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November 7, 2011
15. The Ramones, "She's the One" (1978)
There's usually a point in every relationship where you want to jump around the room like an idiot because someone has made you so very happy. The Ramones knew this decades before Tom Cruise did, and captured that feeling in just over two minutes of bouncing glee. — A.H.
Listen: The Ramones, "She's the One"
14. Dionne Warwick and The Spinners, "Then Came You" (1974)
Via Dionne Warwick's able crooning, "Then Came You" is optimistic, cinematic, and perhaps most of all, mature. The build-up of the piano and the Spinners' backup vocals makes you feel like a character in a musical, oddly compelled to stand up and sing along. In short, "Then Came You" is the kind of song that gradually infiltrates your body until you can't help but stand up and clap your hands together in celebration of that often-awful-but-occasionally-awesome feeling: love. — M.H.
Listen: Dionne Warwick and The Spinners, "Then Came You"
13. Patti Smith, "Because the Night" (1978)
Written by Bruce Springsteen for Patti Smith, "Because the Night" has since been recorded by acts from 10,000 Maniacs to Springsteen himself. But no one's ever seemed to mean it quite as much as Smith. She captures the rapturous excitement of being with someone special, and, um, taking advantage of the sundown. — Kristin Hunt
Listen:Patti Smith, "Because the Night"
12. Bruce Springsteen, "She's the One" (1975)
On an album brimming over with romance, most of it of the starry-eyed, teenage-rebellion variety, "She's the One" stands out as the purest love song. "Born to Run" may embrace the sentiment of doomed lovers on the lam, but it's more about escape than the down-to-earth emotions expressed here, an assured declaration of love grounded by a brawny sax solo. — Jesse Cataldo, of Slant Magazine
Listen:Bruce Springsteen, "She's the One"
11. Elton John, "Your Song" (1970)
Many love songs are so over-the-top that the words lose meaning. "Your Song" is a ballad for the ordinary man or woman who can't promise the world to the one they love. Instead of saying what he will do, Elton expresses — with an honest yearning in his voice — what he would do if he could. Instead of buying big houses or painting a masterpiece, all he can do is try his best to make a simple love song. It turns out to be a pretty good one. — Confusion, of Pigeons and Planes
Listen: Elton John, "Your Song"
10. Earth, Wind & Fire, "September" (1978)
Funk music can be so busy and buoyant that tender emotion sometimes gets subsumed by groove. (After all, I generally don't think of my booty as my center of love.) But "September" nails both: it's sweetly nostalgic, adorably wholesome, and irresistibly funky. — A.H.
Listen: Earth, Wind & Fire, "September"
9. Jackson 5, "I'll Be There" (1970)
Before all the drama complicated the story of Michael Jackson and his family, there was "I'll Be There," an innocent declaration of unconditional love. It was a sentiment that obviously resonated with a lot of people; the song was the Jackson 5's most successful single ever. — Confusion, of Pigeons and Planes
Listen: Jackson 5, "I'll Be There"
Commentarium (70 Comments)
This was fantastic. It can be tough for us 20-somethings to get into any 70s music. Roberta Flack!!
nice that young folk can like what we liked that many years ago!!
Great list, appreciated being able to play all of the tracks. One suggestion: I would have liked to see Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" on the list.
Yipes. That song's nails on the chalkboard screech presages Mariah Carey and makes my 'nads go skittering for safety.
Other than that, the song is terrific.
The difference is that Minne didn't screech. She just glides through insanely high notes. Putting her on the same page as Carey is really a very heavy insult to the memory of a truly great talent.
A list that has EW&F, the Jackson 5, Stevie, Bill Withers and Al Green all in the top 10 is definitely awesome. A bit of Stylistics would have been nice ("I'm Stone In Love With You" or "Betcha By Golly, Wow" would be my choice, or even "You Make Me Feel Brand New") and "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites (if you call that a 'love song'). I think Marvin Gaye should somehow be on the list too, but he didn't really do a lot of 'love' songs in the 70s. "Lets Get It On" doesn't really fit the bill, I guess.
Thanks, now I have Stylistics stuck in my head.
That's a good thing ... right? And I didn't even mention "You Are Everything": that's at least four classic love songs that could have been on the list.
Yeah, "Betcha By Golly, Wow" almost made it. And we looked carefully at Marvin Gaye's '70s discography, but you're right--actual love songs are few. ("You Sure Love to Ball" didn't seem to fit, as much as we wanted it to.) We do have Marvin Gaye (with Tammi Terrell) on the '60s list.
Amazing list. A+
Love it! Except it should have been "Woman" by John Lennon. Legendary.
You'll have to wait for Nerve's Top 25 Love Songs of the 80s. It came out in 1980.
English actor/singer Jimmy Nail does a killer version of "Love" on his album "Big River".
"Except it should have been "Woman" by John Lennon. Legendary." Except that "Woman" came out in 1980.
How Deep Is Your Love! BeeGees
I lost my virginity to that song!
"My Love" by Paul McCartney. Even better is the new cover by Corinne Bailey Rae.
McCartney put out so many great ones in the 70s, it's ridiculous. Even Mull of Kintyre is a fabulous love (...of the Earth) song.
I'd go with Springstreen's "Backstreets" rather than "She's the One." Because love songs of queer adolescent anguish and exhilaration are still awesome love songs.
That was my immediate thought as well.
Of course you can go to the zoo with heroin. And why can't a love song be about a drug, an addiction? It's far more moving and deep to have layers (which reed's greatest works contain in folds). To be attached and reviled, addicted and loath, to someone, something, to the point they mingle into the highest high, revisited by the bitter plight of memory. I really like the song though, so I can't complain. :D
Well, the song made it onto the list based on the idea that it was about a person. I think you're right, though -- the song's layers and nuances are what makes it work. Someone brought up the line "You made me forget myself/ I thought I was someone else, someone good," as an example of its negativity, but I think that ultimately just makes it that much more honest and unflinching.
Those lines are so great precisely because sometimes another person can make you do that (at least for a few moments).
I can't even read the title "Perfect Day" without misting up a little.
Nice list. Always nice to be reminded of classics and find some new ones.
No Dylan? I thought I was sure to see something off of 'Blood on the Tracks' on this list. I am disappoint, Nerve
Not sure if trolling or wildly confused about that album's subject matter.
Well I wasn't suggesting putting "Idiot Wind" on the list. Too much hot fire. But some of the other tracks utterly lack that venom and are entirely good-natured. even if they feature dylan pining about a lost love or fretting over one he's about to lose, aren't they still great love songs?
not according to the intro.
Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce
Absolutely!
Agreed, such a beautiful song
Lovely list and all, truly but where the f%$& is Marvin Gaye?! "I Want You"? People please!
Doesn't really fit our criteria. Marvin made it onto the '60s list.
So then, Peter, by your logic, Marvin Gaye is only fit to place once on one of Nerve's lists? I agree, "I Want You" is a love song. I was actually written about a woman he was mad over. Sheesh...
"It's too bad, it's too sad/ You don't want me now/ But I'm gonna change your mind/ Someway, somehow, oh baby" -- that goes specifically against what we're talking about (songs of devotion, not songs of longing).
How about "Angie" in place of "Wild Horses"?
"Angie, you're beautiful, but ain't it time we said goodbye?" Nah. Great song, but definitely a break-up piece.
what, no I Was Made for Lovin' You by Kiss? What kind of rip off is this I see before me?
Hard to say what should be taken out, but Layla didn't make it?
Just for the sake of symmetry since one of the '60s great love songs was about the same person. ("Wonderful Tonight," too?)
It's a shame that the list doesn't have "for once in my life" with Gladys knigths and the Pips.
So you all missed the number one...Lovin' You by Minnie Ripperton...1974.
1. I'm all out of Love- Air Supply
2. Twelfth of never- Donny Osmand
3. Hello it's Me- Todd Rundgren
4. Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
5. Without You - Nilsson
6. You Make Me Feel Brand New - The Stylistics
7. Emotion - Samantha Sang
We thought of "Without You," but jaw-droppingly beautiful as it is, it's a breakup song.
Alex is right, i think, though that is an odd/love-break up song: Could have been a novel!
Great list! One of the best of the series by far...I was surprised by the lack of Fleetwood Mac. No "Songbird"?
If we ever get around to a list of the best breakup songs, I assure you it'll be 90% Mac.
yeah, songbird for sure should be here.
Good list... agree with some more than others, but ultimately, Flack's rendition of 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' is definitely the best love song of the 70s....maybe of all time.
Where is "Best of My Love" by the Emotions?
(I also would have liked to see some Supremes on the 60s AND the 70s list, but I guess most of their biggest hits fall into the heartbreak category. But seriously, "Best of My Love"!)
A few more:
Neil Young "When You Dance I Can Really Love"
Pete Townshend - "Mary" (it wasn't released until the 1980's, but I'm fairly certain he recorded it in the early 70's)
Joe Ely- "Because the Wind"
Tom Petty - "Here Comes My Girl"
and imo Al Green's "What a Wonderful Thing Love Is" is as good, if not better than "Let's Stay Together"
I have always thought that Wonderful Tonight was a breakup song. Like, the last final moment before throwing in the towel.
agree: It always had that sense of "Oh, you look great; Goodbye" to me , too
Dan Hill, "Sometimes When We Touch."
Ooof. Well, that list kicked my ass. Now for some of Mr. Daniels best Old No.7, and see y'all Tuesday.
Kidding, kidding. Gave me nothing but the *good* kind of soul-scorching excruciating pain.
What happened to "I'm not in love" by 10cc?? And there should've been "Killing me softly" as well. Just because the number one is by Roberta Flack doesn't mean that the number 2 can't be as well!
Where is "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye?
It doesn't fit the criteria....
Whoa, whoa, get out the way with that good ifnomratoin.
What, no "Colour My World" by Chicago?
Well, your criteria knock out a few classics that would otherwise spring to mind - You To Me Are Everything by The Real Thing might be pop but it's pure, joyous pop (but is a bit yearning), Make it With You (Bread) ditto and a bit winsome, but how about a lost classic - You're My Everything, Lee Garrett. "Plenty of sunshine to follow the rain, I'm yours and your mine baby, why should we complain". Why indeed? Great list, but Wonderful Tonight is a painful dirge, Eric's worst ever song. Cheers!
As a white european male, I'd rather walk naked from one end of Baghdad to the other before I ever again knowingly subject myself to Peter Frampton.
The incomparable but shy Mick Taylor was on Wild Horses. Fact checkers?
Ah, sharp eyes. Bit much to expect the intern picking out photos for these articles to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Rolling Stones guitarists, though. A begrudging touche to you, sir, though that probably won't get changed.
Precious and Few by Climax. And I completely agree that Dan Hill's Sometimes when we touch should be there. Johnny Rivers, Slow Dancin Swayin to the Music should be given some thought too. So many to pick from. Tough job but 1 or 2 of these should be there in the list.
Paul Davis - "I go crazy"... is that going to be on the breakup list?
Help Me- Joni Mitchell... not sure if it qualifies as a song about devotion but it's beautiful all the same! x
"Day After Day" by Badfinger???
How about LADY by Styx and THE AIR THAT I BREATH by The Hollies