It’s next to impossible to draw up a definitive playlist of lovesongs for Valentine’s Day. For one thing, there’s just too much material to choose from. Aren’t nearly all the billions of tunes sung by humankind over the centuries songs about love, more or less? At the same time, there are too few true love songs out there, as opposed to heartbreak songs, infatuation songs, or songs about any of the other infinitely more complicated shades of romance-related emotion — and the songs that are about pure untangled love can be, well, kinda boring.
So the list that follows — one all-time great love song below, nine more after the jump — is nothing like an authoritative V-Day selection. Consider it a humbly offered prompt to help you get started on making your own, more personal playlist today. Forfurther inspiration, check out EW’s gallery of the 25 Best Love Songs Ever, or our 2007 post about unlikely Valentine’s Day mixtape options. Then post up 10 of your own favorite love songs in the comments section below. If you start now, you can get a perfect playlist ready by date time tonight…
THE BEATLES, "AND I LOVE HER" (1964)
RADIOHEAD, "ALL I NEED" (2007)
LED ZEPPELIN, "THANK YOU" (1969)
MARVIN GAYE AND TAMMI TERRELL, "YOU’RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY" (1968)
FLEETWOOD MAC, "YOU MAKE LOVING FUN" (1977)
COMMON AND ERYKAH BADU, "THE LIGHT (DILLA REMIX)" (2000)
KENNY ROGERS AND DOLLY PARTON, "ISLANDS IN THE STREAM" (1983)
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND T.I., "MY LOVE" (2006)
PRINCE, "ADORE" (1987)
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, "BECAUSE THE NIGHT (LIVE)" (1985)
Thank You – Led Zeppelin
Love Song – The Cure
All I Want Is You – U2
Head Over Feet – Alanis Morissette
Not Enough Time – INXS
God Only Knows – Beach Boys
I Melt With You – Modern English
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
Right Down the Line – Gerry Rafferty
Everlong – Foo Fighters
My 10 faves…
Citizen Cope, “If There’s Love”
They Might Be Giants, “She’s An Angel”
Fleetwood Mac, “Bleed to Love Her”
Mary Chapin Carpenter, “Grow Old With Me”
Alison Krauss & Union Station, “When You Say Nothing At All”
Elvis Costello, “She”
Prince, “Diamonds & Pearls”
Hall & Oates, “You Make My Dreams”
Neil Young, “Harvest Moon”
Nickel Creek, “Tomorrow’s A Long Time”
The only song you really need–
Beast of Burden by the Rolling Stones
Something- The Beatles
You’re the Best Thing- Style Council
Why Can’t I be You?- The Cure
Let Me Love You Tonight- Pure Prairie Leauge
My Cherie Amour-Stevie Wonder
My Coo Ca Choo-Alvin Stardust
I don’t want to live without you- Foreginer
You’re the Inspiration-Chicago
All I Want is You- Roxy Music
Stellar-Incubus
Glad to see the Beatles represented but I would have picked “In My Life” over “And I Love Her.”
Glad to see Justin Timberlake on there. Though there is only one song that always chokes me up is This I Promise You by *NSYNC so that would be on my playlist.
Love seeing some Beatles on the list! I’d like to add some of my favorite John Lennon love songs: Woman, Out of the Blue, Oh My Love, Real Love, and Grow Old with Me
hands down “Comfortable” by John Mayer is the simplest of love songs but its so beautiful
also “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles may be about a breakup and wanting to go back to that person but its an amazing/well-written/and vocally awesome song
“Making Memories of Us” -Keith Urban
“In Your Eyes” -Peter Gabriel
“Everything” -Michael Buble
“Have a Little Faith in Me” -John Hiatt
“I’ll Cover You” -Rent
The Look of Love – Dianna Krall
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
Dice – Finlay Quay
Slave to Love – Roxy Music
Lets Go Out Tonight – Craig Armstrong
Love Takes Time – Mariah Carey
Sleeping to Dream – Jason Mraz
Pretty Wings – Maxwell
Love of My Life (Ode to hip hop) – Erykah Badu ft. Common
I love you – Faith Evans
Better – Boyzone (there’s nothing more beautiful than the song and video)
If this isn’t love – Jennifer Hudson
Something About you – Jamelia
In your eyes – Peter Gabriel
Stay With you – John Legend
Like a star – Corrine Bailey Rae
I have nothing to add here. I’m just posting because it’s nice to see an item on EW.com that has nothing to do with “Twilight” for a change.
I totally agree with Jason Mraz’s Sleeping to Dream. What an amazing song. Also, I think that Peter Gabriel’s Book of Love would be good, although I love In Your Eyes. I just heard Mariah Carey’s Fantasy on the radio and I thought that that song was appropriate for the day.
My favorite 10 love songs are…
10. My Heart Will Go On- Celine Dion
9. I’ll Make Love To You– Boyz II Men
8. My Girl– The Temptations
7. I Will Always Love You–Whitney Houston
6. Love Takes Time– Mariah Carey
5. Unforgettable– Nat King Cole
4. Love Won’t Let Me Wait–Major Harris
3. At Last– Etta James
2. Here And Now–Luther Vandross
1. Let’s Get It On– Marvin Gaye