The Power Of Love
What's a song that makes your heart melt? Maybe you have a soft spot for the power ballad that played while you slow danced at prom or the jazz records you grew up listening to. Whatever your love story is, we bet that one of these 20 songs is the soundtrack.
1. Be My Baby
Not only is "Be My Baby" one of the most romantic songs ever written, it also revolutionized pop music forever. Combining Phil Spector's signature Wall of Sound technique with Ronnie Spector's cooing vocals, the song flips gender roles on their head, with a woman pursing a man. Fun fact, Sonny & Cher provided backing vocals!
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2. God Only Knows
It's only fair to follow the Ronettes with the Beach Boys, given the effect "Be My Baby" had on Brian Wilson. "God Only Knows" is perhaps the finest song the Beach Boys ever made with baroque instrumentation and melancholy lyrics. Anticipating the a breakup, the narrator contemplates despair so cosmic it could only be felt by the divine.
3. Annie's Song
Written in the time it took to ride a ski lift, John Denver was inspired by the way nature and color filled his senses the same way his wife did. Part love song, part prayer, "Annie's Song" plays on one of the oldest poetic traditions in history: comparing the beauty of love to the beauty of nature. While the marriage may not have endured, the song certainly did.
4. Transatlanticism
The centerpiece to an unintentional concept album about long-distance relationships, "Transatlanticism" is 8 minutes of unadulterated yearning. This Death Cab For Cutie track starts mellow before reaching a crescendo as the narrator tells their beloved "I need you so much closer". No song captures the feeling of being away from your beloved quite like this.
© Markus Felix (talk to me) on Wikimedia
5. How Deep Is Your Love
One of the songs the Bee Gees contributed to Saturday Night Fever's soundtrack, "How Deep Is Your Love" is based around "the most beautiful chords" the band could come up with. Combined with the delicate vocals and earnest lyrics, those beautiful chords make absolute magic. Even if you don't like the film, this song probably still tugs at your heartstrings.
6. Sea Of Love
Originally recorded by Phil Philips in 1959, this simple song is just over two minutes long. While we love Philips' doo-wop original with swaying strings and warbling vibrato, there's something about the Cat Power cover that just breaks us in half. Sung with minimal accompaniment, this song is both heart-breaking and life-affirming.
7. Hello Stranger
A mellow and melancholy song about reuniting with a loved one (Barbara Lewis intended it as a song between friends), this R&B track features dreamy organ backing and delicate vocals. "Hello Stranger" is the perfect song to slow dance to in your living room when a 9-5 shift seems like the longest you'll ever be away from your partner. "Hello Stranger" experienced a resurgence after it was featured in the 2016 film Moonlight.
8. Faithfully
Probably the greatest power ballad of all time. Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain literally heard the melody in a dream and developed a story of a "music man" on tour and his family waiting back home. Part of the beauty of this song isn't just the yearning the lovers feel at being apart, but the beauty of rediscovery when they reunite.
9. Halo
A song about a love so simple it feels divine, "Halo" sees Beyoncé beyond the trappings of celebrity. Like many other songs on this list, "Halo" starts soft as it works it way up. As Beyoncé lets her emotional walls down, the 1980s drumbeats grow in intensity for a song that's both new and nostalgic.
10. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
A song so good that a band was formed around it, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" is classic bubblegum pop. The Rosemary of the title is a far cry from the typical love song muse, being broke and ill-dressed, but that's exactly why the narrator loves her. It's a bit of an oddball as far as love songs go, and that's why it's a classic
11. Chasing Cars
This song's title comes from something singer Gary Lightbody's father said: "You're like a dog chasing a car. You'll never catch it and you just wouldn't know what to do with it if you did." Snow Patrol's biggest hit turned out to be one of the most popular songs of the 21st century in the UK, and for a good reason.
Ellen van Bodegom, from Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Wikimedia
12. My Heart Will Go On
People make fun of "My Heart Will Go On" for its melodrama, and to that we say: grow up. Nobody is above melodrama, people who find it embarrassing have never felt the sort of emotions that are so big they rip out of your chest. Coincidentally, those are the exact emotions captured by "My Heart Will Go On".
Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA on Wikimedia
13. Hello
Few songs have ever captured the feeling of love at first sight like Lionel Richie's "Hello". On the flipside, "Hello" also captures the feeling of a love you think is unrequited until you realize it isn't. A duality that only Richie could pull off.
14. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
Originally envisioned for Celine Dion, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" became an unexpected Aerosmith hit. A melodramatic ballad that couldn't be pulled off by any other band, this song is schlocky in a way that works. We can only imagine how many relationships have begun under a disco ball with this song as backing.
15. At Last
Today, it's impossible to believe that Etta James was once one of the most overlooked blues musicians in American history. While James went on to bridge the gap between R&B and rock & roll, "At Last" is pure rhythm and blues. The song was originally written and recorded by Glen Miller, but James made the song her own with sweeping orchestrations.
16. L-O-V-E
Blending pop and jazz, "L-O-V-E" is a love song at its most playful. Nat King Cole's voice never sounded sweeter than it did on this record with an uptempo trumpet solo you can dance to. A song as timeless as love itself.
General Artists Corporation (management) on Wikimedia
17. Can't Help Falling In Love
Many artists have covered "Can't Help Falling in Love", but nobody does it quite like the King. This is a song designed for a walk down an aisle or a first dance. And it's no wonder, according to a 2020 survey, it's the #1 choice for couples tying the knot with a dance.
Unknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia
18. You're My Best Friend
Penned by Queen bassist John Deacon for his wife, "You're My Best Friend" is both the perfect follow-up and polar opposite to previous single "Bohemian Rhapsody". Deacon didn't write a ton of songs for the band, but the ones he did were some of their biggest hit. May we all be best friends with the love of our life.
Koh Hasebe; Distributed by Elektra Records on Wikimedia
19. Your Song
A love song as simple as its composition (Bernie Taupin "scribbled the lyrics down on a lined notepad at the kitchen table of Elton's mother's apartment"), "Your Song" captures the innocence of first love. The stuttering. self-deprecating lyrics avoid all melodrama in their sincerity. We can't believe this was a B-Side rather than lead single!
20. I Will Always Love You
You didn't seriously think we'd omit this one, did you? Whitney Houston's bombastic cover of a Dolly Parton original is the best-selling single by a female artist ever. Houston's soaring, desperate vocals send this song into the stratosphere. We will always love this song, indeed.
