What other kind of list could I possibly compile for Valentine’s Day?
And no, “Feel Like Makin’ Love” didn’t make the cut. Nor did “Whole Lotta Love.” Or even “Love Gun.”
To make the list, a song has to have at least a little subtlety as well as the recognition that love itself involves a good deal more than a certain physical act.
So with that, here are my five favorite love songs in rock:
5. Thank You, by Led Zeppelin. There are few better opening lines than “If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.”
4. Lilah, by Don Henley. A nugget buried deep within Henley’s first solo album, this Irish tune features some of his clearest vocals ever.
3. Maybe I’m Amazed, by Paul McCartney. More than 40 years later, this still sounds fresh. And in love. I’ve always liked the live version.
2. When A Man Loves A Woman, by Percy Sledge. I wish we’d had this one played at our wedding reception oh-so-long-ago. Instead, we had Truly by Lionel Richie. Sigh.
1.Wonderful Tonight, by Eric Clapton. I was surprised to see that this was released in 1977; it seems like it’s always been among us.