The 51 best love songs of all time, ranked

Yet another ballad made iconic by a film, "I Will Always Love You" has transcended its meaning in "The Bodyguard" and become the root of Whitney Houston's legacy. Her unrivaled vocal ability and intense emotional performance makes Houston's "I Will Always Love You" (which was originally a Dolly Parton hit) the greatest love song of all time.

Listen to "I Will Always Love You" here.

Funk group Earth, Wind, and Fire crafted one of the best songs of the century in "September," and the bonus for us is that it's a delightful love song to boot. Half the song is simple, joyful belting of "Ba de ya," and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Listen to "September" here.

Bringing us back to the uptempo rock genre of love songs, "You Make Loving Fun" is an easy, chicken-soup-for-the-soul kind of classic. Sweet wonderful you, indeed.

Listen to "You Make Loving Fun" here.

Few other songs can captivate a room with just the first several notes, but "At Last" does just that. This Etta James beauty has remained an unmovable classic love song for the ages, and we hope the spell lasts forever.

Listen to "At Last" here.

Frank Ocean is one of the most enigmatic creators working in music today. And while "Forrest Gump" and other singles delivery equally gorgeous tones of heartache and love, "Thinkin Bout You" sits on your brain with an uncanny warmth — even by Frank Ocean standards.

Listen to "Thinkin Bout You" here.

Though picking one version of "Make You Feel My Love" is nearly impossible, Adele's rendition on "19" is devastatingly beautiful (and once again falls into our "pining" category). Adele is serving up an emotional education to us all, and we're here for the lesson.

Listen to "Make You Feel My Love" here.

"God Only Knows" finds itself at the top of most "best songs of all time" lists for good reason. Visionary Brian Wilson crafted some of his best work on the 1966 album "Pet Sounds," and this heart-melting track is one of the record's highlights.

Listen to "God Only Knows" here.

"The Power of Love" is among the most heterosexual of all our love songs, and we love Celine for the sheer force she brings to this declaration of woman-on-man bonding (which was originally a 1984 Jennifer Rush song).

Listen to "The Power of Love" here.

Rock band Explosions in the Sky may not have any lyrics to accompany its early-2000s single "Your Hand in Mine," but the emotional weight carried by the title and into the building crescendos gives us chills every time.

Listen to "Your Hand in Mine" here.

Cracking our top 10 is Peter Gabriel's '80s rock song that was cemented in movie culture with the 1989 movie "Say Anything" (the same film that gave our earlier pick's band name). "In Your Eyes" manages to transcend its cheesiness and strike a romantic chord in our hearts every time.

Listen to "In Your Eyes" here.

Most dance pop songs churned out by producers these days won't stand the test of time, but there's a magic in "We Found Love" that keeps people returning even a decade later. The gleeful build up and Rihanna's vocals will put a lush and loving glow on any dance floor.

Listen to "We Found Love" here.

Sir Elton John's sweet tune was inducted to the Grammys Hall of Fame, and easily earns its place in our list of the best love songs. The pure poetry of the piano ballad will bring out the romantic in anyone.

Listen to "Your Song" here.

Falling back into the "pining" category, The Righteous Brothers' version of "Unchained Melody" became the most definitive and recognizable takes on this beautifully written ode to loving someone from afar.

Listen to "Unchained Melody" here.

Beloved by all generations, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is easily the most recognizable and timeless love song to ever grace the music world.

Listen to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" here.

"Crazy in Love" remains one of the best pop songs of all time, iconic in both its beat and the unforgettable music video that went along with it. As Beyoncé continues dominating the world as the goddess of the arts, it's hard to pick just one of her best hits but this has to be the contender for greatest love song.

Listen to "Crazy In Love" here.

"Alive With the Glory of Love" is lusty and lovely and unexpectedly uplifting despite being about lead singer Max Bemis' grandparents — both of whom were Holocaust survivors. "Alive With the Glory of Love" is the greatest pop-punk love song of all time.

Listen to "Alive With The Glory Of Love" here.

This synth-based electro-pop single captures a special period of time in pop culture, and remains blissfully timeless despite the changing landscape of modern music over the last 15 years.

Listen to "Such Great Heights" here.

Roberta Flack's hauntingly beautiful version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was slower and more sensual. This love song rightfully won Flack a Grammy in 1973, and a place in our top 20 list.

Listen to "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" here.

Feel what you must about Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge!" — this narratively significant love song is one of the best ballads featured in a movie. Ever. And if you had dared to forget this fact, Canadian figure skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir reminded the world of its magic at this past year's Olympics.

Listen to "Come What May" here.

Pop icon Justin Timberlake broke the mold with "FutureSex/Lovesounds," and "My Love" epitomized his blend of dance/R&B/pop/hip-hop with Timbaland's unrivaled production talents and a smooth, memorable, catchy chorus.

Listen to "My Love" here.

The art of parenthetical song titles has truly been lost. Candian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams crafted the love song to end all love songs with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," and we'll never forget him for it.

Listen to "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" here.

When the beat kicks into "I Love You Always Forever," you realize what a true bop this '90s pop single truly is. Lewis seems to channel Cindy Lauper's magic, just a decade later and with slightly more pizzazz.

Listen to "I Love You Always Forever" here.

No other song can sweep you up faster into daydreams about frenzied and absorbing love the way "Just Like Heaven" does. The Cure is '80s alt-rock at its finest, and this song is one of their best.

Listen to "Just Like Heaven" here.

No one can belt out a great "baby!" like Seal. People of all ages can likely sing along to most of this romantic ballad thanks to its use in movies and TV across the decades.

Listen to "Kiss From A Rose" here.

No, Sinead (and Prince), nothing compares to this song. Both versions are commendable and stunning in their own right, but Sinead O'Connor's holds a special place in the legacy of heartache-fueled artistry.

Listen to "Nothing Compares 2 U" here.

This follow-up hit to "End of the Road" is the perfect ode to doting upon a loved one. Blending the romantic and physical aspects of love, this sexy "Boyz II Men" '90s jam belongs on every love playlist.

Listen to "I'll Make Love To You" here.

Let's face it — a dozen Stevie Wonder songs could be on this list. But the joyous tempo and simple romantic message of "For Once in My Life" helps put it over the edge of other Stevie classics.

Listen to "For Once In My Life" here.

Yet another '80s classic to grace our list, "Time After Time" is the sweetly nostalgia-driven pop song that's a karaoke classic (even for "The Office's" Kelly Kapoor).

Listen to "Time After Time" here.

Like others on our list, The Smiths are music legends. "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a beloved bittersweet song that stands the test of time thanks to the before-its-time emo message delivered with an English rock vibe.

Listen to "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" here.

Prince's greatest hits are peppered with a joyous and infectious sense of love, but perhaps none more than the devoted single "I Would Die 4 U." The extra inflection Prince added for the line "darlin' if you want me to" is pure starlight energy.

Listen to "I Would Die 4 U" here.

The simple pleasures of finding love are perfectly expressed in this Beatles song. To be able to just reach out and hold the hand of a person you love is really all one needs, right?

Listen to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" here.

Both "Top Gun" and the world of pop love songs wouldn't be the same without "Take My Breath Away." We loved Jessica Simpson's faithful cover version, but nothing can touch the original ballad.

Listen to "Take My Breath Away" here.

K-Ci & JoJo probably didn't realize they were recording a song that would soon become a school dance staple, providing the soundtrack to awkwardly adorable PG slow dances everywhere. "All My Life" is the ultimate mix-CD track, movie score pick, and karaoke jam, and it's more than earned its spot on this list.

Listen to "All My Life" here.

You might now associate Tina Turner's "The Best" with Pepsi or Applebee's thanks to its commercial appeal, but this song is the ultimate statement of devotion and deserves to be remembered as such.

Listen to "The Best" here.

"I want you to show me!" is about as direct a plea for affection as one can find. Foreigner's biggest hit is also one of the greatest love songs of all time thanks to its eager rock ballad groove.

Listen to "I Want to Know What Love Is" here.

Elvis Presley's original will always remain the most beloved among many cover versions, from UB40 to Ingrid Michaelson and more.

Listen to "Can't Help Falling in Love" here.

We know this veers more into heartache territory, but Daniel Bedingfield's "If You're Not the One" is the dance/electro-pop ballad we never knew we needed until it was 2002 and you couldn't turn on a radio station without hearing it.

Listen to "If You're Not the One" here.

Queen's discography is chock-full of classic hits, but none fits best on the "love song" category than this tune. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is an uptempo, genre-bending single that stands the test of time.

Listen to "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" here.

Sliding into the category of "love advice," this Otis Redding track needs no introduction. It was already considered a classic, and was solidified in pop culture history when Donkey belted it out in "Shrek" and then sampled for Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Otis."

Listen to "Try A Little Tenderness" here.

Keeping in our uptempo, groovy streak, "Best of My Love" is a classic found on movie and TV soundtracks across the decades for good reason. You'll be humming "Oh-o-oho, you've got the best of my love" all day after revisiting this track.

Listen to "Best of My Love" here.

We dare you not to start tapping your foot and grinning upon hearing Jackie Wilson's number one R&B hit song "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," which has rightfully earned a place on any list of the happiest and catchiest love tunes.

Listen to "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" here.

It would be a list of love songs without a serious dose of '80s melodrama, and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is everything we could want in a glam rock ballad that fits into our "pining but still a love song" category.

Listen to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" here.

Simple, slightly sad, emotionally resonant. "First Day of My Life" is an emo/indie staple for a reason — Connor Oberst's voice beautifully communicates the ache associated with finally meeting someone who makes you feel as if your world has just changed.

Listen to "First Day of My Life" here.

This simple love ballad was sung gorgeously by country star Allison Krauss. "When You Say Nothing at All" captures the comfort and unspoken love language shared between partners with a timeless message of devotion.

Listen to "When You Say Nothing At All" here.

Taylor Swift cemented her role in pop culture with her heartfelt guitar ballads, and "Love Story" bridges the gap between her country roots and modern pop music. The song epitomizes the blissfully ignorant days of idyllic young love.

Listen to "Love Story" here.

When you think Bee Gees, you probably think dance and disco. But along with "Emotions" (a fantastic break-up song), "How Deep is Your Love" is evidence of the Bee Gees' ability to cut to the heart of a soulful connection between two people.

Listen to "How Deep is Your Love" here.

You probably don't think much about "Vision Quest," the movie for which this song was made, but "Crazy for You" is one of Madonna's best love songs. It also earned Madonna her first of many Grammy Award nominations.

Listen to "Crazy For You" here.

Beyoncé is one of the greatest artists of our generation, with unrivaled vocal talent and a constantly evolving sound and style. "Love On Top" is Beyoncé at her most joyous, belting out lyrics in a way that lets you hear her smile through the words.

Go watch "Homecoming" on Netflix, and I dare you not to grin like maniac when "Love On Top" enters the set.

Listen to "Love On Top" here.

This ballad is a simple, sweet ode to lazy afternoons spent in the company of a loved one. "Hold You in My Arms" was one of Ray LaMontagne's first breakout singles, and remains a staple heard at wedding venues around the country.

Listen to "Hold You in My Arms" here.

This essential emo/alt-rock love song was Dashboard Confessional's first Billboard Top 10 hit, and rightfully so. "Hands Down" captures the youthful crush stage of love and lust with lyrics perfectly suited for an AIM away message.

Listen to "Hands Down" here.

Since we're including love songs about devotion and pining (but trying to avoid wholesale break-up ballads), "We Belong Together" is the perfect place to start. Mariah Carey's hit single from "The Emancipation of Mimi" remains is a classic modern love song with a fantastic pop diva music video to match.

Listen to "We Belong Together" here.