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Ultimate Valentine's Day playlists: The smooth, the seductive, and the sappy

Katrina and the Waves: "Walking on Sunshine" makes two of Spotify's lists of top love songs. Still from music video: EMI Records.

The Best Love Songs for Valentine's Day

Spotify has given us the ultimate Valentine's Day playlists. The following musical collections contain soulful heavyweights, a few retro gems, and one or two sappy-sweet classics.

If you're in a relationship this Valentine's Day, play these tunes for your special someone as you set the table for the special V-day dinner that you've been planning for ages. Because you've been planning for ages... right?

If you're single... well, feel free to play these tunes ironically. With offerings from Bryan Adams, Richard Marx, and Céline Dion, that shouldn't be too hard. However, I must insist that you give "Walking on Sunshine" your full respect.

It's a shame that Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" didn't make any of these lists, but it's fairly downbeat, even when it's trying not to be. The Smugglers' "Coffee, Tea, or Me?" is another Canadian-artist option.

If you don't have Spotify access to directly play the following playlists, check out Grooveshark. Assemble a smoooooth mega-playlist from the songs below, and share them with your partner (or your would-be partner).

Top Love Songs in TV & Film

  1. "I Can't Help Myself" - The Four Tops
  2. "You're the First, the Last, My Everything"- Barry White
  3. "I Feel Good"- James Brown
  4. "Unchained Melody"- The Righteous Brothers
  5. "Stand By Me" - Ben E. King
  6. "Walking on Sunshine"- Katrina and the Waves (Yup.)
  7. "Love is All Around"- The Troggs (Also check R.E.M.'s cover version)
  8. "Gimme Some Lovin'"- Spencer Davis Group
  9. "Higher and Higher"- Jackie Wilson

Top Love Songs in Advertising

  1. "Happy Together"- The Turtles
  2. "I'm Into Something Good"- Herman's Hermits
  3. "I Melt with You"- Modern English
  4. "Unchained Melody"- Righteous Brothers
  5. "Just Can't Get Enough"- Depeche Mode
  6. "Gime Some Lovin'"- Spencer Davis Group
  7. "I Just Want to Make Love to You"- Etta James
  8. "You Sexy Thing"- Hot Chocolate
  9. "Walking on Sunshine"- Katrina and the Waves (Yes again.)
  10. "Shine"- Take That

 

Most Popular Love Songs on Spotify

  1. "I Won't Give Up"- Jason Mraz
  2. "I Want to Know What Love Is"- Foreigner (Lighters in the air, folks)
  3. "A Thousand Years"- Christina Perri
  4. "Right Here Waiting"- Richard Marx (What?!)
  5. "My Heart Will Go On"- Céline Dion (What-what?!)
  6. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"- Bryan Adams *What-what-what?!)
  7. "Wanted"- Hunter Hayes
  8. "Make You Feel My Love"- Adele
  9. "You're Still the One"- Shania Twain
  10. "Careless Whisper"- George Michael

Note that that last batch comes from Spotify's American audience. Australia's Spotify listeners are far sappier.

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