclass in mid-80s R&B production and showcases his versatility as a vocalist.
Practice Active Listening
Next time you hear a ballad that moves you, sit down and do nothing but listen. No phone. No chores. Just track the instruments. Notice how the drums enter. Pay attention to the backing harmonies. Understanding the craft of a song can often help detach it from the painful memories it might trigger.
Research the Songwriters
Look up Barry Eastmond’s other work. He worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin to Anita Baker. Following the producers and writers is often a better way to find music you love than just following the "Artist" tag on Spotify.
Music like this serves as a bridge between who we were and who we are now. It’s okay to look back, as long as you don't stay there. Billy Ocean gave us a toolkit for grieving, and forty years later, the tools still work perfectly.