Old Love Songs – Classics That Never Fade

old love songs

Us humans are a sentimental bunch and, at times, there’s nothing we like more than bringing back memories – or making some new ones – with a perfect love song, for something like a mother-son dance perhaps?. While there are, of course, some great modern examples, nothing quite beats the classics so, in this article, we’re sharing some of our favourite classic love songs – because the oldies never fade. 

Lifting me higher and higher

Music can lift our mood and take us to a different time and place and, whether happy or sad, a classic love song can be like a little time machine so, in this section, we’re going to be spinning some of the best of these: 

  1. I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song – Jim Croce

If we’re talking love songs, we’re going to have to start with this one. Jim Croce’s final Top 10 hit peaked at number 9 in April 1974 – seven months after his death. The title says it all with this delightful and enduring classic love song.

  1. She – Charles Aznavour

Old love songs don’t come much better than this classic from the late multilingual artist, Charles Aznavour. Filled with emotion, this simple but beautiful track was later reprised by Elvis Costello for the smash hit movie, Notting Hill. 

  1. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself – Dusty Springfield
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The mournful (and relatable) lyrics to this one makes it one of the most popular old love songs of all time – and one which scored the late superstar a number three hit in the summer of 1964. 

  1. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder

Considered to be one of the greatest voices of all time, Stevie Wonder has enjoyed an incredible career with sales of over 100 million records. This 1972 feelgood track is a fan favourite and a great example of a classic old love song from a more innocent time.

  1. Words – The Bee Gees

Released in 1968, Words is a fantastic example of the lyrical and vocal prowess of one of the UK’s favourite bands. With touching lyrics and a gentle tempo set off by Barry Gibb’s remarkable voice, this one really is an oldie that will never fade. 

  1. Unforgettable – Nat King Cole

Right up there at the top of the list of favourite love songs is this gem by the wonderful – and unforgettable – Nat King Cole. Released in 1952 and then released in 1965, this track reached number 11 in the charts. Proving that talent runs in the family, Nat’s daughter, Natalie Cole would enjoy chart success with a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s including the 1989 chart topper, Miss You Like Crazy.

  1. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do – Abba

This joyful 1975 hit by Sweden’s finest has been the star of many a wedding across the globe and remains a firm fan favourite. The track has also, of course, starred in a few hit movies including Mama Mia and Muriel’s Wedding. 

  1. If You Leave Me Now – Chicago

Great songwriting and Peter Cetera’s distinctive voice made this fantastic song a hit in 1976. A proper tearjerker, this classic love song has the nostalgic feel of days gone by. 

  1. I’ll Be Seeing You – Billie Holiday

First appearing in the 1938 Broadway musical Right This Way, the inimitable Billie Holiday made the track her own in 1944, accompanied by the Eddie Heywood Orchestra. More recently, this beloved track appeared in the hugely popular 2004 movie, The Notebook starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

  1. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers

Those of a certain age will automatically be reminded of the smash hit Tom Cruise movie Top Gun when they hear this track but its popularity goes way further back than that. Released in 1965, this lovely song reached number 4 in the USA and number 14 in the UK. 

  1. Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Doris Day
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One of the world’s favourite performers, Doris Day passed away in 2019 at the age of 97, leaving an incredible legacy of movies, songs and animal rights charity work. Released in 1957, this gorgeous song reached number 11 in the UK and number 12 in the USA. In 1968 popular band The Mamas & The Papas released their version of the song with vocals by the late great Mama Cass. 

  1. We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters

Brother and sister duo, Karen and Richard Carpenter are responsible for some of the greatest love songs ever written – and this 1970 hit is no exception. Extremely popular as a first dance wedding song (for obvious reasons) this classic old love song has very much stood the test of time among lovers the world over. 

  1. Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley

The King did, of course, get a fair few hits under his belt until his untimely death in August 1977 and this 1961 ballad is fondly known as one of the legendary crooner’s best. 

  1. Woman In Love – Barbra Streisand

Iconic American superstar, Barbra Streisand is known for her incredible voice as well as a string of hit movies including Funny Girl. This 1980 song was written by the Bee Gees who featured earlier in our article and, Barbra also collaborated with Barry Gibb on a number of other songs including Guilty. 

  1. Tears Of Sorrow – The Supremes (formerly The Primettes)

This girl band led by the iconic Diana Ross practically owned the sixties and this 1960 hit was the track that paved the way for this band which was originally known as The Primettes. Diana Ross did, of course, go on to have a massively successful career as a solo artist. 

  1. Got To Be There – Michael Jackson

This 1972 hit for the Prince of Pop signalled a departure from his family group The Jackson 5 and a more grown up solo career. Michael’s fabulous voice lends itself perfectly to this sweet song which is still much loved by his millions of fans following his tragic death in 2009. 

  1. Woman – John Lennon

Following the 1974 break up of The Beatles, John Lennnon’s solo work took on a more introspective feel and this uber-romantic track continues to have an enduring appeal in 2024. 

  1. We Have All The Time In The World – Louis Armstrong

With one of the most distinctive voices of all time, Louis Armstrong is very much considered royalty when it comes to soul music. This 1969 hit for Louis continues to have an enduring appeal and featured in the 1969 James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Service. 

  1. True Love Ways – Buddy Holly

Despite the fact that his life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 22 in February 1959, Buddy Holly left behind an impressive list of fantastic songs. This includes the 1956 romantic hit True Love Ways which forms part of his legacy of classic love songs. 

  1. I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton

One of America’s – and the world’s – favourite sweethearts, country star Dolly Parton released this iconic track in 1974 reaching Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart. In 1992 the late singer Whitney Houston covered the track for the film The Bodyguard in which she starred with Kevin Costner. 

A song in our heart

Most of us can’t imagine a world without love songs. Whether we’re feeling happy or sad, these songs form the soundtrack of our lives and loves; making us feel better no matter what’s going on. In this article, we’ve shared just 20 of our favourites but of course there are, as Take That once put it, A Million Love Songs (most likely more) out there – and everybody has their favourite.