The 411 Music Top Five 02.09.10: Top 5 Favorite Love Songs

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 02.09.2010

From Beyonce’s Halo and Seal’s Kiss From A Rose to Boyz II Men’s I’ll Make Love To You and Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, the 411 Music Staff shares their favorite love songs! Check out the full column so see which songs made the list and why!

Mac Scarle

This is one of those Top Fives that is simultaneously ridiculously easy and pretty much impossible.  It's also guaranteed to get the commenters all riled up, screaming and crying "HOW COULD YOU LEAVE OUT ________?" 

Here's how:  there are a million love songs out there and many of them are awesome.  I'm sure I'm going to look at everyone's lists when this gets published and just be cursing my poor memory constantly.

Honorable Mentions:

The Suicide File - Song For Tonight: "Wrap your arms around me, I'm fucking freezing."

Sig Transit Gloria - Wide Open Window: My high school years were spent listening to pretty awesome emo (used in the correct sense, thanks.  This was 2000, after all.) and pop-punk bands that wrote some great songs.  I've picked this band and this song to sort of just represent all of those bands, since no one wants to read my "real" list which would be a bunch of bands they've never heard of from the western suburbs of Chicago.

The Afghan Whigs - My World Is Empty Without You: Because sometimes, good love songs need to be a little creepy.

5. Beyonce – "Halo":

Originally, this spot was taken by "Crazy In Love" (more pop music needs to sample the Chi-Lites) but I couldn't live with myself putting that song, as awesome as it is, over this.  Schmaltzy?  Yes.  Overwrought?  Totally.  Absolutely, totally, unequivocally, undeniably awesome?  Without a doubt.



4. Alkaline Trio – "Clavicle".

Honestly, most of the bands I listen to write break-up songs, not love songs.  This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, and like "My World Is Empty Without You," this one's a little creepy, in an obsessive sort of way.  I mean come on, until pretty late in the song Matt hasn't even met the girl in question.  It's off their debut record, so it makes me look "cool," it's before the whole weird vampire phase they had, and it rocks pretty hard.  Oh, and Dan Adriano doesn't sing it which is also great.  In the end, it was either this or "97" but this one won out because, unlike "97" it's actually about a person, and not weed.



3. Andrew WK – "She Is Beautiful".

Recent controversy be damned!  As an unabashed AWK fanboy, I'd be remiss to not put this song on my list, though even I'm kind of surprised I ended up ranking it this high.  Who says love songs need to be lovey-dovey?  Why can't they just be balls-out rock that makes you want to break stuff?



2. The Beach Boys – "God Only Knows".

This song still makes me cry on a regular basis.  NO SHAME.



1.  Righteous Brothers – "Unchained Melody".

Most of the time when I hear the topic for a top five list, the number one pops into my head pretty much instantaneously.  This is one of those situations.  Not only is this the best love song ever written, it's also in my personal list of best songs ever written, period.  I have heard this song hundreds of times, and I still legitimately get chills when I listen to it.  Every time.

Dan Haggerty

5. Willie Nelson - "Always On My Mind".

I'm not a country fan, but damn if there isn't a sincere honesty that penetrates this song and makes you feel the love and the lost.  Willie proves just how good an artist can be when you strip him of all the extras and let him poor his soul into a song.  Folk music at its greatest. 

 

4. Marvin Gaye - "Let's Get it On".

I'll let the man explain it himself: Oh, gonna get it on, threatening you, baby - I want to get it on, you don't have to worry that it's wrong - If the spirit moves you, let me groove you - Good, let your love come down, oh, get it on"  yea, enough said.  Motown owns this stuff for a reason people!

3. Barry White - "You're The First, The Last, My Everything".

Oh come on.  That voice singing those words has to be the greatest thing ever.  I firmly believe more babies have been conceived while listening to Berry White than any other artist, and here is Exhibit A!  

 

2. Righteous Brothers - "Unchained Melody".

One of the greatest love songs of all time, and most timeless in it's pure pouring of feeling.  No bells.  No whistles. Just one beautiful statement on what borders a holy reverence for the love of another.  Add in the greatest harmonizing duo of all time and more soul than should be allowed, and you have a beautiful statement on the subject.  

 

1. Journey - "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)".

OK, this song might be about separation and losing a loved one, but Perry makes sure you know that it's one sided.  Between the guitar work, which is Journey at the most axe worthy, and the anguish/bitterness in Steve's voice you know just how much the girl must have meant to him.  He still loves her, even if tragically she doesn't. The toughest love song ever, and one of the most passionate.  You can feel it in every pounding note.   

 

Michael James

Honorable Mentions:

Maxwell- "Fortunate"; Boyz II Men- "On Bended Knee"; SWV- "Weak"; Usher- "U Got It Bad"

5. Case- "Missing You".

When it comes to "love songs," my favorites usually have one bit of lyrical imagery I can latch on to.  For whatever reason, the first time I heard Case sing "Driving ‘round thought I saw you pass me/My rearview mirror's playing tricks on me/ Cause you fade away/Maybe I'm just hallucinating/ Cause my loneliness got the best of me/ And my heart's so weak," I was hooked.  Some of the "like a wedding without groom" lyrics on the chorus are a bit too cheesy, but the overt longing in Case's vocal makes the song one of my favorite ballads.

 

4. Ray LaMontagne- "You Are the Best Thing".

I was really disappointed with LaMontagne's 2008 album Gossip in the Grain.  One of the only two songs that survived my iPod purge was this horn driven profession of love.  I saw LaMontagne in concert this past November, at a time when I was in the process of assembling various playlists for my wedding (sorry, this won't be the last time you hear about my wedding on this list).  He performed an acoustic version of this song which was an absolute revelation and entirely responsible for its inclusion on this list after a host of other LaMontagne contenders.

 

3. Method Man (feat. Mary J. Blige)- "All I Need".

Very rarely hip-hop moves beyond lust to explore some realer emotion.  Of all the hip-hop ballads, this Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell-sampling is my favorite.  The lyrics paint a detailed and vivid picture of urban devotion: "Word life you don't need a ring to be my wife/Just be there for me and I'ma make sure we/ Be livin in the f-in lap of luxury."  Doesn't your heart just melt?

 

2. Bob Dylan- "To Make You Feel My Love".

As someone who fancies himself a music critic and connoisseur, it's somewhat embarrassing to admit that I was introduced to this song by Billy Joel's cover on his Greatest Hits, Vol. 3.  It's also been covered by a ton of other acts, including Garth Brooks, Adele and American Idol winner Kris Allen.  Dylan's version, from 1997's Time Out of Mind, is a moving recitation of the sacrifices that some people will make for love.  Dylan's masterful lyricism pushes this song a cut above most love songs, with lyrics like "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."

 

1. Sam Cooke- "You Send Me".

I told you you'd be hearing about my wedding again, and considering this list is running on my whopping one month anniversary, my wedding song takes the top spot.  I first heard this song in a music history class I took in college, and it made me an instant fan of Sam Cooke.  Since then he's become my favorite artist of all time based primarily on the flawless sincerity of his vocals.  As far as love songs go, "You Send Me," and much of the Cooke catalog is incomparable.

 

Chris Crowing

Honorable Mentions: Moulin Rouge (Nicole Kidman & Ewan MacGregor) - "Come What May"; Phantom of the Opera (Sarah Brightman & whoever plays Raoul) - "Think of Me (All I Ask of You); Blink 182 - "Going Away to College"; Garbage - "I Think I'm Paranoid";  Tina Turner - "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

5. The Darkness - "Growing On Me".

There has to be at least one thoroughly tongue in cheek entry here, and this is certainly a song about a tender relationship.  Very tender indeed ...

 

4. The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?".

This song contains possibly the best, most desolate description of longing for love I've ever heard, as well as it's unforgettable atmosphere - "so you go and you stand on your own/and you leave on your own/and you go home/and you cry and you want to die/I am human and I need to be loved/just like anybody else does/see I've already waited too long."

 

3. Biffy Clyro - "Mountains".

There has to be one positive, anthemic uplifting song, and I'll give my favorite single from last year the nod.  "Nothing lasts forever/except you and me/you are my mountain/you are my sea/love will last forever/between you and me/you are my mountain/you are my sea."  Brilliantly uplifting and anthemic, and that's one of the simplest, most affecting lyrics I've heard in years.

 

2. Something Corporate - "Punk Rock Princess".

This is a very cute tune about trying to get some along time with your perfect girl, and it sums up my current relationship pretty well - and my girl loves it.

 

1. Foo Fighters - "Everlong".

I spent the best part of three years chasing my girlfriend, and while "Everlong" had been a favorite song before then, it really bit during that time.  Nowadays I find it kind of hard to listen to, but it's easily one of the songs that, for me really describes the hollow, aching feeling of being in love and not being sure the other party will reciprocate, or stay.  "Hello, I've waited here for you/everlong..."  Beautiful.

 

Aaron Mayagoitia

What is love anyway? Love has so many dimensions and so many shades to it that it is impossible to completely understand it, much less choose only five songs that can completely convey all of its ups, downs and in-betweens. Heck, I do not even think I know anything about love at all! So here's what I did: I went to the source of all things that have to do with the knowledge of love and its ever subtle nuances. Such source's name is spelled with the same number of letters as love itself, and its meaning even has to do with part of the sweet act of making love  – just so you realize how committed it is to its subject of study. How is it called? KISS.

5. KISS – "Calling Dr. Love".

Not only is KISS experienced in the field of love, there are also certified studies done on the behalf of the group's spokesman Gene Simmons to validate the weight and authority of his opinions, which only makes KISS a more credible advocate for love. Here's a bit of Dr. Simmons wise advice, as well as the complete lecture below:

"So if you please get on your knees.
There are no bills, there are no fees.
Baby, I know what your problem is.
The first step of the cure is a kiss."

 

4. KISS – "Do You Love Me?".

KISS is always asking the big questions. Those who dwell in the excesses of stardom need love advice too, you know. After all, with so many groupies snorting your cocaine and ‘rinsing' your ‘gear', how can you tell which one of them is truly your significant other? KISS understands this better than anybody, and for that they wrote this jubilant song:

 

3. KISS – "I Stole Your Love".

Relationships are never easy and KISS understands this to the fullest. Relationships are especially difficult when sexual activity is absent, and KISS understands this even better. That is why "I Stole Your Love" teaches the eager lover that matters of the sexual nature are best taken care of in a stubborn way:

"You played with my heart,
Played with my head.
I got to laugh,
When I think of the things you said."
"'Cause I stole your love, stole your love."

 

2. KISS – "C'mon and Love Me".

There are various ways to express love, but KISS knows that sex works better than the rest. Not ones to resort to getting things done in a hurry, they know that love-making should have stages that build up to the main event, and for this they suggest the classy, fine-minded option of oral sex:

"You were distant, now you're nearer.
I can feel your face inside the mirror.
The lights are out and I can feel you, baby, with my hands."

 

1. KISS – "Love Gun".

KISS knows that tasteful, understated actions go a long way in love. So, for this song they decided to put together two of the most tasteful and understated things there are just to show you how it's done: a gun and the male member. Enjoy:

 

Paul Hollingsworth

Top Five - Paul Hollingsworth - Love Songs

Honorable Mentions:

The Beatles - Something, The Beach Boys - God Only Knows, Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love 

5. Frehley's Comet – "It's Over Now":

A million summers ago, (1988 according to the history books), I had my first summer romance with a girl named Nancy I met at camp. It was two weeks of bliss in July followed by the worst August ever. There was no cell phones or email at the time, so we wrote 'real' letters to one another, (for a while) and I sent her a few mixtapes, each of which began with this song. I played the holy hell out of this tune . . . until I met Melina.

 

4. Don Henley – "The Heart Of The Matter".

I have no love for The Eagles, but Henley's solo albums have always sounded to me like they were written by a totally different person than the one responsible for such drivel as "Hotel California" and "Heartache Tonight." "Boys of Summer", "Sunset Grill" and this tune are the cream of the pop cop of the '80's. When this song was a hit, I was a senior in high school, going through my first 'real' relationship. I always played this song in my head when we had our breakups (and there were many, we were highschoolers for crying out loud.) Even when times were good, I liked to hear it, because I knew it wasn't going to last long.

 

3. The Avett Brothers – "I And Love And You".

Realizing I may in fact lose a man card by saying so, I must admit that this song brought a tear to my eye. (No easy thing to do, as people who know me can attest.) Just the perfect sad, joyous pop songs about love. Even its use on "One Tree Hill" can't take away its beauty and power.

 

2. Band Of Horses – "No One's Gonna Love You".

The lyrics are simple, the music uncluttered, the singing restrained, but somehow when you add it all up, it says everything you've ever wanted to say to that special someone in a way that's never been done before. It's no secret that Band of Horses is one of my favorite bands and this is easily one of the best songs they've done (so far.)

 

1. The Kinks – "Strangers".

Okay, so "love" isn't in the title or in the lyrics, but its an implied 'love' and although it's hard to choose, this may be my favorite Kinks song of all time. The best part of (any) love is always the initial rush and electricity, and I've never heard a song that manages to capture those feelings any better than this tune. The Kinks are criminally underrated and songs like this show why they may, in fact, be the best rock and roll band ever.

 

Ben Czajkowski

Oh fuck. So, I'm getting married in less than 6 months. And of course, every love song that comes on, my fiancé goes, "OMG!!!!! We have to play this at our wedding!" So, as I drag a mental razor down my wrist, I make note of the ones I actually like. Here are five. In no particular order. Because love can't be ranked.

5. Seal - "Kiss From a Rose".

I've mentioned before that this song is my all-time favorite, which might sound strange if some of you know me as a certifiable rock.metal news guy. This song, though… it touched me in places that I had never been touched before. The lyrics are passionate and heartfelt, and it's clear that whoever this song is about brings light where there is none.  Plus, it's from the best Batman movie ever (Fuck you, Dark Knight).

 

4. Lionel Richie - "Hello".

If memory serves me correctly, this song freaks out either Mitch or Marsicano. Maybe both. That's not why I chose it. When I was an early teenager, I was kind of in love/infatuated with a girl at my former church. She sung like an angel, and she was sweet and compassionate to me when no one else was. I was like a teenage Ted from Scrubs, when in the first season, Carla is nice to him, and he makes weird comments to her. Anyway, the lyrics are some of the incisive in my collection:

I've been alone with you
Inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips
A thousand times
I sometimes see you
Pass outside my door
Hello!
Is it me you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted
And my arms are open wide
Because you know just what to say
And you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much
I love you

 

3. Cyndi Lauper – "Time After Time".

This song has been done by dozens of other people (most notably to me by Matchbox Twenty (…Or was it Tabitha's Secret?). But it's such a special song. One about love that just cannot move on. Maybe about soulmates or just really loving someone. Just don't forget the good things…

Flashback, warm nights
Almost left behind
A suitcase of memories

 

2. Boyz II Men – "I'll Make Love To You".

Leave it to a quartet of hot black men to sing about making love. Whatever happened to good R&B? Is it still there? This is definitely one of my favorite love songs. It's focused, passionate, and everything that I aspire to be in a lover. Especially being able to last all night.

 

1. Whitney Houston – "I Will Always Love You".

Does one of the greatest songs in the history of music, radio, and movies even need an introduction? Maybe for all you 12 year old emo fags that have yet to watch a decent movie about love because you still think girls are icky. Houston just kicks the shit out of every other female vocalist out there when it comes to range. Back when being a TALENTED singer still meant something (yeah, I'm looking at you Taylor Swift and Lady Googoo). Anyway, this song always gives me chills. Especially right at the pinnacle moment of the track when she sings "And I will always love you" over and over like 15 times. Seriously, if you're looking to get to second base with your special lady someone this Valentine's Day, watch The Bodyguard.

 

The Final Word

As always, the last thoughts come from you, the reader. We're merely unpaid monkeys with typewriters and Wikipedia. Here's what you need to do: List your Top Five for this week's topic on the comment section using the following format: 5. Artist - Album: Why you picked it. 4. Artist - Album: Why you picked it. 3. Artis - Albumt: Why you picked it. 2. Artist - Album: Why you picked it. 1. Artis - Albumt: Why you picked it.