Alright, alright, you know what day it is. As if the red and pink balloons and hearts all over the place didn’t give it away already, we wanted to make sure you knew that it that it was Valentine’s Day!
All clichés aside, we really do love this day. We despise the fact that Valentine’s Day has become all about whether you have a significant other to celebrate it with or not. It’s a day about love and celebrating all of the love you have in your life — not being reminded of whatever it is that you don’t have. And as music teachers, we love Valentine’s Day even more for all the great love songs that have been created over the years that celebrate love the way it’s meant to be. So whether you’ve got big plans or are kicking back with a rom-com tonight, make sure you take a moment to listen to some great music (that just so happens to be about love) — it’ll be just the thing to give you that warm, fuzzy feeling. Here are our top 10 picks of the most romantic songs of all time (in no particular order, of course). Make sure you share yours with us in the comments!
1. Forever and For Always, Shania Twain
A modern classic for sure, there’s just something about a country girl singing a love song that we can’t resist. All the 90’s kids will appreciate this sweet country-pop ballad!
2. Wicked Game, Chris Isaak
Is that Elvis? No! It’s the equally heart-melting voice of Chris Isaak. Who ever said that love songs were only happy and sappy? This sensual number [and its singer] is one of the most underrated in the love song category.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr2ci8FEYmI
3. Push, Sarah McLachlan
While she’s plenty well-known for her tear-jerking “Angel”, Sarah McLachlan has penned, played and sung one of the most beautiful love songs you’ve probably never heard. No sad animals here!
4. God Only Knows, The Beach Boys
Okay, now who doesn’t love The Beach Boys? How can even resist the melodies and sweet harmonies of the original heartthrobs?! You can’t, that’s how. A list about the top love songs wouldn’t be complete without a Beach Boys number.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMyS78o5YI
5. Just in Time, Nina Simone
There’s something about a jazz singer singing a love song that makes you feel like they’re truly singing the language of Love. And no one could convince us of that better than the legendary Nina Simone and her classic number.
6. Halo, Beyoncé
You had to have been living under a rock five years ago to not have been swept away by one of Beyoncé’s most popular ballads. Her incredible vocals, beautiful harmonies and instrumentals are the perfect combination to bring to life the lyrics penned by Ryan Tedder, songwriter and lead band member of OneRepublic. Tell us this isn’t a love song for the books.
7. The Way You Look Tonight, Frank Sinatra
You didn’t think we’d have a list of the most romantic love songs of all time and not have at least one of Frank Sinatra’s beautiful ballads? Every note that came out of this man’s mouth was the epitome of love, and this one is one of our particular favorites.
8. Let’s Dance, David Bowie
Another one of those atypical songs that is equal amounts of sensuality as it is love, this one will speak to all those 80’s kids out there. Get up and dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af6jOq0dWqo
9. Perfect Day, Lou Reed
Ah, Lou Reed — no one can sing so fondly about a simple day and turn it into one of the best love songs of all time. That’s what love will do to you!
10. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston
This list would just be incomplete without this iconic love song that was not only originally sung by the incredible Dolly Parton but also by the unforgettable, late Whitney Houston. This pick just gives us the chills, and we love both versions equally because when it comes to a great love song, there’s just no picking favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-F4rfU4ns
So, what did you think of our list? Did your your top love song make it on the list? Tell us in the comments and happy Valentine’s Day from the team at Music To Your Home!
So, unless you live under a rock (that’s sound-proof) you probably know that the 56th Grammy Awards were on TV last night. As much as we love our day jobs offering private music lessons in NYC and the surrounding area, we are musicians first and foremost. (Did you see the nod that one of piano instructors, Steven Feifke, received by The Boston Globe?!) With that said, you can only imagine how excited we get when any music awards show is on! But musical talent is all over the place — not just at an awards show. After all, people like Beyoncé, Madonna and John Legend were all just kids once upon a time learning their first musical notes on the piano or training their voices to get the right pitch and tone. And just look at them now!
One of the truly amazing things about technology these days is that showcasing your talent is easier than ever. What we really enjoy seeing is the creativity that everyday people put into creating covers for songs that we all know and love and then uploading them to YouTube. What better way is there to showcase your passion and talent for the world to see? After suffering from the Post-Grammy Blues this year, we decided to find the best covers out to inspire us and keep us entertained until the next music awards show. Here are the 5 best Grammys covers that we can’t — and we you know YOU won’t be able to stop listening to!
1. Royals, Lorde: Piano Cover by Tom Reading
All we can say is, wow…just wow. 13 separate tracks and using only one finger at a time to create this super complex and beautiful cover! Love.
2. Drunk in Love, Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z: Acoustic Cover by Lea Bailey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL_oB8m78iI
Not only is this cover incredibly interesting and beautiful as an acoustic version to Queen Bey’s catchy single featuring hip-hop hubby Jay-Z, but we truly respect this girl’s ability to play, sing and rap all the parts to the song! Who’s the triple threat now?
3. All of Me, John Legend: Cover by Joey Busse & Jack Feeny
Ah, there’s just very little to say about why we love this one. These guys do John Legend justice with their awesome duet of his swooner, “All of Me”.
4. Radioactive, Imagine Dragons: Cover by Lindsey Stirling & Pentatonix
We were already HUGE fans of violinist, composer, performer, all-star musician Lindsey Stirling who tends to blow our minds with the different genres in which you can incorporate the violin — but now this…WOW. This song was one of our faves from 2013 anyway, but the vocals lent by Pentatonix just repurposed it into a whole new song that we can’t listen to enough!
5. Brave, Sarah Bareilles & Roar, Katy Perry: Mashup Cover by Nathan Parrett & Pip
Okay, so we had to end this list with this totally brilliant mashup of two feel-good songs that always make us feel like we can take on the world. These guys do a beyond amazing job seamlessly blending two awesome jams into one (and what awesome voices!). Can we download this somewhere, please?!
What did you think of our favorite Grammys covers? Tell us your thoughts in the comments and share some of your other faves! ‘Till next time, play and sing like no one’s watching. 😉