The annual schmaltz-fest is nearly upon us – the time of year that makes you think that love is just something invented by bank managers to make us all overdrawn. But as far as pop music is concerned, love is its number one subject matter. The vast majority of pop songs are to do with love: trying to get it, having it, or not having it any more. Or if you’re Morrissey, not having it at all. So, whether you’re loved up or broken up for Valentine’s Day this year, here are ten songs to make you feel better. Or worse. Or feel better about feeling bad. Whichever.
You can listen to the playlist of all songs at the bottom of the page!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Maps’
‘Maps’ always appears in lists like this, and with good reason. It is a peerless expression of longing and frustration set to a luscious, shimmering soundscape. Its simplicity is the key: all unnecessary elements are stripped out and what remains is telescoped and expanded. Karen O’s pleading “wait, they don’t love you like I love you” refrain says it all.
The xx – ‘Angels’
Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim’s intimate, ‘dear-diary’ vocals make the atmosphere on this cut from recent album Coexist. Jamie Smith’s minimalist production is stylish and slick yet never pulls focus from the song’s protagonists.
Mint Royale ft. Lauren Laverne – ‘Don’t Falter’
A long-forgotten dance-pop gem from producers Mint Royale. Ex-Kenickie frontgirl Lauren Laverne delivers a deliriously happy vocal performance over a breezy backdrop. We defy you to not break into a smile when you hear it.
Blur – ‘To The End’
Featuring a backing vocal contribution in French by Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, this string-laden single from Parklife has a distinct Bond-theme atmosphere. Albarn’s spectacular vocals shake off the ‘Mockney Cockney’ affectations that invade the rest of its parent album. The video, a pastiche of French New Wave 1960s cinema, is also worth exploring.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – ‘Straight To You’
Australian legend Nick Cave is in his element writing this sort of song: a timeless torch ballad filled with images of divine intervention, fate and devotion. The ornate, sprawling yet simple music reflects the subject matter perfectly.
The Walkmen – ‘The Rat’
Possibly the most scathing, vitriolic 4-and-a-half minutes ever committed to record, ‘The Rat’ is an excoriating rant at an ex-partner set to military-precision rhythm and wiry guitar. Hamilton Leithauser delivers the lyrics with such spiky energy that any jilted lover will immediately identify with him.
The Smiths – ‘I Know It’s Over’
Arch-miserablists The Smiths know how to do the soundtrack for the painfully alone. Its inclusion may seem obvious now, but this song invented the anti-love song cliché. “With your triumphs and your charms / While they’re in each other’s arms…” – a perfect example of its genre.
Flying Burrito Brothers – ‘Burrito #1’
Don’t be fooled by the silly name – this is one of the most perfect break-up songs ever written. Country legend Gram Parsons sings beautifully, and the lyrics are both heartbreakingly sad and hilariously smutty at the same time.
The Magnetic Fields – ‘I Don’t Want To Get Over You’
Part of an epic collection entitled 69 Love Songs, on which songwriter Stephen Merritt subverted the love song concept through parodies, imitations and over-exaggerations. ‘I Don’t Want To Get Over You’ is deliberately self-pitying yet hits the target perfectly.
Spiritualized – ‘Broken Heart’
The orchestral highlight of Spiritualized’s masterpiece Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. Singer Jason Pierce was clearly referencing the end of his long-term relationship with bandmate Kate Radley, who had married The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft in secret just weeks before the album’s release. What you hear is genuine heartbreak.
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