the “REAL” Best Break-Up Songs – #5: Isley Brothers – Let Me Down Easy

[Note: Originally posted on Feb 11, 2011. Updated with notes and new observations]

In my old blog, I randomly posted “Here’s the best break-up song ever – Guy’s “Goodbye Love”.  My brother called b.s. immediately – and he was right. I love that song, but it’s not the best break-up song¹. Heck, it’s not even in the top 5.

So that got me thinking – what are my favorite break-up songs? Break-up songs have made a resurgence as late – with Adele’s “Hello” smashing records left and right².

So, here, in a very un-scientific method ³ are my top 5 break-ups songs. Number Five –  The Isley Brothers’ “Let Me Down Easy” (off 1976’s Harvest For The World). 

I love this song; it’s one of their most underrated tracks off of one of their most underrated albums. “Let Me Down Easy” first shows up in the intro track “Harvest For the World Prelude”, but doesn’t get its requisite shine until the second side (yes, I originally bought this LP on cassette, and always thinks of the songs from a Side A/Side B point of view). Chris Jasper crafts a great intro⁴ which seamlessly leads into Ron’s falsetto.

1. In fact, did they actually break up? It sounds like Aaron Hall comes back at the end.
2. First song to sell over 1 billion digital copies in a week (and yes, I made the Dr. Evil voice in my head when I typed that).
3. Me looking at the highest rated songs in my iTunes library.
4. His third-best Isley intro behind “Sensuality” and “The Highways of My Life”