- - 19 of the Best Love Songs in Honor of Valentine's Day, According to PEOPLE Staffers

People StaffFebruary 14, 2026 at 8:30 AM

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Beyoncé, Elton John, Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen.

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PEOPLE staffers have compiled a list of some of their favorite love songs

The list was crafted in honor of Valentine's Day on Saturday, Feb. 14

Some songs featured include "Sweet Love" by Anita Baker and "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

Love is in the air!

In honor of Valentine's Day on Saturday, Feb. 14, PEOPLE staffers have compiled a list of some of their favorite love songs.

From upbeat tracks and iconic classics, to tearjerking tunes and emotional duets, this list has a little bit of everything to help mark the annual holiday.

Here, see our top picks.

"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

Artist: Roberta Flack

"The first time ever I heard this song, I was taken aback by the moving lyrics, the metaphorical imagery and Roberta Flack's breathy vocals. The song perfectly encapsulates the powerful, yet still tender, feelings of love, especially those surrounding falling in love at first sight. Movies and TV shows perfectly illustrate this moment in real-time onscreen, showing emotions on characters' faces, or sometimes even using fireworks in the background of a scene. But 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' utilizes words only, which is sometimes all love ever needs. Perfectly illustrating how true love can allow you to see the beauty of the moon and the stars in someone's eyes, or feel the earth itself in the palms of your hands, this track blends the big and more intimate moments of love perfectly" — Nicholas Rice, Senior News Editor

"Show Me Love"

Artist: Robyn

"This song is about falling in love after a period of yearning and doubt. Released as a single when Robyn was just 18 years old, the mid-tempo pop song perfectly encapsulates the excitement of young love and wondering how your feelings for a partner could ever grow stronger — but knowing they will. 'Show me love, show me life / Baby, show me what it’s all about,' she croons on the chorus, looking forward to the endless possibilities a romance can bring" — Jack Irvin, Writer/Reporter

"Waste"

Artist: Phish

"Simply gorgeous and uncomplicated, this song is about choosing to share time together. A gentle acoustic foundation, unhurried tempo, warm major-key harmonies and a melody that lifts just enough to feel hopeful without tipping into drama" — Andrew Levine, VP of Business Operations & Innovation for Beauty, Style and Entertainment

"Your Song"

Artist: Elton John

"This is the ultimate love song, a true classic that put Elton John on the map. And for good reason! The piano, the beautiful lyrics that are hard not to sing along to, the song perfectly captures the emotion of telling that special someone how much they mean to you in a simple, yet very personal way. 'How wonderful life is while you’re in the world' is just pure magic" — Aliza Sessler, PEOPLE Video Producer

"Sweet Love"

Artist: Anita Baker

"From the angelic-like vocals to the subtle, yet soulful beat, Anita Baker’s 'Sweet Love' sets itself apart from every single love song. It’s as timeless as the sweet and tender love that Baker sings about with each lyric. In just under five minutes, the songstress tells the story of a love that is freeing, fearless, safe and passionate. Interwoven in every word that she seemingly bellows straight from her heart is the promise of a deep connection that lasts beyond the end of a lifetime. The soft, reassuring melody is a declaration to all that true love is not superficial or one-sided. Instead, Baker instills in each listener that real soul connections stem from true understanding, endless devotion, comforting safety and, of course, that sweet, sweet love" — Kayla Grant, Writer/Reporter

"All Night"

Artist: Beyoncé

"Long before the song became a TikTok hit with its 'Tyrant' mashup, Bey bared it all in this raw track about forgiving and standing by her partner after being majorly wronged (remember 'Becky with the Good Hair'-gate?). Coming near the end of her breakup journey of an album Lemonade, she sings, 'I’ve seen your scars and kissed your crime,' before admitting, 'With every tear came redemption and my torturer became my remedy.' In true Beyoncé fashion, she samples those who came before her, using the 1998 brass horn line from Outkast’s 'SpottieOttieDopalicious.' While no one hopes to go through the 'darkness' that seemingly inspired this track, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that 'true love's the greatest weapon to win the war caused by pain,' at least that’s what 'they say' " — Julia MacCary, PEOPLE App Staff Editor

"Just Like Heaven"

Artist: The Cure

"'You’re just like a dream,' Robert Smith sings. And then he says it again for emphasis: 'You’re just like a dream.' Smith perfectly encapsulates early feelings of love in this, to me, perfect song. The Cure’s original 1987 version is emotional and kicky (and perfect for karaoke), but I’ve also basically never heard a bad cover. Add in that he wrote it about his future wife — and they're still together today — and this song almost never fails to make me weepy" — Victoria Edel, Staff Writer

"Something Changed"

Artist: Pulp

"I interpret this Britpop classic as an ode to the small miracle that is finding love. The lyrics are also just tenderly vague enough that they could apply to a multitude of relationships — romantic, platonic and any kind in between" — Carly Tagen-Dye, Editorial Assistant

"I Want to Hold Your Hand"

Artist: Al Green

"The Beatles have so many miraculous love songs in their catalog that naming one as your favorite can feel a bit cliché. But an uptempo version of one of their classics, given a soulful twist by the Rev. Al Green? That’s sure to put a smile on your significant other’s face and get them dancing. Valentine’s Day mission accomplished" — Alex Apatoff, Special Intergrated Projects' Managing Editor

"Robbers"

Artist: The 1975

“This song is about a love that feels reckless, cinematic and all-consuming from the very opening notes, which captures the feeling of driving down an open highway and realizing nothing matters except the person beside you. 1975 frontman Matty Healy has said the song was inspired by the chaotic romance and doomed criminal lovers of Quentin Tarantino’s True Romance, which frames love as passionate, impulsive and, perhaps, destined to collapse. The emotional core of the song comes at the end with the line,' Babe, you look so cool,' which directly echoes the iconic closing monologue from Patricia Arquette’s character Alabama Whitman in True Romance that ends with, 'You’re so cool.' In the film, after violence, destruction and near loss, the only thing left in Alabama’s mind is awe for the person she loves. 'Robbers' captures that exact feeling. Who cares if the world is burning around us and we’ve ruined everything? We have each other. All or nothing, us against the world, Bonnie and Clyde. It’s about the kind of love everyone yearns for: loving someone so deeply that, even at the end of everything, when maybe there’s nothing left, all you can think is: you’re so cool" — Emily Rella, Staff Editor

"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"

Artist: Talking Heads

"Often a group to skip over love songs in favor of music that explores other intense emotions, The Talking Heads delivered to me what is the ideal love song with 'This Must Be the Place.' The music is lively, sweet, playful and soothing. It feels like the first days of a crush or seeing your favorite person waiting to pick you up at the airport. And then the lyrics, somehow avoiding all the typical love cliches, create their own original shorthand (that still feels deeply familiar) for what being in love can feel like, whether it's with a person, place or thing. The song felt like home from the first listen and has become a place for me to go to when I want to celebrate something (no matter how small) and feel good. To me, finding joy, safety and support in something or someone is what love is all about" — Kelli Bender, Staff Editor

"The Closer I Get to You"

Artist: Luther Vandross feat. Beyoncé

"Dance with My Father the album holds so many near and dear memories for me in general. This specific song takes me back to my preteen years when I had my first crush and we lived far away from each other but were so 'in love' (LOL). I literally felt every emotion being sung here, and I was, like, 10 years old. Over the years, though, it’s really held up, I think, and means even more now that I have some lived experiences to actually apply" — Steph Sengwe, Features Editor

"Gotta Have You"

Artist: The Weepies

"There were a few Van Morrison tunes that nearly edged their way in here, but the honor has to go to this song, one of the few that makes me, well, practically weepy just from the opening notes. It’s not your typical love song — in fact, it starts with lyrics about trying to pick a fight because you’re in a bad mood. But that’s love, isn’t it? Even when you’re in a mood, you still want your person, because they’re the only one that makes things better. 'No amount of coffee, no amount of crying / No amount of whiskey, no wine / Nothing else will do, I’ve gotta have you.' It’s tender, it’s delicate, it gets me every time" — Rachel DeSantis, Senior Writer

"Here, There and Everywhere"

Artist: The Beatles

"I could name more than a few Beatles songs that rank up there as the best love song of all time, but listen to this beauty once and you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say they poured their hearts into this one. From a listener’s point of view, there is not one single line sung in this song that wasn’t added by means of a feeling that Paul McCartney and/or John Lennon was feeling, or had, at one time, deeply and irrevocably felt. And it shows. 'Here, making each day of the year, changing my life with the wave of her hand / Nobody can deny that there’s something there / There, running my hands through her hair. Both of us thinking how good it can be.' Like, c'mon. Don’t tell me you love me until you’re writing something like this, because wow! This is the new standard, folks. 'I want her everywhere, and if she’s beside me I know I need never care / But to love her is to need her everywhere.’ You can not make this up. If you’ve felt this before, you’ve felt it, and the Fab 4 were somehow able to put that magical feeling into words. Chef’s kiss" — Arabella Hau, Editor

"Born to Run"

Artist: Bruce Springsteen

"This is far from a soft, sentimental love song. If anything, it’s sweaty, desperate and cinematic. As someone who grew up in Freehold, N.J., like Springsteen, ‘Born to Run’ represents actuating a dream I pondered for much of my life. The concept of breaking free from your roots and carrying your forever person with you, where the sunset meets the pavement, is wholly romantic within itself. This unique 'us against the world' realization of love arguably makes ‘Born to Run’ even more profound of a song, correlating romance and longing with escapism. A powerful lyrical proclamation alongside anthemic instrumentation that transcends time, the track defines the notion that true love is powerful enough to outrun an entire town" — Chris Barilla, Staff Editor

"Song to the Siren"

Artist: This Mortal Coil

"Tim Buckley wrote this folk ballad with poet Larry Beckett, and apparently debuted it on The Monkees. Is it possible I heard it as a child watching reruns? I was first aware of it as a 1983 cover by this Cocteau Twins side project. Elizabeth Fraser’s diaphanous vocals value mood over meaning, but the lyric she puts across unambiguously is also its most romantically compelling: 'Did I dream you dreamed about me?' " — Allison Adato, Senior Editor

"If the World Was Ending"

Artist: JP Saxe feat. Julia Michaels

"This isn’t a typical love song — but the effortless and magical yearning, even if it’s fleeting, throughout the entirety of it never fails to make me sob. The thought that these two past lovers, no longer in each other’s lives, pick one another as the person they’d spend their last day with: chills. There’s a doubt in their voices too, unsure if the other is in the same headspace, but both knowing that they didn’t work out for whatever reason or maybe even blaming themselves for not fighting harder for it. It’s filled with nostalgia, heartbreak and bits of closure, but with the smallest inkling of a hopeful 'what if?' It encompasses the bits of love we sometimes forget to talk about or maybe refuse to acknowledge, but remain all too real — pain, longing for the past, uncertainty surrounding the future and this overwhelming love you sometimes just can’t shake, no matter how much time has passed" — Paloma Chavez, Staff Writer

"The Color of Love"

Artist: Boyz II Men

"This is a heartfelt song from the early noughties that speaks about the impact having the right person by your side can make when going through a difficult time. 'An angel out of the blue gave me the sense that I might make it through,' the group sings, referring to the unexpected moment when you meet someone you can’t imagine ever being without. Boyz II Men have countless R&B songs about love and heartbreak, but this one arguably stands out as the one you can’t hear without wanting to experience the same selfless love that must’ve inspired them" — Latoya Gayle, Associate Editor

"Goodnight N Go"

Artist: Ariana Grande

"The track is such a dreamy pop hit. It feels like the musical version of lying in bed with your phone lighting up the dark, smiling at a text you’re overanalyzing. A head-in-the-clouds type of feeling. It’s not dramatic or overwhelming, it’s just that sweet, quiet rush of basking in the feeling of love. And sometimes, that’s the most romantic part" — Valeria Garcia, Audience Engagement Editor

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