Love and music are in the air this month! People have been writing songs about love for as long as people have written music. As such, there’s basically a love song about everything and for every possible vibe. Even though narrowing down every love song into an objective list of the 10 greatest is impossible, I’ve attempted to be as broad-reaching in sound as possible, while still highlighting the best of the best. That being said, these are the 10 greatest love songs of all time.
10. “Yellow” – Coldplay
“Yellow” by Coldplay may be a relatively conventional love song, but it does what it attempts to do wonderfully. Chris Martin’s gentle lyrical delivery, paired with subtle electric guitar accents and hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies, help to make it a quintessential love song. The gentle acoustic verses paired with the swelling and powerful chorus might be a common approach to writing a love song, but a song does not necessarily need to be extremely unique to be great. “Yellow” is a traditional approach done incredibly well.
9. “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Sinéad O’Connor
The most popular track from Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” takes an incredible vocal performance and allows it to shine. Originally written for Prince, and later covered by late Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, the song is structurally slow and open, proving a solid foundation for unique vocalists to do their thing. While it is a song about longing, love still sits at its core, through the powerful delivery of the crescendoing chorus.
8. “You’ve Got The Love” – Florence + The Machine
A lot of love songs take a very traditional approach to their style, attempting to highlight the soft and sweet aspects of love. Florence + The Machine’s cover of the Source’s British club hit does not. “You’ve Got The Love” takes a unique approach and sweeps you off your feet with delicate harp melodies and a fantastic vocal performance that highlights the pure joy love can bring. In essence, the track is a high energy celebration of pure joy through love. Even though it sounds like nothing else on this list, it absolutely belongs.
7. “Iris” – The Goo Goo Dolls
Originally composed for the 1998 film “City of Angels,” “Iris” has largely overshadowed the film in its cultural impact. It’s a swelling power ballad, with a cool droning guitar throughout produced by a unique tuning. Powerful when it needs to be and soft at other points, “Iris” accents a pretty instrumental track with beautiful, yet simple lyrics.
6. “The Only Exception” – Paramore
Even though late 2000’s pop radio was flooded with acoustic pop rock songs, “The Only Exception” stood distinct. To that point in their career, Paramore had stuck to a heavier, pop-punk sound, but “The Only Exception” was an identifiable track, both in their catalog and in the genre. Though it’s relatively simple, its simplicity is part of what makes it great. Three diverse albums later, and the song is not only still a fan favorite, but an all time great love song.
5. “Your Song” – Elton John
Elton John’s timeless style and sound blends to create a wonderful love song in “Your Song.” John’s classic sound blends perfectly with songs of love, and “Your Song” displays this well. The gentle piano and string accompaniment fits perfectly in the mood John creates. The act of writing a love song is often an act of love in itself, and the track plays into this to create an incredibly beautiful and delicate love song.
4. “Lovesong” – The Cure
Given the name of this 1989 single by The Cure, is it any surprise that it made this list? “Lovesong” is just that, a pretty straightforward love song. In an interview with Select magazine, Robert Smith said that he originally wrote the song as a wedding gift for his wife. Lyrically, the track is simple, but it combines simple lyrics with a really unique sound for a love song, and an incredibly catchy main riff. For those not interested in The Cure’s signature sound, rock band 311 also released a catchy reggae-inspired cover.
3. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Elvis
Even though “Can’t Help Falling in Love” would not have placed so high if not for Elvis singing it, the track ranks third more for the general cultural significance it holds. If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’re likely incredibly familiar with it. Countless artists have covered it, from Kacey Musgraves to Twenty One Pilots. As for the song itself, while it certainly feels of its time, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” shines in creating a sweet and gentle ballad that has never, and likely won’t ever, fall out of popularity.
2. “Everlong” – Foo Fighters
While “Everlong” may be surprising to see so high, there’s a reason why the 1997 hit by the Foo Fighters has remained culturally relevant since its release. At its core, “Everlong” yearns for the moment and captures the fleetingness of love. The album version even contains vocal harmonies and backing vocals that were recorded over the phone by Dave Grohl’s then girlfriend. While the track has both an incredible electric and an acoustic version, the acoustic version highlights the song at its essence as one of the greatest love songs by stripping the song down into its essence.
1. “God Only Knows” – The Beach Boys
“God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys is a timeless love song, off their seminal 1966 album “Pet Sounds.” While its lyrics are simple in composition, the music around them is beautifully composed, using a wide variety of instruments not usually seen on a pop song, especially of its time. Each verse swells lyrically until the simple refrain that wonderfully ties the song together, helping to solidify “God Only Knows” as the greatest love song of all time.