Love songs are practically a requirement for any artist hoping to deeply connect with listeners, from Frank Sinatra to The Beatles, Etta James to Celine Dion.
Who wants to hear how wonderful someone thinks they are or bask in the bliss of love?
Everyone, at some point.
While the classics – “At Last,” “Something,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “My Heart Will Go On” – remain timeless, tender expressions continue to evolve with each new voice.
Thousands of love songs have flooded playlists and appeared on mix CDs since 2000 (remember, we’re going back to 2000!) and have appeared on many wedding playlists.
So, without further ado, here are 20 of the most moving love songs of the twentieth century.
Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris, ‘We Found Love ‘(2011)
With Rihanna’s airy vocals and Harris’ celebratory beat drop, it’s easy to dismiss this club banger as merely entertaining and frivolous. But beneath those relentlessly cheerful keyboard stabs, the lyrics hint at something deeper – turning hopelessness into triumph, suffering through the bad to get to the good.
John Legend, ‘All of Me’ (2013)
Nobody can accuse the R&B hitmaker of creating insatiable excitement, but when he’s in his element – piano ballads laced with honesty – Legend is a master. The song, which is still a wedding favorite, contains some of his best lyrical poetry, in which he declares his love for “your curves and all your edges.”
Taylor Swift, ‘New Year’s Day (2017)
The sparse ballad from Swift’s “Reputation” album, with piano and acoustic guitar as its primary pulse, highlights Swift’s gift for crafting vivid lyrics (“squeeze my hand three times in the back of a taxi”). Swift emerges from the scene with a simple realization, “You and me forever more,” amid the “glitter on the floor after the party” and the candle wax clumped on the hardwood floor.
Beyonce, ‘Love On Top’ (2011)
Is there anything more euphoric than Beyonce bopping through the finger-snapping intro? In fact, yes. Her ascending vocals – a magical escalation – parallel her forthright claims that “you’re the one I love; you’re the one I need; you’re the only one I see.”
Keith Urban, ‘Making Memories of Us’ (2004)
So many of Urban’s love songs are infused with baked-in sincerity. Over a strummy acoustic guitar, he tells us he’s a man of his word, which is admirable but rote. But then he goes on to say that he wants to build trust, honor his parents, and create memories. Because Urban is so genuine, even a cringe-inducing simile – “I want to steal your attention like a bad outlaw” – elicits a smile.
‘Sing Street’ soundtrack, ‘Up’ (2016)
The protagonist of this charming film, actor-singer Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, handles vocals on the melodic masterpiece. As he sings about the girl “running magical circles around my head,” the song dips and soars. But, of course, love and doubt are constant companions, as the line “what if everything beautiful is fiction and this reality is just pretended?” suggests.
Ed Sheeran, ‘The Joker and The Queen’ (2021)
With “Perfect” and “Thinking Out Loud,” the British singer has already established himself in first dance territory, but this underappreciated beauty from his “Equals” album combines all of Sheeran’s strengths in about three minutes. Tender piano backs his warm vocals (a duet version features Taylor Swift) as he unspools clever lyrics that parallel love with face cards and suits: “I know you could fall for a thousand kings/and hearts that could give you a diamond ring/when I fold, you see the best in me.”
Katy Perry, ‘Teenage Dream’ (2010)
The song, which features Perry’s flirtatious vocals, is both a euphoric reminiscence of the loss of sexual innocence and a recapturing of that feeling as an adult (“I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece”). The title track of Perry’s 2010 album is pure saccharine – and still delectable – with its driving synthesizers wrapped in the signature slick production of pop wizards Max Martin and Benny Blanco.
Maren Morris, ‘The Furthest Thing’ (2022)
A highlight from her “Humble Quest” album, the country maven coos over a softly pumping bass drum about unlikely pairings that “fit so perfectly” and the difficulties of long-distance relationships. Morris co-wrote the song with her husband, Ryan Hurd, creating instant credibility.
James Bay, ‘Brilliant Still’ (2022)
This combination of emotional uplift and touching plea to shirk insecurities is a tonic for those who can’t get out of their own heads on the English singer-“Leap” songwriter’s album. “When you can’t look in the mirror, your heart’s ready to spill, I just want to tell you that you’re brilliant still,” he sings convincingly.
Miguel, ‘Adorn’ (2012)
It’s a modernized version of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.” Miguel ebbs and flows with vocal yelps as he professes adoration as well as his own prowess as he asserts, “Love ain’t never looked so good on ya” over a skittering electro-beat dipped in the soul.
Coldplay, ‘Fix You’ (2005)
As Chris Martin reminds us, love is more than just holding hands and fluttering hearts. It’s all about being present. When someone’s heart sinks, I carry it. Wanting to help but feeling helpless at times. However, as the gentle piano and organ build to a soaring U2-esque chorus on the back of chilling guitar notes, the song becomes the sound of unconditional love.
Lauv, ‘All 4 Nothing (I’m So in Love)’ (2021)
Lauv (aka Ari Leff), known for previous hits “I Like Me Better” and “I’m So Tired…” with Troye Sivan, isn’t redrawing any blueprints with this foot tapper. However, sometimes all you need is a sweet chorus, an insinuating hook, and raw vulnerability to be effective.
Harry Styles, ‘Late Night Talking’ (2022)
Many songs from Styles’ extensive catalog, including 2019’s “Adore You,” could be considered. But, with so much of “Harry’s House,” his Grammy-winning album, written during his relationship with Olivia Wilde, this is the musical definition of smitten.
Adele, ‘Sweetest Devotion’ (2015)
Given how much of Adele’s discography is dedicated to heartbreak and emotional scarring, it’s refreshing to hear her revel in unabashed happiness. When she sings, “You’re my light, you’re my darkness/You’re the right kind of madness/You’re my hope, you’re my despair/You’re my scope, everything, everywhere,” her joy is palpable.
Bruno Mars, ‘Just the Way You Are’ (2010)
The pop dynamo’s debut single isn’t his most musically dynamic – that would come later when he injected some funk into his soul – but it’s undeniably adorable underneath the sappiness. Billy Joel’s 1977 hit of the same name also expressed a “don’t ever change” sentiment, and Mars’ aughts update elicited plenty of swooning.
Brandi Carlile, ‘You and Me on the Rock’ (2021)
Take a little Joni Mitchell, a little Amy Grant, and Carlile’s natural ability to spin lyrical poignancy, and you’ve got a sweet ditty about appreciating the mundane (“Me out in my garden, and you out on your walk”) and commitment to protecting love (“It’s a big sea, but it can’t touch you and me”).
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, ‘If We Were Vampires’ (2017)
Isbell, who is known for her sharp insights, heartbreaking or otherwise, approaches love in the most realistic way possible – with the clock always ticking. “Likely, one of us will have to spend some days alone… maybe we’ll get 40 years together,” he sings, his wife Amanda Shires’ harmony vocals adding melancholy poignancy. Of course, his wish is that “if we were vampires,” life would be eternal. But since it isn’t, he sees the passage of time as a gift and promises, “I’ll work hard until the end of my shift.”
Lady Gaga, ‘I’ll Never Love Again’ (2018)
Gaga uses her gorgeous voice much like Whitney Houston did on her most stirring ballads, rising and dipping as she unfurls laments, memories, and devotion that will never fade. Gaga’s struggle to hold back tears while singing “Don’t want to feel another touch, don’t want to start another fire, don’t want to know another kiss…” is enough to melt even the hardest heart.
Michael Bublé, ‘I’ll Never Not Love You’ (2022)
Bublé, a master of the swoon, outperforms his previous notable efforts (“Home,” “Haven’t Met You Yet”) with this melodically rich, gently chugging declaration of devotion. It’s standard “you’re all I need, baby,” but Bublé infuses all of his songs with such genuineness that when he says he’ll never run, leave you behind, or make you cry, you don’t need much convincing.
