I suggested that these are my favorite love songs. More correctly, there’s something that intrigues me about them.Love Can Be Anything (Can’t Nothing Be Love But Love) – the Temptations. This is a Norman Whitfield-Barrett Strong tune in the ‘wah-wah” period, after Dennis Edwards replaced David Ruffin. It’s repetitive and a bit silly: love can be X, but X can’t be love. But I’m a big fan of the five lead singer period.
Lady Marmalade – Labelle. This song was co-written by Bob Crewe, who I associate with the Four Seasons. You don’t think it’s a love song?
Love Machine – Miracles. This is the post-Smokey Robinson group.
Lover – Ella Fitzgerald. The best version of the oft-covered standard.
Love and Happiness – Al Green. I would joke that this was my cousin Al, but in fact, his name was originally Albert Greene, with that unnecessary extra e.
Just The Two Of Us – Grover Washington and Bill Withers. Long after his three big hits in 1971-72 comes this unexpected comeback in 1981.
Love and Affection – Joan Armatrading. It has one of my favorite first lines: “I am not in love, but I’m open to persuasion.”
Love Is Strange – Mickey and Sylvia. Seeing the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing for the first time in 2025 reminded me of what a hoot this song is.
The Love You Save – The Jackson Five. When I used to sing along with this when it came out, I could match Jermaine’s second lead pretty well, but I couldn’t come close to Michael’s vocals.
Who wrote this?
Let’s Make More Love – Nat King Cole. It’s from the Billy May Sessions, recorded in the 1950s but not released until 1993. Oddly, the composer is listed as Unknown.
There’s Love In Them There Hills – the Pointer Sisters. As I noted last fall, “Play in the dark, as loud as you can; it’ll be clear why after the first 2:30.”
Strawberry Letter #23 – the Brothers Johnson. I wrote a whole post about this song, written and first recorded by Shuggie Otis, in 2015—a Q production.
Anyone Who Had A Heart – Dionne Warwick. A sad song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; I am a sucker for almost every version, by Cilla Black, Linda Ronstadt, and Dusty Springfield, for three, but this is the first version I heard.
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor. Prince wrote the song, and recorded the song at least twice. But this version is ethereal.
It’s Love – The [Young] Rascals. This is the final song on the group’s great third album, Groovin’, with flute by Hubert Laws. I have the album on vinyl. In the 1990s, I bought a fancy new turntable and played the LP. The runoff on Side 2 was minimal, so that the arm returned about 12 seconds before the song finished! I ended up buying Groovin’ on CD, essentially for this song.
I Only Have Eyes For You – the Flamingoes. This IS my favorite love song, and it hooks me with the instrumentation that builds before the vocal comes in.