Valentine’s Day has passed us by, but that doesn’t mean that romance has. Whether you’re seeing life in pink or blue I got the playlist just for you. As a lover of everything vintage as a way of escaping the present, I invite you to take yourself through a journey back in time as a special treat. Here’s 50 oldies that romanticize love and lust and every feeling in between, minus the discrimination and injustices of actual history.
If you like La Vie en Rose, listen to the version by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. My personal favorites include Cheek to Cheek and Misty. Something about Louis Armstrong’s voice changes the entire mood of any room and complements the sweetness of Ella. Others include:
Almost Like Being in Love- Nat King Cole
Orange Colored Sky- Nat King Cole
Ain’t that a Kick in the Head by Frank Sinatra.
Chances Are- Johnny Mathis
After loving At Last by Etta James, I’d recommend A Sunday Kind of Love for the same effect. Soul hits your heart in places other music doesn’t and Dinah Washington gets it with I Don’t Hurt Anymore and Cigarettes and Coffee by Otis Redding.
For more mainstream bops, Unchained Melody and Put Your Head on My Shoulder are what immediately come to mind, but wait till you hear Sam Cooke? Known as the “man who invented soul,” Cooke released bops like You Send Me and For Sentimental Reasons that will get you prepped for some loving at night.
For when it’s complicated, or you simply find all the previous selections a pile of cheese, here’s a bit of lyrical ambiguity to accompany you today. Between the Cheats and Best Friends Right, by Amy Winehouse are the first ones that comes to mind, and all I can say is, it’s Amy Winehouse. Then, listen to Just One of Those Things by Billie Holiday and My Funny Valentine by Chet Baker, demonstrating a confusing contrast between the melodic mood and the lyrical theme. To follow those up, I’ve added a couple more morally gray tunes to ponder.
Part-Time Lover- Stevie Wonder
Love and Happiness- Al Green
Payback- James Brown
Just Good Friends- Michael Jackson
Dirty Diana- Michael Jackson
Generally, self-explanatory, a little upbeat funk and jazz might be just what you need to get it going (said no one ever, unironically). All jokes aside, these are groovy songs I consider hidden gems. Moanin’ by Charles Mingus is a bebop tune, fast paced and improvisational for the most part. One might say it is almost like the act itself. Filled with desire are The Beatles with I Want You So Bad, Lemon Squeezer by Fleetwood Mac, and Sexy Dancer by Prince.
Such a Night- Michael Buble
Hard to Handle- Otis Redding
I Feel Good- James Brown
It’s About the Walk-Prince
The Way You Make Me Feel- Michael Jackson.
If you’re planning on sitting back with some friends, my favorite vocalists can hang in there with you as well.
Just friends- Tony Bennett
Lifetime Friend- Little Richard
We’re Still Friends- Amy Winehouse
With a Little Help from My Friends- The Beatles
Let’s Go Get Stoned- Joe Cocker
My Generation- The Who
Watermelon Man- Herbie Hancock
On the Sunny Side of the Street- Esperanza Spalding
Qu’est-ce qu’on attend pour être heureux- Avalon Jazz Band
No Matter- Badfinger
Finally, if your highest hopes involve staying in and relaxing solo, the same greats can be there for you as well. Whether you are sulking or simply enjoying your own company Chet Baker, the king of melancholy, can be a great partner in solitude. There is I Get Along Without You Very Well and I Fall in Love Too Easily, among others. Follow it up with The Beatles again, with I Me Mine, and Yesterday. To finish off, a mix of danceable era’s pop may be good enough to satisfy any lonely soul.
Dancing with Myself – Billy Idol
Love or Let Me Be Lonely – The Friends of Distinction
Lately – Stevie Wonder
Walkin After Midnight – Patsy Cline
Now that You’ve Gone – Chicago
I know its Gonna be lonely – Prince