Music sets just the right mood on Valentine’s Day or any day. Here’s some great love songs to add to your playlist this February 14th.
“SOMETHING” BY THE BEATLES
This cut from 1969’s “Abbey Road” was written by George Harrison. It was a love song to Pattie Boyd, Harrison’s first wife, and was first offered to Joe Cocker. It was good that The Beatles kept it, though. Time magazine called it the best track on “Abbey Road,” and John Lennon and “Abbey Road” producer George Martin agreed.
“UNCHAINED MELODY” BY THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
Written by Alex North and Hy Zaret, “Unchained Melody” was originally meant as the theme for a 1955 prison film, “Unchained.” Of the many recordings of this song, the Righteous Brothers’ version is arguably the most popular, though it was also recorded by Elvis Presley, Heart, U2, Barry Manilow and others.
“CRAZY” BY PATSY CLINE
Patsy Cline started singing at her local radio station when she was 15 but became a star with “I Fall to Pieces” in 1961 and “Crazy” in 1962. It was written by Willie Nelson and appears on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. “MY GIRL” BY THE TEMPTATIONS This was The Temptations’ first No. 1 single, inspired by Smokey Robinson’s wife, Claudette Rogers Robinson. It appeared on the 1965 album “The Temptations Sing Smokey.” The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.
“LET’S STAY TOGETHER” BY AL GREEN
This song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 16 weeks. It’s been covered many times, most notably by Tina Turner on 1983’s “Private Dancer,” and Isaac Hayes. It’s also a film staple, appearing in “Pulp Fiction,” “Higher Learning,” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
“I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU” BY DOLLY PARTON
Dolly wrote and recorded this song in 1973, originally as a farewell to her former business partner Procter Wagoner. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs twice, once when it was released and then again in 1982 as part of the soundtrack for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Whitney Houston recorded and released the song again in 1992 for the movie “The Bodyguard,” and it spent 14 weeks at No. 1 yet again. It’s one of the best-selling singles of all time.
