| Ah, the power of love! Your heart beats | | | | Presley, Mel Torme, Isaac Hayes, Gordon |
| faster, your eyes open wider, and you're much | | | | Lightfoot, and George Michael."Cherish," by |
| more likely to listen to a love song. Each | | | | Terry Kirkman, 1966.Kirkman reportedly wrote |
| February 14, and during the weeks leading up | | | | this lovely song in a half-hour while he was |
| to Valentine's Day, the musical choices of | | | | the keyboard player in the overlooked Los |
| the nation turn more romantic.Over the years, | | | | Angeles-based band The Association. Featuring |
| some wonderfully potent love songs have been | | | | wonderfully expressive vocal harmonies, the |
| recorded. In fact, the most difficult part of | | | | song is actually about unrequited love, but |
| writing this article was trimming the list | | | | its feeling of desire is so strong that this |
| down to just ten tunes.So, if you don't find | | | | tune still gets played at weddings and |
| your favorite love song here, send me an | | | | anniversary parties. Some Internet sites |
| e-mail at and let me know your desires on the | | | | explain that the recording was nearly three |
| subject. Meanwhile, you might want to visit | | | | and a half minutes long, which was a bit much |
| or for a large selection of songs, often | | | | for radio play in those days, so the song was |
| with the complete lyrics.But right now, sit | | | | sped up to 3:13 but listed on the label as |
| back, relax, pop a chocolate bon-bon in your | | | | 3:00. It later became the first hit for David |
| mouth, and read some surprising facts about | | | | Cassidy, star of TV's "The Partridge Family," |
| the Top Ten Love Songs for Valentine's Day | | | | but that shouldn't dissuade you from checking |
| (in chronological order):"Someone to Watch | | | | out the original."God Only Knows," by Brian |
| Over Me," George and Ira Gershwin, 1926.The | | | | Wilson, 1966.Although it begins with the |
| birthplace of this lovely and moody number | | | | line, "I may not always love you," the rest |
| was an otherwise light and frothy Broadway | | | | of the song is as assertive about undying |
| musical called "Oh, Kay." The song was | | | | love as anything ever written. In the |
| originally fast-paced, but soon moved to the | | | | recording by the Beach Boys, Carl Wilson's |
| ballad form, in keeping with the lyrics. | | | | lead vocal achieves a rarified combination of |
| There have been evocative renditions of the | | | | strength and tenderness and the entire track |
| song every year since it was first composed, | | | | is ethereal in its beauty. Cover versions of |
| with a wide variety of artists contributing | | | | the song appear in the films "Boogie Nights" |
| notable versions, including Rosemary Clooney, | | | | and "Saved," while the original is at the end |
| Doris Day, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, | | | | of the charming Richard Curtis film, "Love, |
| Frank Sinatra, Elton John, rapper Queen | | | | Actually.""Your Song," by Elton John and |
| Latifah (although hers is not a rap version), | | | | Bernie Taupin, 1967.It is said that the |
| trumpeter Chris Botti, pianist Keith Jarrett, | | | | original lyric sheet has coffee stains on it |
| blues legend Etta James, Barbra Streisand, | | | | because Taupin wrote the song at breakfast |
| and Sting, who sang it over the opening | | | | one morning at the home of John's parents, |
| credits of the 1987 Ridley Scott film of the | | | | where he and the soon-to-be-superstar artist |
| same name."Night and Day," by Cole Porter, | | | | were living. While some mistakenly think this |
| 1932.Written for the play, "Gay Divorce," and | | | | was the first John/Taupin collaboration, it |
| also appearing in the film, "The Gay | | | | was one of their earliest works. John |
| Divorcee," this may be the most famous of | | | | reportedly wrote the melody in 20 minutes. |
| Porter's 800+ songs, and illustrates his | | | | The song perfectly captures the sense of |
| seemingly effortless flow of words, | | | | wonder experienced by anyone who has fallen |
| culminating in the bold statement that all of | | | | in love."I Will Always Love You," by Dolly |
| life's torments won't end "Till you let me | | | | Parton, 1974.When Dolly Parton ended her |
| spend my life making love to you, day and | | | | professional songwriting relationship with |
| night, night and day." Such is the economy of | | | | Porter Wagoner, she wrote this heartfelt |
| Porter's writing that this one phrase | | | | breakup song even though they were not |
| combines the singer's desire with a promise | | | | romantically involved. The result was a |
| of eternal love while managing to invert and | | | | number one country hit for Parton. She |
| restate the title, all in 17 words. It's why | | | | recorded another version for the 1978 film, |
| many songwriters would want to say to Porter, | | | | "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," and |
| "You're the Top," which is another of his | | | | again hit number one on the country charts. |
| famous songs, and would have made this list | | | | Whitney Houston's version of the song |
| if it wasn't also so full of humor."Unchained | | | | appeared in the 1992 film, "The Bodyguard," |
| Melody," Alex North and Hy Zaret, | | | | and dominated the pop, soul and adult |
| 1936.William Stirrat was 16 and too shy to | | | | contemporary charts for weeks. Not a day goes |
| approach the girl of his dreams, so he wrote | | | | by without someone playing it to demonstrate |
| one of the world's most beautiful tales of | | | | the depth of their love, which is ironic |
| love and longing (using Zaret as his pen | | | | since it is a song about saying |
| name). The breathtaking melody was by Alex | | | | goodbye."Heaven," by Jim Vallance and Bryan |
| North (who went on to compose scores for | | | | Adams, 1983.Written for the thankfully |
| "Spartacus," "Cleopatra," and many other | | | | forgotten 1983 film "A Night in Heaven," the |
| films). It took 19 years before their song | | | | song also appeared on Adams' "Reckless" album |
| appeared in the prison picture, "Unchained," | | | | the following year and hit number one. Today, |
| where it was nominated for a Best Song Oscar. | | | | a whole new generation knows the song from DJ |
| Al Hibbler sang it in the film, but that same | | | | Sammy's 2002 dance version, which was |
| year saw the song hit the charts in versions | | | | recorded with Yanou and features vocals by Do |
| by Hibbler, Les Baxter, Roy Hamilton, and | | | | (Dominique van Hulst). This modern, rhythmic |
| June Valli. Among the nearly 700 artists who | | | | version, which has dance floor clout yet |
| have recorded this song are Harry Belafonte, | | | | still conveys the swirling all-encompassing |
| Liberace, Jimmy Young, U2, Leann Rimes, Neil | | | | passion of love, now appears in more than a |
| Diamond, Willie Nelson, Heart, Elvis Presley, | | | | dozen different remixes and has charted in |
| and, of course, the Righteous Brothers. Their | | | | nearly two dozen countries."In Your Eyes," by |
| 1965 recording was a huge hit, and reached | | | | Peter Gabriel, 1986.This track from Gabriel's |
| the top twenty again a quarter century later | | | | "So" album has been called the most beautiful |
| when it appeared on the "Ghost" soundtrack in | | | | love song ever recorded. There's no denying |
| 1990. The duo re-recorded the song the same | | | | its passion and power, with unusual chords |
| year and THAT version also hit the top | | | | and lyrics that touch on spiritual and |
| twenty."First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," by | | | | metaphysical themes. Film director Cameron |
| Ewan MacColl, 1957.A long, slowly-building | | | | Crowe worked hard (and reportedly paid two |
| flame is how some people describe the version | | | | hundred thousand dollars) to get the song |
| sung by Roberta Flack, which created a | | | | into his film, "Say Anything" (in the scene |
| sensation when it appeared in Clint | | | | where John Cusack holds a boom box over his |
| Eastwood's 1971 directorial debut, "Play | | | | head). Another popular story about the song |
| Misty for Me." Experimental playwright and | | | | is that it was written for Gabriel's then |
| folk singer MacColl wrote it 14 years earlier | | | | girlfriend, Rosanna Arquette. If true, it |
| for his partner, Peggy Seeger, who needed a | | | | would mean she had two hit songs written for |
| romantic song for a play. Written in less | | | | her that decade, as she is the subject of |
| than an hour, the song virtually defines the | | | | Toto's "Rosanna" from 1982.Scott G owns G-Man |
| term "love song." Flack's is the definitive | | | | Music & Radical Radio, where he makes radio |
| rendition, but the song has been recorded by | | | | commercials and composes music for radio/TV |
| dozens of performers in many genres, | | | | commercials. As The G-Man, he has 5 albums on |
| including Johnny Cash, Celine Dion, Elvis | | | | iTunes and distributed by Delvian Records. |