Rock love songs seem like a dime a dozen, many of them intrinsically closed, but there are some real gems out there worth noting. As I did my research through my immense CD collection (my father says I have more CDs than God), I found myself more than enough to make a top 20 list of what I consider to be the greatest love rock songs of all time. Ironically, while there may be some happy modes here, I found most of the favorites on this list to be sad. Some of the songs capture the pain of love or lost love that so many others beat out that you can probably expect to hear on radio station.
As I have done with several of these catalogs recently, the songs will be presented here in no particular order. I love all these songs equally, and I have no patience for them to be torn apart. There are numbers besides those, so that I can confirm that I include 20 and do not miss one. I also don’t want to lose track and finish what I have written so far. It just drives me crazy, and it certainly does you. Therefore, without the space of time, let us be girded with love!
1) “In your eyes” by Peter Gabriel
Actually, this may be the cream of the crop, as it is also my all-time favorite Peter Gabriel song. Many already know that the song was once written about Peter’s girlfriend Rosanna Arquette, after an attempted reconciliation ended in failure. The song offers the best of both worlds in that it begins with a somewhat mournful song, only to be torn apart by the pain of love. Then the song goes up when he just wants to receive love that is deceptive. Love songs don’t get much better than this one, and none of us will ever forget how it was sung in “Anything.”
2) “Sweet children of mine” by Guns ‘N’ Roses
I gotta tell you, playing this song on Guitar Hero is a pain in the ass, and that’s on easy mode! Slash makes his lead guitar licks and his solo look so easy to pull off, and it perfectly matches the sincerity of Axl Rose’s lyrics. It was written about Rose’s girlfriend at the time (later wife for a short time), Erin Everly. Indeed, we feel that we are encountering a theme here; Are all rock’s best love songs made of couples torn apart so badly? Well, let’s look at that from the list.
3) “Jessie’s Girls” by Rick Springfield
This song is about a kind of emptiness that seems to be infinite in our lives, because of lost love. Among other things, let me not mention jealousy, something that your best friends desperately want for you. You don’t dare to try to hide your feelings to the surface. But of course, the pressure is more than just parts of you. Pretty much anyone can relate to this classic Rick Springfield song, and it’s still great for rock. Also a great song to do at karaoke night.
Again pain and frustration seems to lead to great love songs, let alone rock love songs!
Originally from the album “Rumours”, this song took on a whole new life when the group joined the MTV special called “The Chorus”. Stevie Nicks got a glimpse of the song when Lindsey Buckingham was driving through Maryland and saw a sign that said “Silver Spring, MD” it. He thought the name so beautiful that he put it on the poem. Of course, while this is truly a beautiful song beyond all repair, it really touches on the tortured love affair that was Buckingham and Nicks. After so many years, he can’t help but feel something between them. There is sadness and a strong sense of revenge throughout the song and love affairs never just end. While some get jilted and treated like they’re not, Nicks makes it clear that she shouldn’t be forgotten by anyone either. Well, we haven’t forgotten at all.
Here he goes again; love and pain combine for one of the most beautiful rock love songs.
5) “Fleetwood” by Fleetwood Mac
One Fleetwood Mac song is enough on this list. Christine McVie is the driving force in this particular classic from the album “Rumours”. It turns out that “I Love You Fun” is related to the fact that Christine ended up with the director of the lighting group. Indeed, it’s not hard to see why she and John McVie ended up getting divorced. However, this song is a groove. Here you are not overwhelmed by pain, but you cannot get enough of the excitement of finding it, and lifting yourself above the daily grind of life. It’s still a great song to hear good 30 years after its release.
6) “One of these Nights” by Aquilae
I love the harmony from all the links in this song, and I never stop being moved by it. Don Henley may be on vocals, but this is one of the signature songs from this band, and each member makes their mark on it. Glenn Fry, a songwriter with Henley, said the song is about how we hold on to things we’ve put aside, and how whenever it comes, it belongs to us completely. Don’t you know? It’s a beautiful love song about procrastination! Truly one of the evil monsters of our collected lives, some things you can only wait for so long before you realize with horror how much time has passed. Talk about a reality that can seem so incredibly unfair!
Perhaps that is why I like to hear this; I’m still looking for that special someone and the search always feels so far away.
7) “Passion” by Sarah McLachlan
I instantly fell in love with McLachlan the singer when I first heard this song, and his vocals touch on deep vulnerabilities and pains that made me pay attention in a way that I usually do when I’m in my car. “possession” was written by an obsessed fan. This makes the song seem more terrifying when you hear it, but it’s all just as passionate. McLachlan vividly captures the passion that cannot be contained, and digs deep into the shared desires that make it so hard to fall for someone in our own lives. Sara has an incredible voice, and so many albums later, it remains incredible.
8) “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor
I was always under the impression that Prince wrote this song for O’Connor, but it turns out that he actually wrote it for The Family, a funk band that was brought in to give their debut as an instrumental. But Sinead has clearly made this song all her own, and she doesn’t feel like anyone else could imagine doing it. While the queen of controversy has been in public enemy for a while, Sinead has an incredible voice. and makes him pant insatiably, while he mourns his lost love. The video of this poem is powerful in its simplicity as it focuses on his face, and the tears that fall down his face are not misplaced. Prince Hell is a song writer, and this song shows that.
9) “With or Without You” by U2
This is definitely one of the key rock love songs on this or any other list, and is one of the most definitive U2 songs. Too emotional in its structure, it imagines the love of two people almost too strong, and as if it is an attachment that is not worth leaving. Love can certainly feel what it likes sometimes, even if the feelings are not returned. Bono plays this one as powerfully as ever, and is more than a match for his excellent guitar playing. According to Bono, this song was actually inspired by Scott Walker’s “Climate Hunter” album. I need to check one of the times.
10) “A Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Regina
With this particular song, we are adding some more rock songs with this list of rock lovers. When all is said and done, it’s crazy love that can’t be controlled, so why try to control it if it feels good? Freddie Mercury said that he composed the song on the guitar for about five to ten minutes, and is said to have said. The band was only known for half an hour (c’mon, seriously!). This song isn’t too much, but it’s a good rocking beat with an infectious beat, just like the rest of the “Game” song off the album. Hearing it makes me want to meet a woman who leaves me in a cold sweat.
11) “Woman” by John Lennon
Ode to his wife Yoko Ono, John Lennon loves songs like no other. This makes the eventual murder in 1980 that much more sad and tragic. You can’t listen to it without forgetting how out of this world it is, and “Woman” is one of the many examples of how incredibly beautiful her music was. John confesses his undying love for Yoko while exposing her flaws, and cites her as one of the many reasons why he is so happy in his life. John had said “Woman” version of “Girl” from Beatles song from Roy Orbison later covered it in 1961. But they took Nazareth, made their song, and the other versions became a distant memory. It’s a great song that captures the universal truth of love in that it really hurts. Listening to this song can become necessary when you break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Dan McCafferty doesn’t have to soften any of the lyrics because the words themselves say it all as he laments the sad ways of romance.
13) “I’m Waiting for a Girl Like You” by Peregrino
Aren’t we all? rock songs is to add to this list, and the best is the songs from Pilgrim. It’s almost like the B-side to The Eagles’ “One of These Nights” in that a man has finally stopped procrastinating, and finds himself endlessly searching to relieve him of his lonely life. The theme song features a distinctive synthesizer played by Thomas Dolby. I loved it when it was used briefly in “Footloose”, as we see Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer slow dancing in that cross. state line. That moment in the movie was just too narrow for my taste.
14) “This Is Love” by PJ Harvey
While many of PJ Harvey’s songs deal with darkness and despair, this is one of the most jubilant tunes he’s ever written and performed. When I heard this song, I wanted to die, to feel the same way when he sings. Some are luckier than others I guess (damn that still). Harvey seems to find an exuberant sense of life from performing “This Is Love” and that’s what he wants to feel more often. Of course we don’t have to get the same great music from her.
15) “Alien love” by the Eurythmics
This is my all-time favorite song by the Eurythmics, and it’s about the obsessive nature of love and how much of a drug it can be. The lyrics that Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart present are the kind that get right under your skin, taking you from the depth of love to its inexorable extremes of desperation that almost made us fall in love in the first place. While some label this title as New Wave or Electronic, it is in every sense rock rock the term in its loose form. of love and with all those sexual sounding “uh!” grunted from Stewart.
16) “Patience” by Guns ‘N’ Roses
Another great Gins ‘N’ Rose on their rock and roll. Like many of the other songs on this list, it is driven by romantic breakups and troubled relationships. Some say it was inspired by the marriage between Axl Rose and Erin Everly, who inspired “Sweet Boy o’ Me.” Others say that Izzy Stradlin wrote about his girlfriend at this time. “Patience” errs in a sad state, but near the end it creates some hope that maybe these broken relationships can be healed. It is one of the most beautiful songs by Guns ‘N’ Roses, and one of their most memorable songs.
17) “What’s Up” by Aerosmith
Aerosmith wrote many songs, but this one stands out among the most memorable. Unlike some of their slower later songs, which seemed to be more about emulating the styles of certain songs, this one is definitely all Aerosmith. About the breakup (here we go again) of a relationship that Tyler can’t let go of so easily, he sings about what he’s doing with a broken heart about the wrong things. At the end of the song, the repeated antiphons “to let go” signify the direction he knows he must take, otherwise he will wallow in self-pity, which would be just a pity. Pain creates another great rock song, which closes my album “Pump” by Aerosmith. Their band is the best.
18) “Without You” by Motley Crue
Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever been such a big Motley Crue fan, and the only album by them that sticks out in my mind is “Dr. Feelgood.” As a whole, it holds up well, and is one of my favorite potential songs from junior top school year features “Without you.” It’s truly one of the best songs they’ve done, and nowhere near as cheesy as many other songs they’ve done since. According to White’s liner notes, the song is about Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear (they were briefly married long before Tommy Pamela Anderson sings the way Mick Mars dances in this song, which adds power to her lover.
19) “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton
This is one of several Clapton songs that was inspired by his love affair with Pattie Boyd (“Layla” is another). Clapton said he wrote to Boyd while he was waiting for her to get ready for an upcoming party. Boyd said the song was a great highlight of their relationship, but after her marriage to Clapton broke up, she couldn’t take it anymore. The song is as lovely as it is gentle, and Clapton’s effortless playing the guitar shines right through.
20) “Save Me” by Aimee Mann
This is a great song to close this list. Mann wrote this song for the excellent Paul Thomas Anderson movie “Magnolia” and received an Oscar nomination for it. That she guys and South Park were named (for “Blame Canada”, Phil Collins lost his love song of “Tarzan” still seems like such an insult. “Save Me” is a wonderful song for those who feel lost in the desert of society. It is quietly begging for acceptance from someone, hoping that this person can break through an existence where they have sold themselves short. This is one of them. Mann songs that are unique in the world of independent music. That great song that stands among the best.
So what do these songs say about love in general? Well, it is said to be a drug that can take you to surprising heights and horribly depressing love. It may seem like you screw yourself up more than anything else, but it can also feel more than ever before. Love is a big risk as it may seem strange that you will get a broken heart, but deep down, we all want to experience it at least once in this life. Here’s hoping we all find the one thing in the world that’s meant for us. Happy trails!
