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.) Scroll through for a selection of the best Valentine's Day songs of all time from Bey and Jay to The Beatles and Ariana Grande to soul-soothers (read: Otis, Leon, and Sam) that are way better than a box of chocolates.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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?
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“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.
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“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.
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“You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain
To borrow a sliver of genius from Ice Cube and then tweak it just a bit: Romance isn’t a track meet. It’s a marathon. And Shania Twain is singing about it in her 1998 single off her peak album, Come On Over. Couple her restrained sound with a super-sexy video and even Ice Cube would melt.
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“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.
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“Cupid” by Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke’s indelible voice is the real-life equivalent to Cupid and his arrow. When Cooke sings, we belong to him. And though “Cupid,” a solid '60s R&B tune, isn’t his biggest hit, it did still draw back its bow and land on the Billboard charts in the top 20.
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“To Love Somebody” by Bee Gees
Nobody puts the brothers Gibb in a corner—or rather a genre. Because the throwback group could honestly be considered soul, pop, disco, rhythm and blues, who knows. “To Love Somebody,” however, we’re stamping with soul, since it was originally written for Otis Redding.
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“Stand by Me” by Ben E. King
Ben E. King, who kicked off his singing career with The Drifters, has a catalog deeper than the love we have for him. His solo hit, “Stand by Me,” though, just might be his legacy. No Valentine’s Day playlist is complete without at least one stream of this one.
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“Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Need an ice-breaker? From the second the hip-thumping brass instrumentation of Beyoncé and then-boyfriend Jay-Z’s colossal pop hit plays, all nerves will shatter like glass. Forget the Grammys, who cares about the charts—this timeless classic will go down in history as the best Bey-Jay duet.
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“Shameless” by Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood are couples goals. So of course, this '90s power love ballad written and originally recorded by Billy Joel, and featuring vocals from Yearwood, is music goals.
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“I’ll Stand by You” by The Pretenders
If you spent young adulthood trying to decide between Pacey, Dawson, or Jack, we feel you. But if you will remember, our shared nostalgia of volleying between the heartthrobs on the angsty teen soap, Dawson’s Creek, would never even be possible had it not been for The Pretenders, whose '94 hit plays at the end of the pilot.
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“The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice
It’s rumored that the lyrics in Damien Rice’s slow burner are about his music teacher’s daughter. He taught clarinet—wind instrument, blowing, it makes sense, but who really knows. What we do know: Rice’s lines “I can’t take my eyes off of you” and “I can’t take my mind off of you” are universal lust language.
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“My Body’s a Zombie for You” by Dead Man’s Bones
We know; it totally sounds like something you’d play at a monster mash come the end of October, but actually this underrated gothic-folk tune is a love song about, well, obsessive love. But here’s the real kicker: Dead Man’s Bones’ lead singer is Ryan Gosling. Mhm.
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“If She Ever Leaves Me” by The Highwomen
Have you met the Highwomen yet? You only think you haven’t. A supergroup composed of Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby, Amanda Shires, and Brandi Carlile, these ladies are the answer to the ‘80s country Highway Men. Carlile takes the lead on “If She Ever Leaves Me,” a progressive tune with a sweeping message of affection.
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“If We Were Vampires” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Love is in the details of this track about a man who spends every day fiercely loving his better half: Frontman Jason Isbell is the melodic wordsmith who wrote the Grammy-winning song; his wife, fiddler Amanda Shires, helped with the Nashville sound.
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“Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney
Recorded for his debut solo album, “Maybe I’m Amazed” was written by Paul McCartney about his wife, Linda, during the time when The Beatles were breaking hearts with their breakup. One Valentine's Day listen to this track, though, and all wounds are healed.
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“Fade into You” by Mazzy Star
It’s the dead of winter and yet we melt when we hear the velvety vocals of Mazzy Star front woman Hope Sandoval float through this contribution to the Los Angeles Paisley Underground movement in the '80s. Her sound is seriously cashmere for the soul.
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“Strangers” by The Kinks
It’s not lost on us that you’re probably thinking, never heard of it, and wanting to hit that forward-scrolling arrow, but hold up a sec. Featured in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited, “Strangers” is a folksy departure for The Kinks with a beautiful message: We are not two, we are one. Trust us, you will love it.
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“Coming Home” by Leon Bridges
Just 30 years old, Leon Bridges sounds like he’s been spreading soul for centuries. His sound comes wrapped in a heart-shaped box that if you didn’t know any better you’d think came straight from Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. “Coming Home,” a title track perfect for long-distance lovers, is soul revival at its finest.
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source - https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/g30445826/valentines-day-songs/
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