Heart Skips On Beat
Q.
The Bard of Avon knew well the emotional power of music. As he wrote in ‘The Merchant of Venice’:
‘The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.’
Can we possibly question ‘if music be the food of love?’
What are some love-inspired pieces and songs that have been particularly impactful?
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A.
The world of classical music is rich with declarations of musical love.
Take Edward Elgar who wrote the much-played ‘Salut d’Amour’ in 1888 as an engagement gift for his beloved, Caroline Alice Roberts. There’s Richard Strauss who gifted ‘Four Songs, Opus 27’ to his wife, the opera singer Paulina de Ahna, on their 1894 wedding day. Or Edvard Grieg who kept the fires burning by composing ‘Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’ for his wife, Nina, on their 25th anniversary.
Fast forward to a post-bustles and breeches era: which love songs have dominated?
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Be they Elgars, Griegs, or Sheerans, the Eds know romance…
Most Streamed Love Songs On Spotify Of All Time. 2026
• Perfect. Ed Sheeran
• Say You Won’t Let Go. James Arthur
• I Wanna Be Yours. Arctic Monkeys
• Yellow. Coldplay
• Photograph. Ed Sheeran
• The Night We Met. Lord Huron
• Thinking Out Loud. Ed Sheeran
• Die For You. The Weeknd
• All of Me. John Legend
• Just the Way You Are. Bruno Mars
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Meanwhile, Billboard offer their ‘top love songs of all time’ based on: i) performance on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart (from August 4, 1958 to February 14, 2026) and ii) romance-based songs that have the word ‘love’ or one of its derivations in the title…
Top 10 Love Songs Of All Time. Billboard. 2026
i. Endless Love. Diana Ross + Lionel Richie
ii. I’ll Make Love To You. Boyz II Men
iii. How Deep Is Your Love. Bee Gees
iv. We Found Love. Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
v. Silly Love Songs. Wings
vi. I Will Always Love You. Whitney Houston
vii. Let Me Love You. Mario
viii. Because I Love You (The Postman Song). Stevie B
ix. Best Of My Love. The Emotions
x. I Can’t Stop Loving You. Ray Charles
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Header: Caravaggio. The Lute Player. 1595
