Great Forgotten Songs #66 – Greg Kihn Band “The Breakup Song”

Greg Khin Band

“The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)” is a song written by Greg Kihn and Steve Wright and recorded by American rock band The Greg Kihn Band. It is the first single from the band’s fourth studio album, RocKihnRoll (1981). The song’s musical style encompasses pop rock and power pop.

Hear the song below:

It celebrates the quality of break-up songs in rock’s earlier times, as the narrator laments both his recent breakup and the fact that they don’t write good breakup songs anymore.

The song reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart.

It has been featured in several films, including Let Me In (2010), The House of the Devil (2009), The Groomsmen (2006) and Beautiful Girls as well as the hit video game Grand Theft Auto V (2013). It was sampled in “Gone” by Yelawolf on his Arena Rap EP.

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Rafael Polcaro: I'm a Brazilian journalist who always loved Classic Rock and Heavy Metal music. That passion inspired me to create Rock and Roll Garage over 6 years ago. Music has always been a part of my life, helping me through tough times and being a support to celebrate the good ones. When I became a journalist, I knew I wanted to write about my passions. After graduating in journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, I pursued a postgraduate degree in digital communication at the same institution. The studies and experience in the field helped me improve the website and always bring the best of classic rock to the world! MTB: 0021377/MG