With Valentine’s Day approaching–and in these days of mp3 and YouTube technology where you can watch and listen to oldies as easy as today’s tunes–we thought it’d be great to name the Top 15 Most Inspiring Love Songs of all-time.
If you go with the crowd, you may very well like traditionally mentioned songs like Elvis’s “Love Me Tender,” Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” or the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.” Others that pop up frequently include Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Journey’s “Open Arms” and The Temptations’ “My Girl.”
I’m a guy, so I resonate with songs that appreciate how guys feel when we fall for the one we love–it doesn’t always look or sound that sappy, but it’s real. I also don’t follow the crowd much and my list is nothing close to typical, and it probably differs from yours (which you can mention below!). After much struggle, I could only get it down to the Top 15. They are:
15. “You’ve Got a Friend,” James Taylor’s version of Carole King’s song: It was the first dance at my wedding and a great song about friendship as a foundation for love.
14. “And I Love Her,” The Beatles: Perhaps a lot of Beatles’ songs could go here, but Paul’s simple and short spin made an impression on me about what makes a girl special to a guy.
13. “The Dance,” Garth Brooks: A mature look at the beauty of persevering love through trials.
12. “Losing My Religion,” R.E.M: The title of this is so misleading, and a generation of listeners had no idea this song was really a vulnerable love song about what every guy truly feels (and fears) about the one he loves.
11. “Heart of the Matter,” Don Henley: One of the most powerful songs ever written about the most important themes of love: forgiveness.
10. “Annie’s Song,” John Denver: A devoted song of love made immortal and ironically tragic in that both the love and his life have both ended, but the song endures. I keep waiting for a modern young band or singer to redo it.
9. “God Only Knows,” The Beach Boys: There ought to be more songs that reference God, the creator of love in the first place!
8. “My Immortal,” Evanescence: This is my only song from this decade, a hauntingly brilliant piece about lost love that only makes you want to hold on tightly to your current squeeze!
7. “In The Air Tonight,” Phil Collins, the solo years: Phil showed that love songs don’t need to be filled with weepy steel guitars or percussion-less melody. This song made any couple wanna rock.
6. “In Your Eyes,” Peter Gabriel: If Peter’s not your taste then this song won’t work, but listen to the live version and sense a higher love in the air.
5. “Crush,” Dave Matthews: Dave’s band is known for brilliant instrumentals and energy but this is a wonderfully inviting love song.
4.”When You Say Nothing At All,” Allison Krauss and Union Station: I love this live version, a song that beautifully expresses the love that exists even before we speak. I should probably learn from this!
3. “Wicked Game,” Chris Isaak: The second video release was so well-known that it overshadowed a beautiful song about a sincere man deeply trapped in the tentacles of love.
2. “More Than Words,” Extreme: They’re not known as crooners–in fact they’re almost not known at all–but Extreme nailed this song about the depth of love that goes way beyond sappy expressions.
1. “True Companion,” Marc Cohn: Okay, you may be disappointed that Elvis, Frank, Harry, or some other crooner isn’t at the top of this list, but take a listen and tell me if this doesn’t capture the dream of passionate romance that lasts as enduring love. And remember, it was God who created the desire to “with wild abandon, make love to you…my true companion!
If you like your songs mushier, there’s a great new one from Dierks Bentley: “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes.” It may make my list someday, but not yet. Okay, that’s my list. What’s on yours? Post your favorites below.
posted February 6, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Love songs through the years (some non-traditional):
Wind Beneath My Wings
He Aint’ Heavy
Just the Other Side of Jordan
No Place That Far
Through the Years
You’re Beautiful
My Heart Will Go On
posted February 6, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Some of mine:
“The Power of Love”–the song my wife and I danced to at our wedding for our first dance as husband and wife.
“Wonderful Tonight”
“You’re the One I Need”–”Flesh and blood needs flesh and blood, / And you’re the one I need.”
“Stir It Up” (Bob Marley)
“Gold Watch and Chain” (The Carter Family)
“Why Can’t This Be Love?” (Van Halen)–It was at a Van Halen concert with my wife (then girlfriend), especially listening to this song, that I decided I was going to ask her to marry me.
“Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”
“He Stopped Loving Her Today”–One of the saddest songs ever, yes, and about an unrequited love, perhaps even an unhealthy obsessive love, yes, but certainly a devoted love!
posted February 6, 2009 at 3:06 pm
ONLY YOU
YOU ARE ALWAYS ON MY MIND
posted February 6, 2009 at 5:50 pm
In no real order, from romantic to raunchy
“Poison”~Alice Cooper
“Nothing Else Matters”~Metallica
“Someday”~Nickelback
“Savein’ Me”~Nickelback
“I’d Come For You” Nickelback
“S.EX.”~ (listen to too much) Nickelback
“Mama, I’m Coming Home”~Ozzy Osborne
“If I Could Love You”~Puddle of Mudd
“Moonshine”~Puddle of Mudd
“Save The Night”~Eagle Eye Cherry
“Fever For The Flavor”~Hot Action Cop
“If I Close My Eyes Forever”~Lita Ford featuring Ozzy Osborne
“Promises”~ Megadeth
“Closer” Nine Inch Nails
“Maggie May”~Rod Stewart
Princess Leia: Let go.
Han Solo: Shh.
Princess Leia: Let go, please.
Han Solo: Don’t get excited.
Princess Leia: Captain, being held by you isn’t quite enough to get me excited.
Han Solo: Sorry sweetheart. I haven’t got time for anything else.
posted February 7, 2009 at 1:38 am
“How Can I Tell You That I Love You” by Cat Stevens
posted February 7, 2009 at 8:02 am
“THROUGH THE YEARS” By Kenny Rogers,
“ALWAYS ON MY MIND” THE KING
posted February 7, 2009 at 4:40 pm
#8 My Immortal??!!?? You’ve gotsa be kidding me. That’s not a romantic song. Amy doesn’t do romance, maybe breakup, but not romance. I think her best love song is “Like You” but that’s a family love, not romantic love.
For me the most intense love song of this decade, or all time, is “Ghost Love Score” by Nightwish.
posted February 8, 2009 at 1:59 am
“Only you” by the Platters, the ultimate love song!!
posted February 8, 2009 at 2:54 pm
The Eriskay Love Lilt
posted February 8, 2009 at 8:40 pm
(1)Buddy Jewell-If She Were Any Other Woman; (2)Alabama-Feels So Right;
(3) Keith Urban-Making Memories of Us; (4) Gary Allen-Her Man; (5)Josh Turner-Your Man; (6)Jeff Bates-No Shame; (7)Jeff Bates-I Wanna Make You Cry; (8)T G Sheppard-Slow Burn; (9)James Otto-Just Got Started Loving You; (10)Billy Currington-Don’t; (11) Jason Aldean-Relentless; (12)Doug Stone-I See You In a Different Light; (13)Conway Twitty-I Want to Lay You Down; (14) Conway Twitty-Rest Your Love On Me(15)Alabama-The Closer You Get. Not necessarily in that order.
posted February 9, 2009 at 8:48 am
I live and breathe music everyday of my life and have ever since I was a small child. My Dad was a musican and piano teacher so I grew up with music from every era. These are some,of my favorite love songs. : ) 1) Lionel Ritchie, Truely…2) Kenny Rodgers, To me… 3) Michael Buble’, You & I… 4) Oliver James, The greatest Story ever told,… 5)Carly Simon, My Romance… 6) Josh Groban, Awake… 7)John Denver, For you…8)Johnny Mathias, All I ever need… 9)Martina McBride & Jim Brickman… Valentine… 10)Michael Smith, Love of my life
posted February 9, 2009 at 10:23 am
The all time great for me is Whitney Houstons “I will always love you”.when she sang that song in the movie “The Bodyguard”I became a fan.
posted February 9, 2009 at 10:29 am
How can you have a list of great love songs that doesn’t start with My Funny Valentine, Embracable You, All the Things You Are, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Cheek to Cheek, Lover Man and the hundreds of others from the Great Americam Songbook? These are great songs no matter who performed them.
posted February 9, 2009 at 11:56 am
I agree, you have to have some old classics in the mix. These would be my top 10 in no particular order:You’ll Never Know (How Much I Love You), Unforgettable-Nat King Cole, Forever and Ever Amen-Randy Travis, You Don’t Know Me-Ray Charles, As Time Goes By, Be My Baby-The Ronettes, I Hear a Symphony-Supremes, Somewhere (There’s a Place For Us)-West Side Story, At Last-Etta James, I Will Always Love You-Dolly Parton (her version is more heartbreaking; Whitney had the vocal pyrotechnics, but Dolly reached into your chest and ripped your heart out with this sweet version of her own song).
posted February 9, 2009 at 12:07 pm
At Last by Etta James
posted February 9, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Dan Fogelberg is most famous for giving us “Longer” but I think his “Make Love Stay” belongs on this list, not only because of it’s beauty, but because it honestly addresses what most songs ignore; the fleeting nature of infatuation, our tendency to doubt our love when the feelings mellow out, and our desperate need and desire to make it permanent.
posted February 9, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Heaven- by Bryan Adams
posted February 9, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Ricky Van Shelton—–1990 Entertainer of the year.Male artist of the year….Also in 1991
posted February 9, 2009 at 7:30 pm
If I Loved You from Carousel
Only Make Believe from Showboat
Dites Moi from South Pacific
I Love You Truly
Love Me Tender
Somewhere My Love from Dr. Zhivago
Easter Bonnet from Easter Parade
Lollipop
Surrey with the Fringe on Top from Oklahoma
Getting to Know You from King & I
Teddy Bear by Elvis Presley
posted February 10, 2009 at 10:54 am
My Best Friend by Tim McGraw. It says it all.
Everything I Do(I Do It For You) by Bryan Adams
posted February 10, 2009 at 2:05 pm
it amazes me that whenever there is some type of poll that supposedly represents the “universal mindset,” for some topic or another, that there is never a black, hispanic, asian, (or any other ethnicity) song, actor, movie or otherwise listed. this one unfortunately is more confirmation of that very fact….
tj
posted February 11, 2009 at 12:54 am
Last time I looked, Whitney Houston was black.
posted February 22, 2009 at 3:21 pm
“Stolen” and “Dont Wait” both by Dashboard Confessional
posted March 2, 2009 at 2:57 pm
How about Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”? Or, John Denver and Placido Domingo’s duet of “Perhaps Love”.
posted March 10, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I just love Elvis Presley
posted April 6, 2009 at 2:54 pm
(1)Honestly By STRYPER (2)On Eagles Wings (Church press)(3) I honestly Love you-Dolly Parton(4)Fourth is Annie’s song-John Denver and Last is Every Rose has it’s thorns-POISON
posted April 27, 2009 at 4:43 pm
1) “Layla” (electric and the later acoustic version) – Eric Clapton
“I Could Fall in Love” – Selena
2) “And I Love Her Anyways” – The Ides of March
3) “Michelle” – The Beatles
4) “Is This Love” – Survivor
5) “I Can’t Hold Back” – Survivor
6) “Every Woman in the World” – Air Supply
7) “Dreaming of You” – Selena
9) “The Only One” – Bryan Adams
10) “Saved by Love” – Rik Emmett
11) “This Could Be the Night” – Loverboy
12) “Wonderful Tonight” – Eric Clapton
13) “Eternal Flame” – The Bangles
14) “You’re the Only One” – The Payola$
15) “Take Me Home Tonight” – Eddie Money
posted July 29, 2009 at 12:52 am
I’m a little suprised that nobody has mentioned Lady in Red by Chris DeBergh.
posted October 28, 2009 at 4:15 pm
having been married for 41 years, I would have to say “You’re Still The One” by Orleans is my favorite love song.
posted November 18, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Teresa,It’s a matter of choice who’s name is brought up and not a matter of ethnicity as Amy explained.So it’s not the color of the person that sings it……it’s mainly the lyrics.
posted January 21, 2010 at 10:54 am
No Air By jordan Sparks And Chris Brown.
Every time I hear this song it reminds me how much I need husband william.
posted January 27, 2010 at 2:50 pm
“Open Arms” by Journey. Steve Perry’s breathtaking vocals still give me goosebumps!
posted February 22, 2010 at 10:03 am
Roberta Flack — The First Time I Saw Your Face
I don’t know who, but — When A Man Loves a Woman
posted April 27, 2010 at 4:02 pm
They are all great songs. Air Supply any of them
posted May 25, 2010 at 10:40 am
Peter Gabrile…..Book of Love , Its awesome
posted June 8, 2010 at 10:11 am
Sara(Smile)Hall and Oates
Lady in Red Johnnie Taylor
I’m Still in Love Al Green
I Want You Back J-5
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