50 Best Valentine’s Day Songs of All Time
We didn’t get you flowers. Instead, we got you Lizzo, The Beatles, and Harry Styles.
In between snagging Valentine’s Day gifts for him and everyone you adore, remember, it helps to have more than just candles to help set the mood on your February 14 date night. We're referring, of course, to a curated playlist of love songs (and, okay, some sexy tunes that make you want to do more than just coo at each other.)
Chances are, your 2021 Valentine's Day plans will look pretty different than in years past. That may mean a romantic, recharging getaway or a quiet (but dressed up) night at home. Regardless of what you're doing, a soundtrack complete with the best Valentine's Day songs will be crucial. Therefore we've got nail-on-the-head upbeat tracks like OutKast's "Happy Valentine's Day," more poetic options like Perfume Genius's "Alan," or all-time classics like Robyn's "Dancing on My Own." Most great love songs can be cribbed for a Valentine's Day playlist, but a special handful deal with the totality of the holiday, including the stress it can bring, how it feels to be alone, and ultimately how transformative it is to find a person who loves you for who you are.
Scroll through for a selection from Bey and Jay, The Beatles, Ariana Grande, and soul-soothers (read: Otis, Leon, and Sam) that are more satisfying than a box of chocolates.
“Something” by The Beatles
Arguably The Beatles most romantic song, “Something” is a laid-back, smooth addition to the Fab Five’s oeuvre. Written by George Harrison, the tune off Abbey Road also features him as the lead vocalist. And though it’s just three minutes, it’s a sublime three minutes that has endured for 50-plus years.
“Happy Valentine’s Day” by OutKast
I’m sorry, Miss Jackson, but we’re playing Andre 3000’s holiday-appropriate funk on full blast. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” five and half minutes of the Atlanta rapper dropping rhymes about Feb. 14, with shout-outs to Cupid, the Easter Bunny, and even leprechauns, is a V-Day must-play.
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen
If Queen’s 1979 throwback sounds like it came from a hunk, a hunk of burning love, well, that’s because it should. Freddie Mercury reportedly channeled Elvis Presley when he composed “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” as an ode to 1950s rock music. No wonder it still gets a ton of burning love today.
“Waves” by Miguel Featuring Kacey Musgraves
Here to suavely update the antiquated term “mattress mambo,” R&B hit-maker Miguel and country songbird Kacey Musgraves sing about wanting their lovers to “body surf” on them. Now those are the only waves we want to be making on Valentine’s Day.
“La La Love You” by Pixies
“Where Is My Mind” might be the most-played song in your Pixie collection, but give the super-curious “La La Love You” some love this February. A simple track free of frills, it’s the band’s novelty tune that features the plucking of a guitar, the puckering of some wolf whistling, and not a whole lot of anything else.
“Valentine Love” by Norman Connors
Norman Connors and Jean Carne’s jazzy classic is a speeding soul train straight back to the ’70s. Now, we’re not saying you have to listen to it with big hair and bell-bottoms; we’re just going to say it’s going to make you wish you did.
“You’re All I Need” by Method Man
Italian-American rapper Method Man and priestess of swagger Mary J. Blige join forces for a contemporary hip-hop duet layered over the ’60s Motown classic originally recorded by legendary duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It’s ride-or-die tune-age best consumed, of course, with your ride or die.
“Love Stinks” by The J. Geils Band
Rose are red, violets are blue—they also die pretty quickly too. Hey, just telling it like it is. Just like lead singer Peter Wolf does in this ’80s classic about going through the blues, the reds, and the pinks. Only thing we all know for? Love stinks! Yeah, yeah.
“Dancing on My Own” by Robyn
When your Valentine’s Day takes no prisoners and you find yourself alone, Robyn is here for you. An up-tempo beat drop from a reinvented pop star that has gotten the party people through breakups, road trips, weddings, and everything in between, it’s the remedy to a heartfelt holiday in the dumps.
“Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles
“Watermelon Sugar" is a saucy little confection that goes down easy. Snuggle up with your beau and let the vocal stylings of Harry Styles satiate that sweet tooth.
“Bed of Roses” by Bon Jovi
A vase is no place for a bouquet of roses. Do like rockers Bon Jovi do and put those petals to better use. “I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses,” front man JBJ sings. And, sure, it might be a little cheesy, but, hey, this is the day when fondues-for-two are as popular as those perennial florals.
“Soulmate” by Lizzo
Single this Valentine’s Day? According to Lizzo, you, yourself, and your soul mate don’t need anyone else on any day. So whether you’re “solo in SoHo, sippin’ Soju in Malibu,” or soakin’ in some bubbles in your own tub, love that beauty in the mirror this holiday. She deserves it.
“Lilac Wine” by Miley Cyrus
You can’t spell V-Day without vino—according to our Webster’s, anyway. This song, originally produced in 1950, has been covered plenty, but Miley Cyrus, who features the classic in her Backyard Sessions video series, dips into her deep timbre to deliver an absorbing rendition so brilliant, even Cyrus haters will fall drunk in love with this Valentine's Day song.
“Dreaming of You” by Selena
The queen of Tejano music was on the cusp of a mainstream crossover when she was tragically killed in 1995. Dreaming of You, the album, was going to be the vehicle to get her there. Whether the album achieved its mass-appeal goal or not is up for debate. The love we feel while listening to its namesake song, however, is not.
“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys
You don’t have to be religious to get carried away by The Beach Boys’ heavenly masterpiece off their landmark album, Pet Sounds. A diversion from their typical ditties about surf, sand, and sun, “God Only Knows” is a dream harmony about devotion. And if it’s good enough for Paul McCartney, it’s more than good enough for us.
“Delicate” by Taylor Swift
So, “Love Story,” “Lover,” or really anything plucked from the Taylor Swift discography could fit nicely into this list. But might we suggest you fill your gigabytes first with her pretty, synth-pop delight, “Delicate,” a not-so-obvious, yet total-booty-call-gem from the Artist of the Decade.
“These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding
The heart gets all the attention on February 14. Good thing we have the King of Soul, Otis Redding, to remind us of another body part that needs nurturing. A romantic track that goes hand-in-hand with Dirty Dancing, it’s one of the best Southern soul songs in songbook history, IMHO.
“Into You” by Ariana Grande
When the night calls for a little less conversation and “a little more touch my body,” queue up powerhouse vocalist Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman pop hit. It’s a synth-y listen well-suited to the dance floor, but why stop there? Read: Horizontal dancing, anyone?
“Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey
Dinner by candlelight, public displays of affection, a bottle of wine and Netflix—whatever your vision of love is, make sure you sound-track it with the first song on the diva’s eponymous debut album. That voice. Those curls. It’s slow-pop perfection.
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston
Careful. Playing Whitney Houston’s exuberant 1987 pop track may cause severe bouts of sweating. ‘Cause, you know, lots of dancing. As Houston belts out her desire for a dance partner, we can’t help but grab our own and do our best ‘80s wiggle. No date? No problem. You got Whitney.
DeAnna Janes is a freelance writer and editor for a number of sites, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Tasting Table, Fast Company and Brit + Co, and is a passionate supporter of animal causes, copy savant, movie dork and reckless connoisseur of all holidays. A native Texan living in NYC since 2005, Janes has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M and got her start in media at US Weekly before moving on to O Magazine, and eventually becoming the entertainment editor of the once-loved, now-shuttered DailyCandy. She’s based on the Upper West Side.
Grant Rindner is a culture and music journalist in New York. He has written for Billboard, Complex, and i-D, among other outlets.
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