Melancholic music wanted.

Mark Burgess, Up On the Hill:

 

House of Love, Shake and Crawl:

 

Trash Can Sinatras, Obscurity Knocks:

 

Last Party, Mr. Hurst:

 

Clan of Xymox, Back Door:

 

This, I think: "Poor Edward" by Tom Waits.

 

Pretenders, Kid:

 

Mark-Almond, What Am I Living For:

 

Mike Curb Congregation, Burning Bridges:

 

You might do well to check into King Dude's entire discography.

 

Bee Gees, If I Only Had My Mind on Something Else:

 

Patty Griffin's entire discography.

 

Julien Baker. A newcomer to the scene, but really strong.

 

Melancholy music is probably my favorite genre. Those Radiohead songs are some of my favorites.

As others have said, Richard Thompson is top notch, so many great songs. A few from his Sweet Warrior album should be mentioned:
Take Care The Road You Choose
Sunset Song

The Church are my favorite band, and literally every album of theirs has at least one melancholic masterpiece.
try:
Ionian Blues
Summer
Under The Milky Way
Fading Away
Pure Chance

Porcupine Tree is another band that will give you some exceptional chill/melancholy songs on every album.
some standouts:
Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here
Lips Of Ashes
Hatesong
Anesthetize
Dark Matter

other classics:
Again - Archive
Lifeboats - Snow Patrol
Bridge of Sighs - Robin Trower
Ljudet Innan - Storm Corrosion
Someday Never Comes - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Mad World - Gary Jules
Space Age Love Song - A Flock Of Seagulls
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
Slip Sliding Away - Paul Simon
A Falling Star - Opal (hell, the whole Happy Nightmare Baby album)
Star Witness - Neko Case
Night Still Comes - Neko Case
Middle Cyclone - Neko Case
Holocaust - Big Star
Jesus Etc... - Wilco
Nutshell - Alice In Chains
Lord Of The Reedy River - Donovan
Chameleon Boy - Blue October
Sea Lion - Sage Francis
Little By Little - Robert Plant
Black Milk - Massive Attack
Mary Gauthier - I Drink

 

Haven't got through page 1 yet so might have been mentioned already but my favorite post 1980 band, The Church, makes beautiful melancholic music. I've always described it as euphoric melancholia. Being depressed can feel good too! It's hard to describe and perhaps some will know what I'm on about but it makes me feel good. Try After Everything Now This or Untitled #23. Shoot, pretty much everything from their second album on (1982's The Blurred Crusade) qualifies. Such and underrated and under appreciated band.

 

Wow. I hadn't got past page one and as soon as I add my reply it's right under a guy recommending the same! I'd go a step further and say that pretty much every album in their catalog is a melancholic masterpiece. Sure, there are a few poppier tracks ("Easy", "Comedown") but their pop is melancholic manna. Try Hologram of Baal as well. "Louisiana", "Anaesthesia", "Buffalo", "Great Machine", "This Is It", "Another Earth"....freakjn' masterpiece! I also second Red House Painters but The Church is top of the mountain

 

That's not true at all. Disintegration is much, much more consistent in mood than Head on the Door or Kiss Me x3. "Lovesong" is no "Inbetween Days" or "Hot Hot Hot" or "Friday I'm in Love" by any means.

 

Boduf Songs.

 

Nick Cave's No More Shall We Part is another melancholic masterpiece. Not so much in tone but more the actual mindset behind being melancholy or otherwise disturbed.

 

Agree to disagree.

Regardless, Lovesong and a good portion of the album are not melancholic regardless how "dark" or "gothy" it sounds.

 

A quick google search shows many people agree to disagree with you. The OP asked for melancholy music. Disintegration has that in spades...

Plainsong/Pictures of You/Closedown/Last Dance/Prayers for Rain/Same Deep Water as You/Homesick/Untitled.


"Keep reading for our track-by-track take on this melancholy stunner." - Billboard
The Cure's 'Disintegration' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review »

"Disintegration is a melancholy record, but not a depressed one." - Quietus
The Quietus | Reviews | The Cure »

"there’s just no escaping the overwhelming but simplistic melancholy that pervades the album." - The Rumpus
Albums of Our Lives: The Cure’s Disintegration »

"In Smith's world, even good relationships are shot through with morbid overtones, and failed ones are the end of the world; he treats both with the same resigned melancholy." - Rolling Stone
The Cure Disintegration Album Review »

"Disintegration distills every melancholy Cure moment into a potent elixir" - Powerhouse Museum
The Cure – Disintegration | The 80s Are Back - ended on 27 March 2011 - Powerhouse Museum »

 

Beat me to it, sir.

 

Ashes and Roses - Mary Chapin Carpenter ; songs of loss and relationship breakdown...