By Gary Bennett
Valentine’s Day is here! It’s time to plug in that perfect playlist for the evening’s activities. No, no, not necessarily those activities.
But, it is nice to have the right background music when presenting your loved one with flowers, those delicious red and pink M&Ms artfully placed in a pretty candy bowl, and that little heart necklace you picked up at Kay Jewelers.
Recording artists of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ’80 provided the soundtrack of my youth so I always look to them to help with completing my playlists. Whether it’s love songs, Christmas songs or rainy-day songs, I can always count on the sensitive singer-songwriters and soft rocks bands of these earlier, gentler times to provide the ambiance I need.
So, here are my top ten classic love songs guaranteed to set the Valentine Day’s mood. Did I miss any of your favorites?
You still have time to surreptitiously create your own playlist and magically call it up on your smart speaker on Valentine’s Day. If you do, you will own the day and your loved one will never look at you the same way again. (I mean that in a good way.)
10. Glen Campbell: “Grow Old with Me”
John Lennon wrote it but never got a chance to record it. Glen’s beautiful voice does justice to this simple, heartfelt tune. “Grow old along with me, whatever fate decrees, we will see it through, for our love is true.”
9. Dan Fogelberg: “Longer”
A frequent wedding song that sweetly proclaims that love will last forever. “Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens, I’ve been in love with you.”
8. Al Green: “Let’s Stay Together”
This soulful balladeer promises he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his baby. “Let me say that since, baby, since we’ve been together, ooh, loving you forever, is what I need, let me, be the one you come running to, I’ll never be untrue.”
7. Willie Nelson: “Always on My Mind”
The grizzled, veteran singer struck gold with this sorrowful, love mea culpa. “Little things I should have said and done, I just never took the time, but you were always on my mind, you were always on my mind.”
6. Gordon Lightfoot: “Beautiful”
The spare arrangement and simple words offer the profound emotion of love realized. “And when you hold me tight, how could life be anything but beautiful, I think that I was made for you, and you were made for me.”
5. Beatles: “Something”
This timeless classic written by quiet Beatle George Harrison tells about the little things that makes love so special. “Somewhere in her smile she knows, that I don’t need no other lover, something in her style that shows me.”
4. Etta James: “At Last”
This quintessential wedding song from the ‘40s proclaims love has finally arrived. It was made famous by Etta in 1961. “At last, my love has come along, my lonely days are over, and life is like a song”
3. Kenny Rogers: “Through the Years”
The perfect song for a grateful man in a long-term relationship who can’t believe it has been so good. “Through the years, you’ve never let me down, you’ve turned my life around, the sweetest days I’ve found, I’ve found with you.”
2. Foreigner: “I Want to Know What Love Is”
A haunting melody that shows how to look for love after it’s been lost. “I wanna know what love is, I want you to show me, I wanna feel what love is, I know you can show me.”
1. The Righteous Brothers: “Unchained Melody”
This strangely titled but deeply emotional song perfectly captures the intense longing for an unwavering love. You’ll be amazed at their range in octaves. “Woah, my love, my darling, I’ve hungered for your touch, Are you still mine?”
Honorable mentions: The Association’s “Cherish,” Bee Gee’s “Run to Me,” Chicago’s “Just You ‘n’ Me,” Climax’s “Precious and Few,” Climax Blues Band’s “I Love You,” Jim Croce’s “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song,” Eagles’ “Best of My Love,” John Lennon’s “Woman,” Barry Manilow’s “Somewhere in the Night,” Paul McCartney’s “No More Lonely Nights,” Orleans’ “Love Takes Time” and Turtles’ “Happy Together.”