This year, Valentine’s Day is going to be a little different for everyone, but don’t let that stop you from listening to some of the greatest love songs ever written! Fall head over heels with our top 10 love songs selection, hand-picked for Valentine’s Day and beyond.
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1. Adele – Make You Feel My Love
Originally written by Bob Dylan, Make You Feel My Love has seen commercial success for Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Bryan Ferry and more, while Adele‘s remains arguably the most recognised. Adele explained to Premiere Networks that after hearing the original record, “it just really touched me. It’s cheesy, but I think it’s just a stunning song, and it really just summed up everything that I’d been trying to write in my songs“.
2. Lewis Capaldi – Hold Me While You Wait
Capaldi explained that he wrote Hold Me While You Wait “about the uncertainty of being in a relationship when your partner isn’t sure what they want“. Capaldi became the first artist since Ed Sheeran to have 2 songs in the top 5 of the singles chart.
3. Etta James – At Last
Released by Argo Records in 1960, At Last! was Etta James‘ debut studio album; the title track being widely recognised as her most iconic song release. The album itself was ranked at #119 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, as the song continues to mesmerise its listeners to this day. The track also featured in a number of films, including Etta James’ biopic, Cadillac Records, with a notable performance from Beyoncé as Etta James.
4. The Beatles – I Want to Hold Your Hand
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1963, I Want to Hold Your Hand was The Beatles‘ first American No. 1 hit record, made using four-track equipment. The love song became The Beatles’ best-selling single worldwide, selling over 12 million copies! Cheesy, corny, call it what you want, but this one simply had to make our top 10 love songs list.
5. John Legend – All of Me
John Legend‘s chart-topping song, All of Me, was released from his fourth studio album Love in the Future, dedicated to his wife, Chrissy Teigen. Airing on American mainstream urban radio as the album’s third single, All of Me has become one of Legend’s most popular songs, pulling on the heartstrings of many.
6. The Temptations – My Girl
Recorded by The Temptations for Motown records, My Girl became the band’s first American No. 1 single and remains their trademark song. Inspired by Robinson’s (writer and producer) wife, the love song was chosen in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, described as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant“.
7. Seal – Kiss From a Rose
Seal‘s Kiss from a Rose was awarded Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Additionally, the track was also used in films including The NeverEnding Story III and Batman Forever. A truly memorable love song entangled in popular culture.
8. Tracy Chapman – Baby Can I Hold You
Tracy Chapman‘s third single, Baby Can I Hold You, was originally released in 1988, reaching the top 50 in the United States. The catchy love song saw a resurgence in 1997 when Irish boy band Boyzone released their cover. A true classic and one of Tracy’s most recognised tracks!
9. Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song
Performed by Roberta Flack and originally composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel, Killing Me Softly with His Song won 1974 Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The track remains a poignant love song, going down in popular music history as an all-time classic.
10. George Michael – Careless Whisper
George Michael‘s Careless Whisper is a renowned pop ballad written by Michael and Andrew Ridgeley from Wham!. Released in 1984, the song features a prominent saxophone riff (we all know it!) and has been covered by numerous artists since its first release.
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