Lyrics in love songs may have drifted away from the usual Frank Sinatra romantic stories or Elvis Presley’s falling in love, but today they are much more realistic and even deeper in meaning.
Many would say lyrics are entirely different when love is addressed today, and this is logical because generations change and the world is different. On the other hand, what does love know about logic anyway?
Nevertheless, the best love songs will always be popular and mark some happy or sad period of someone’s life. Even though the music and the meaning of the lyrics have changed, love is still one of the main topics, which is why here we will see which love songs are considered timeless. So let’s get into it right away.
“Easy On Me” – Adele
You may have waited five long years for Adele to drop new music, and fans generally wanted new material for a long time, but luckily for you, it is finally here. This way of making music is better because even though you wait an extended time, you know the new studio album will be almost perfect.
“Easy On Me” is the first single from the recently released studio album “30”, which is about going through a divorce. This hit song is about her emotionally requesting those around her to be patient and go easy on her as she navigates her new way of living. She herself said that it was written during “the most turbulent period,” and this song is already number one when it comes to the best new love songs 2021.
“Cheers” – Faye Webster
Now is the perfect time to buy concert tickets for a Faye Webster live show since she is going on a tour at the beginning of next year. And one of the best reasons is her song “Cheers”, which was part of her studio album titled “I Know I’m Funny Haha,” which was released on 25 June 2021.
“Cheers” is a much more emotionally opened song than her previous tracks, and it asks the same insecurities and quirky questions that Faye likes to ask. The difference is that there is no “fake” romanticism beneath it all, which makes the song even better. Part of the lyrics meaning if we weren’t in love, we’d still be friends, are not the newest approach, but at least they are honest and entirely realistic.
“If It Ain’t Me” – Dua Lipa
This song is part of Dua Lipa’s album “Future Nostalgia,” which was released in 2020, but “If It Ain’t Me” is for sure one of the best love songs in 2021 and beyond.
Dua Lipa most certainly knows the best way how to write a hit love song. As the title of the song suggests, this one is about having thoughts creep into your mind about the one you are with that might leave you. Of course, it has the usual Dua Lipa beat, which makes it a perfect combination of love lyrics and music that allows you to dance all the time.
“Shouldn’t Matter but It Does” – John Mayer
John Mayer worked on his 2021 album titled “Sob Rock” for more than four years, and it is definitely worth it because it has songs like “Shouldn’t Matter but It Does.”
Songs like this one bring Mayer on almost every love song list you could ever see, and he definitely deserves the credit because he makes the best love songs in recent years.
“Shouldn’t Matter but It Does” connects pretty well with the fans and people in general because it has lyrics that address love issues we all have been through in our lives. The song is about looking back at a past relationship and thinking about many of the things that both you and your partner should have done. But, in essence, you didn’t, and where you could have been today if you had done all those things. And let’s be honest, there isn’t almost a single person that hasn’t thought about this, hence why this song is a total hit.
“Street Runner” – Rod Wave
When it comes to rap music, “Street Runner” many times has been referred to as one of the best rap love songs 2021. And this is logical because of two reasons: in the rap genre, you don’t often listen to so many love songs, and two because it has love lyrics that are suitable for Generation Z and how they address love issues today.
In this rap hit, Rod Wave apologizes for not picking up his girlfriend’s calls because of his highly dynamic lifestyle that negatively influences their relationship. Of course, in the end, he apologizes and knows how much he misses her. But the reason for the title “Street Runner” is because he is always on the road, and he knows that he has to stop running at a certain point. And we can all quickly feel his pain since symbolically, it is also not easy to stop running from commitment and settle down with the person that matters the most.
“Holy” – Justin Bieber
Many fans still don’t believe it even though it happened in 2018, but Justin Bieber became part of the wedding world by marrying American model Hailey Rhode. And even though Hailey talked about how there were tough marriage moments in the past, they obviously are a great couple.
And as every musician that is affected by some vital event of their life and creates a piece of music, Bieber also made a song about this special moment. The song is titled “Holy,” and yes, since it is a Bieber song, it is a mega-hit for which many people have different opinions right away about the meaning. He sings it together with a musician Chance the Rapper, and it is for sure one of the best wedding love songs 2021.
It also addresses other things, like how being together with Hailey brings them closer to God or that Hailey is the love of his life. Nevertheless, it is one of the best love songs this year, and since it is a Bieber song, it will remain popular in the future as well.
“Another” – Adam Doleac
The country music industry has been transformed a lot in recent years with variations of this music genre with the new generation of country singers and songwriters. One of them is Adam Doleac, who is one of the best country singers today, and has been collaborating with other stars like Kane Brown and Darius Rucker by co-writing songs. He hasn’t written this song with these two musicians, but nevertheless, it became an instant hit song.
He is yet to become even more popular, and one of the reasons is “Another” that Adam wrote because he himself is a person that constantly wants more and realizes that sometimes you need that clarity to know what is enough. Doleac said about this song, “Basically is about seeing someone and realizing never gonna want another person,” and he definitely delivered what he imagined.
The music video is also beautiful since it has an old love couple still supporting each other and staying together. It is fair to say that this is one of the best country love songs 2021, without a doubt.
“Save Your Tears” – The Weeknd
When this song came out last year, it was evident that it would be one of the hit love songs in 2021. Fans know that The Weeknd almost never speaks about his personal life, and it was a pleasant surprise to see how he opened up about his love relationships in his latest studio album titled “After Hours.”
“Save Your Tears” presents the idea of regret and what-ifs, and this is logical because he has had an on-again, off-again relationship with American model Bella Hadid and some fans also include his relationship with Selena Gomez. But it is not a “light song” with happy lyrics since it also addresses his relationships in the past, recollecting the experiences he went through while not being able to provide emotional support for his ex.
“Shivers” – Ed Sheeran
Love songs are mainly about relationships, happy, loving moments, sad break-ups, and similar aspects that we all have felt during our lives. Still, musical masterminds like Ed Sheeran have the talent to make a great love song that also addresses other parts of love, that as we all know, can be universal.
In its bottom line, this is a love song about how a woman gives him the shivers. Still, it is also about how he gets the feeling of butterflies when doing some activities that mean a lot to him, not only loving people. These activities include snuggling his cat, performing in front of a vast number of people, etc.
Ed Sheeran most certainly knows how to make the perfect mix of great lyrics, music that allows you to dance, and a music video that will engage with the audience. The music video for “Shivers” already has more than 83 million views on Youtube in less than three months; yes, you read that right.
“What a Man Gotta Do” – Jonas Brothers
Suitable for dancing with your friends, having fun, relaxing, and singing out loud – this is how “What a Man Gotta Do” by the Jonas Brothers can be described.
It directly addresses how a person doesn’t have second thoughts and doesn’t need to be a part-time lover, as the lyrics show, “Sign me up for the full-time, I’m yours, I’m yours, woo!” You will have a tremendous amount of fun listening to this song live, and it can not get any more special than dancing along with the band and a large number of audience members.
The electrifying energy is also evident in the music video for this song, and a fun fact is that the legendary actor Matthew Modine from Stanley Kubrick’s cult movie “Full Metal Jacket” is part of the video. The Jonas Brothers for sure know how to make one of the best love songs that is not a sad one; even more, it is one that will energize you to move your hips.
“Consider Me” – Allen Stone
Also a wedding type of song, it is safe to say that “Consider Me” is one of the best Allen Stone love songs. The lyrics show love and affection towards a person with a list of arguments for why she should pick him and a trying effort to show numerous reasons he would look after her in good and bad times.
“Consider me” is what the chorus addresses, and below the music video for this song on Youtube, there are already many comments by fans stating that this will definitely be their wedding song when the time comes to get married.
One more reason this love song is so popular is Stone’s singing voice and the way he creates a perfect mix of soul music, R&B, and the so-called blue-eyed soul genre. This song is also ideal for close dancing with your loved one.
“I Will Always Love You” – Whitney Houston
Considered by many the best pop singer of all time, Whitney Houston’s best song is most certainly “I Will Always Love You”. This mega-hit was actually written and recorded originally by the legendary Dolly Parton back in 1973.
The rendition of Whitney was made for the blockbuster movie “The Bodyguard”, in which she also played one of the leading roles alongside Kevin Costner. This beautiful song was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for an impressive 14 weeks, which was a new record back then. Furthermore, “I Will Always Love You” became one of the best-selling singles of all time and also the best-selling one performed by a woman.
And when it comes to awards, this song won many accolades, including Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.
“Love Story” – Taylor Swift
The romantic “Love Story” is a song both recorded and written by the talented Taylor Swift that was released back in 2008. It was the leading single from the second Taylor Swift album titled “Fearless”.
“Love Story” is a song based mainly on the plot of “Romeo and Juliet”, the famous tragedy written by the great Willam Shakespeare back in the 16th century. Of course, in this track, the main characters are Romeo and Juliet, who end up in a proposal for marriage, which is the opposite of Shakespeare’s tragic ending.
Also, the lyrics of this popular song have a reference to “The Scarlet Letter” from 1850, written as historical fiction by Nathaniel Hawthrone. Another reason why this song is so popular is that it is a perfect mix of soprano vocals with perfect melody created from guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and banjo.
“Come Away With Me” – Norah Jones
You may think for hours, but you won’t think of a similar musician like Norah Jones these days. She moves around the jazz and pop music world, and her hit song “Come Away With Me” will evoke a dreamy fantasy of being satisfied with feelings of love and romance.
Norah will most certainly be thankful for this mega-hit since it was the title song on her debut studio album. Since this album was beautifully made and performed by Jones, it’s not a surprise why it was number one on the US album chart, and it also managed to sell more than twelve million copies among audiences.
In addition, this love song helped in a great manner for this album to win even eight Grammy Awards, and “Come Away With Me” became a massive hit on the radio.
“How Deep Is Your Love” – Bee Gees
Robin, Barry, and Maurice Gibb hadn’t even seen the screenplay for “Saturday Night Fever”, but they still wrote a song called “How Deep Is Your Love” that became the soundtrack of the movie later on. In fact, they weren’t even aware that there was going to be a great love scene in the movie since their intention was to give this track to Yvonne Elliman.
Nevertheless, Robert Stigwood, who was their manager at the time, was determined to convince the Bee Gees to record this song themselves, and he most certainly did the right thing. And even though you can’t watch the Bee Gees perform today, at least you have a great chance to see The Australian Bee Gees, which create a wonderful tribute to this legendary band.
“Vision of Love” – Mariah Carey
This list would not be complete without mentioning the amazing Mariah Carey. She has many top-rated love songs, but “Vision of Love” was also her breakthrough song in a way since it’s her debut single.
She wrote it together with Ben Marguiles, and it was released in 1990 as a leading single on her album. The backing vocals are also sung by Mariah, and this track has a slow-dance tempo with lyrics describing present and past relationship with a lover; in essence, she describes the “vision of love”. This legendary hit had impressive universal acclaim from the critics and put Mariah on the map.
“It Must Have Been Love” – Roxette
Believe it or not, the original title of this song is “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted). The work of Per Gessle and performed by the legendary pop duo Roxette, who came from Sweden and conquered the world with this beautiful ballad.
The beautiful singing of Marie Fredriksson also helped this song to become the 3rd number one hit in the USA but also one of Roxette’s best selling songs ever since it was certified gold or platinum in numerous countries over the globe.
A fun fact is that even four versions were officially released, and the most successful is the second one that was an edited version without the Christmas reference, made as a soundtrack for the blockbuster movie “Pretty Woman” starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.
“Part-Time Lover” – Stevie Wonder
A fantastic piano player, an amazing singer, and also a songwriter and record producer, Stevie Wonder has warmed the hearts of millions of people with his beautiful songs, and one of them is the mega-hit “Part-Time Lover”.
Stevie has said that this track was actually inspired by two previous songs, those being “My World Is Empty Without You” and “You Can’t Hurry Love”. And of course, it was a major success since it became Wonder’s 9th number one and even the first single to be at the top in five various Billboard charts.
Also, he had the honour to be nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1986 at the Grammy Awards.
“Endless Love” – Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
“Endless Love” is one of those songs that were created because one thing led to another, and it became one of the best love songs of all time.
In essence, the director Franco Zeffirelli and the producer Jon Peters wanted Lionel Richie to make an instrumental song with the line of the theme from “Love Story” for their film with Brooke Shields. But, Franco changed his mind and had the idea for Lionel to add lyrics to the song, and then he also wanted to add a female singer such as Diana Ross.
Well, his idea was evidently great, and out of it, “Endless Love” was born, and with the performance of Ross and Richie, it’s still one of the most beautiful songs and one of the best movie songs of all time.
“Your Song” – Elton John
Also a beautiful story, “Your Song”, was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was released by Three Dog Night in 1970, a rock band for which Elton John was an opening act at the time. Elton allowed them to record this song, but the rock band didn’t release it as a single because they decided that Elton should have a go with it since he was an upcoming musician back then.
They certainly made a great choice and a beautiful gesture since today Elton John is one of the best musicians and singers in the world, and this song sold millions of copies and peaked high on music charts in various countries.
To Sum It All Up
Here you have some of the best love songs of all time, that celebrate love or help broken hearts heal. Love songs of different music genres will always be popular among music lovers and people in general. And the songs listed above are part of the elite group of love songs that warm the hearts of people every day.
Love songs will always be accurate, from weddings to love at first sight and break-ups, and when fantastic singers like the ones above sing them, the songs become even more unique. And even more remarkable is to listen to these songs performed live by your favorite singer. So, alone or with the love of your life, don’t waste any more time, buy concert tickets, and enjoy the loving and electrifying atmosphere!
