It’s Valentine’s Day, and everyone is thinking of their significant other if they have one. We have also been thinking of just the right thing to give our sweetheart: the perfect card, maybe a gift, chocolates, and, of course, flowers. But setting the mood is important, too. Maybe you are opting for a quiet dinner at home, with a little candlelight or even by the fireplace if you have one, and in your comfy clothes, perfect! But you also want just the right music to make that mood even more romantic. Here are a few suggestions that might do the trick.
1. “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge. This song came out in 1966, and it seems as if it has been a timeless classic ever since. The lyrics say it like it is, and it has been played at countless weddings and always gets couples old and young on the dance floor. It is a song that has been the backdrop of many movie and television scenes. If you are old enough to remember the television show “The Wonder Years,” you remember the scene where Kevin puts his jacket around Winnie’s shoulders, and the first pre-teen kiss for both of them ensues. The song perfectly encapsulates that moment we have all been in. This song is Romance 101.
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2. “These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding. By far one of the most romantic songs ever from 1962. The sixties were great for enduring romantic classics, especially great R&B tunes like this. If you have had a spat with your other half, try punching this one up on your playlist, and there is really no way either one of you can stay angry for long. But maybe it could prevent that spat just as well. I may get a bit of pushback from this one, but I think one of the sexiest, most romantic movie scenes is in “Dirty Dancing,” when Baby goes to Johnny’s room, and at the beginning of the scene, this song is playing. They begin dancing to Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me,” but “These Arms of Mine” sets the tone. I know, pretty cheesy, but I think pretty romantic, too.
Otis Redding – These Arms of Mine
A slow-burning plea for connection, by a master of restraint. Tender, intense, the soulful sounds of desire unquenched. A quite astonishing voice for a 21 year old.
1962. pic.twitter.com/L0eX6xNycj
— 𝙱𝚘𝚋𝚋𝚢’𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚎𝚕 (@SalvadorDafti) December 12, 2024
3. “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton. Moving ahead to 1977, Eric Clapton penned perhaps the next-generation wedding song. And in my young and single days in the 80s, it was also played by a lot of bar bands. But confession, I sort of had a love/hate relationship with this song. I liked it — still do — but at the time, it seemed like more guys said no when I asked them to dance when this song was played. Thanks to Randy Noble, I no longer have that problem. However, it is a great song, a guy talking about how beautiful his wife/girlfriend is and that she takes the car keys after he’s had one too many after a party. Not just romantic but a public service announcement, too.
4. “Can I Have This Dance?” by Anne Murray. Here is one Canadian import we should be thankful for. I have always had a theory that for most people, their playlist is somewhat autobiographical, I know mine certainly is. This song is from the “Urban Cowboy” soundtrack from 1980 and was our first dance for my husband and me at our wedding. It is Bud and Sissy’s first dance as well, but I am happy to report that we have had a little better luck at the marriage thing than they did. While Anne Murray could have easily been classified as either pop or country, this song is just a sweet, simple waltz, and very romantic.
Anne Murray…A Canadian Gem.https://t.co/M9lO8wY4bf
— garysmusiclist (@garysmusiclist) February 9, 2025
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5. “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole. Finally, we are getting back in the time machine and going back to 1952. Nat King Cole was among the best when it came to love songs. Classics like “The Very Thought of You,” “When I Fall in Love,” and “For Sentimental Reasons,” along with “Unforgettable” were some of his best. But Nat King Cole was probably known best for “Mona Lisa” and “The Christmas Song.” In 1991, Nat’s daughter, Natalie, did a cover of the song, in which she did a digital duet with her father. Anything by Nat King Cole is sure to put you and your sweetie in a dancing cheek-to-cheek kind of mood.
So, grab your Valentine and cuddle up with some or all of these great romantic tunes that will definitely set the right mood for your day and evening!
No one is awake. And y’all are missing out as I play Nat King Cole.
“Unforgettable.” pic.twitter.com/jIqlZVqn8X
— TMART (@ReyCurmudgeon) February 12, 2025
