1. LOVE — Nat King Cole
This is the ultimate love song. Honestly, if this song doesn’t make you want to swing dance with your romantic partner and croon along in some romantic moonlight, you don’t have a beating heart. Honestly, “take my heart and please don’t break it,” — I have never heard a more honest sentiment.
2. You Can’t Hurry Love — The Supremes
Alternatively, let’s say you don’t have a romantic partner. That’s cool too – it’s just like Diana Ross sings, “You can’t hurry love, you just have to wait.” Just because you don’t have a partner doesn’t mean you can’t be happy on Valentine’s Day, which is perfectly conveyed in this upbeat pop tune. The Phil Collins’ rendition is pretty rad as well.
3. Still the One — Orleans
A song for all you long-term lovelies, who think the pinnacle of romantic life is the idea of commitment. The title says it all – even after years of a relationship, when you know exactly what drives the other person crazy, you’re still in it for the long haul. If you’re not screaming along to the chorus by the end of the song, I’m not sure how.
4. Thinking Out Loud — Ed Sheeran
This is perhaps the most romantic song of the 2010s and certainly the most romantic song of 2015. You can always count on Sheeran to deliver to the heart. This song is all about growing old together and the title fits perfectly with the wandering, soothing melody and lyrics — as if someone is dreaming of a future with their partner and can’t help speaking their feelings out loud.
5. Can’t Help Falling in Love — Elvis Presley
A personal favorite of mine, Elvis delivers romance in a soulful croon about how love overtakes people without they’re noticing – “only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you.” For a more upbeat version, check out the A*Teens version, and if you love ukuleles, listen to twenty one pilots’ idyllic version of the song.
6. My Girl — The Temptations
A classic song to which no one can resist the signature dance — just snap at the waist twice (elbows bent, of course), sway your body hips first, pivot and repeat. Find a group of friends to recreate the classic barbershop quartet style of “my girl, my girl, my girl” and you’ll never find anything funnier than watching someone try to hit that low first note.
7. Your Song — Elton John
In Carpool Karaoke this past week, James Corden described this as the song that “boosted Elton John into star status.” Personally, I agree. My favorite lyrics are the sweet, repeated “I hope you don’t mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you’re in the world” which I find a perfect sentiment for any partner, friend or family member who makes us better. For a female-sung version, Ellie Goulding’s cover is almost as good.
8. Silly Love Songs — Darren Criss
Originally a Paul McCartney classic, this song describes the contradictory points of view involved with being in love or out of love. People have either had enough of “silly love songs” or they love them with all their hearts— personally, I fall in the latter category. Another important note: this song is performed acapella, which just makes it even better.
9. Maybe I’m Amazed — Paul McCartney
“Maybe I’m amazed at the way you love me all the time,” sings McCartney and he couldn’t be more right. Love is an amazing quality and we all share it, regardless of whether it’s romantic or platonic. Although this song airs on the side of romantic, I think it can also be applied to friendships as well.
10. Love Will Keep Us Together — Captain & Tennille
Now we come to the cheesiest song on the list – a 1970s disco classic that convinces the partner not to cheat because she’s been around much longer and knows that their love is stronger. An odd premise, sure, but a bopping duet that makes you want to perform a lot of groovy dance moves, such as peace signs and the “Swim.”
11. Signed, Sealed, Delivered — Stevie Wonder
Anyone who can resist the initial scream and “Oh yea, baby” is a miracle in our midst, because that coupled with the funky beat just makes you want to groove. A fun song about the pitfalls of being a recalcitrant lover (ugh, I tried to avoid that word as long as possible), Wonder turns what could be a sad situation into a celebration of realizing you’re in love.
12. Fly Me To The Moon — Frank Sinatra
No one can best Ol’ Blue Eyes in terms of romance. This song has everything you could need in a love song: a jazzy backbeat, the soulful swelling of music near the end and the perfect lyrics that describe how new love makes people feel — as if they’re in outer space. Sinatra’s songs, of course, could be an entire Valentine’s Day playlist by themselves, but this is the best of the best.
13. Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me — Hunter Hayes
Feeling left out of the Valentine’s Day fun? Hunter Hayes totally understands. An upbeat country tune about how being constantly surround by couples feels, the punchy guitar-line makes you want to dance around your dorm-room or glare at couples who sit on the same side of the table in New Side.
14. Your Smiling Face — James Taylor
“Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself, because I love you,” sings James Taylor, whose upbeat guitar riffs accompany the sunny lyrics and loving profusions. Although a romantic love song in its origin, if you squint, this is another song that could be transposed onto relationships of all sorts – or at least, any where love, trust and happiness abound.
15. In My Life — The Beatles
My shower song of choice is this B-side track about how one person can overtake your life in the best way possible. “I know I’ll often stop and think about them, In my life I love you more,” trickle off your tongue as you sing along, and the haunting refrain of the song’s title make the song all the more compelling and catchy.
16. You Are In Love — Taylor Swift
From her self-titled debut album to the recent 1989, Taylor Swift has been pulling on heartstrings and making us all believe that we could exceed romantic expectations. However, no song does this more than this beautiful, haunting melody about the quietness and easiness of romantic relationships, which often start as friendships.
Which of these songs will you dedicate to your loved ones this Valentine’s Day?
Image credits: daydreamsandsundresses.com, tasteofcountry.com, glasshouse.org, wikipedia.org, deviantart.com, pinterest.com