The best love songs of all time
"If music be the food of love, play on," said Shakespeare. So what better way to feel the love than with some beautiful love songs?
Love has been a topic of some of the world's most famous songs since music began. From Greensleeves (Henry VIII's love-song for Anne Boleyn) to Ed Sheeran, musicians just can't seem to get enough of love and romance. It is such a beautiful, absorbing and meaningful topic, so we can hardly blame them. We're all just a little bit obsessed with love - after all, what would life be without it?
So if you're looking for the perfect song for a wedding dance, a date night, or any other romantic occasion, we've carefully handpicked what we believe are the greatest love songs of all time. Read on..
I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
The country icon has an archive full of exceptional love songs, but we settled on this masterpiece, released in 1974. Whitney Houston's cover, for the film Bodyguard, is just as gorgeous.
Best line: "I know I'll think of you every step of the way"
L.O.V.E - Frank Sinatra
Younger readers may know this one best as the opening track of The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan, but this song was actually released in the 1950s by none other than Frank Sinatra.
Best line: "L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see, V is very very extraordinary and E is even more than anyone that you adore."
All Of Me - John Legend
A more recent classic, John Legend lends his silky smooth tones to this incredible song he wrote for his wife, Chrissy Teigen.
Best line: "You're my end and my beginning, even when I lose I'm winning"
Love On Top - Beyonce
Perfect for an up-beat wedding dance, this fun love song written about her husband Jay-Z is bound to get everyone on their feet.
Best line: "I can feel the sun whenever you're near, every time you touch me I just melt away"
I'll Make Love To You - Boyz II Men
Need a romantic song to set the mood? We have just the one for you, from 1990s hip-hop group and the kings of harmonies, Boyz II Men.
Best line: "Girl whatever you ask me you know I can do"
Hero - Enrique Iglesias
The Spanish singer-songwriter's raspy ballad became an instant classic when it was released in 2001.
Best line: "I can be your hero baby, I can kiss away the pain"
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran has easily become the modern go-to for wedding first dance songs, mainly because he has an extra-special talent for writing the most romantic lyrics around. 'Perfect 'is another one of our favourites.
Best line: "So honey now, take me into your loving arms, kiss me under the light of a thousand stars"
Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley
Elvis is the king (and we will not hear a word otherwise), and his version of the song, recorded for his film Blue Hawaii in 1961, is quite simply a classic.
Best line: "Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you"
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
Yes, it's the closing song of Love Actually (which gets us every time) but that's not the only reason we've included this song. Released by the inimitable rock band in 1966, Rolling Stone considers it one of the most influential songs in rock 'n' roll history.
Best line: "As long as there are stars above you, you'll never need to doubt it, I'll make you so sure about it"
My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
If this automatically makes you think of Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio, you're not alone. The theme tune to Titanic, it's a true tearjerker all about continuing to love after unthinkable grief.
Best line: "Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you"
Lucky - Jason Mraz ft. Colbie Caillat
Perhaps a lesser-known love song is this lovely folk-style duet by two American solo artists, released in 2009. Perfect for anyone who is missing someone.
Best line: "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again"
Always Remember Us This Way - Lady Gaga
From the recent film A Star Is Born starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, this love song feels truly timeless.
Best line: "When the sun goes down, and the band won't play, I'll always remember us this way"
Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
You might have never heard of this American group, but you've probably heard this folky song about the real meaning of 'home', as it often appears on adverts and the radio.
Best line: "Home, let me come home, home is wherever I'm with you"
A Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin
In 1967, the soul singer released this joyous song about feeling like yourself when you're in love - and we've been belting it out in our showers ever since.
Best line: "Before the day I met you, life was so unkind, but you're the key to my peace of mind"
Lover - Taylor Swift
It might have only been released in 2019, but we're predicting this to be a wedding song of choice for years to come. Swift is an exceptional songwriter, and this song perfectly articulates the easy, everyday joy of being in love.
Best line: "Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close? Take me out, and take me home"
(I've Had) The Time of My Life - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Written for the movie Dirty Dancing in 1987, it's now become synonymous with one of the most romantic movie scenes of all time - Baby and Johnny's big dance.
Best line: "I've had the time of my life, no I never felt this way before, yes I swear, it's the truth, and I owe it all to you"
Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer
You might recognise this song from the 1990s rom-com She's All That - it's a whimsical and warm depiction of love that'll make you nostalgic about teenage love. Ah, those were the days.
Best line: "Kiss me beneath the milky twilight, lead me out on the moonlit floor"
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross
This upbeat song was originally released by Motown legends Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967, but Diana Ross's cover in 1970 made it a true hit, securing it a solid place in the love-song history books.
Best line: "My love is alive, it's like a seed that only needs the thought of you"
Make You Feel My Love - Adele
Written by Bob Dylan and also released by Billy Joel, this gorgeously simple love-song really came to life in the safe hands of Brit pop sensation Adele on her first album, 19, released in 2008.
Best line: "When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case, I could offer you a warm embrace, to make you feel my love"
Your Song - Elton John
It's been covered many times (we love Ellie Goulding's version) but nothing quite beats Elton John's arguably most perfect love song, released in 1970.
Best line: "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world"
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
Rock and love don't always go hand in hand, but the worlds collide with dazzling effects in this 1998 anthem.
Best line: "Even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream will never do, I still miss you baby, and I don't want to miss a thing"
Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
The American singer-songwriter has released a string of hits in the last decade, but this love ballad from his first album in 2010, Doo-Wops and Hooligans, is really something special.
Best line: "When you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, because you're amazing just the way you are"
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