10 Radio Friendly Songs About Dying

A proper tearjerker this one that sees two of the most powerful artists in slow jam R’n’B team up to deliver a heartbreaking song of love and regret. One Sweet Day tells the story of a protagonist who has lost someone dear them, and feels that they didn’t get to say a proper goodbye because they took them for granted while they were still alive. The track then ends with the central character meeting their loved one again in heaven.

It’s a heavy subject to address in a pop song, without question, but the mastery of the two artists ensured that it was met with both critical acclaim and mainstream success. The single reached the top of the Billboard charts and stayed there for 16 weeks - a record duration at that time.

Carey and Boyz II Men wrote the song about specific people in their own lives, but were also inspired by the AIDS epidemic that was prevalent across the globe at the time of the song’s release. Consequently, rather than just coming across as yet another weepy R’n’B cryfest aimed at chart domination and nothing else, the song actually packs a properly profound emotional punch.