For all your slow dance needs, here are 21 songs that will always stand the test of time.
The prom song to end all prom songs, “Thinking Out Loud” went from earnest to cheesy to earnest again. Through all that time, it was always ubiquitous. It remains Sheeran’s goopiest, and most enduring, ballad in a catalogue full of them.
For anyone “too cool” for a slow dance song, try “Maps”, the most overtly romantic song to come out of the 2000s indie rock boom. It’s got the bombast of any good ballad while retaining the hipster chic of underground music. The message, however, it universal: “They don’t love you like I Iove you.”
Where “Maps” is an alternative rock song trying to pass itself off as a gigantic ballad, “Iris” is a gigantic ballad trying to pass itself off as an alternative rock song. You can’t go wrong with either, though, and “Iris” has that string arrangement that hits just right for dance floor swaying.
Chances are that if you haven’t specified your slow dance song, the wedding DJ will have this song automatically cued up for that most romantic moment of the night. There’s a reason why no wedding is complete without it: “At Last” is the gold standard for heartfelt slow dances.
The 70s piano ballad to end all 70s piano ballads, “Without You” is so pompous and ridiculous that it’s perfect for any hopeless romantic who wants to spill their heart all over the dance floor. Nilsson’s pitch-perfect high notes will give you goosebumps as you hold your date close.
As long as you don’t read it ironically (hence the quotation marks), this tale of lovers overcoming all kinds of hardship can be the perfect metaphor for you and your significant other, no matter the circumstances. Bowie doesn’t have a lot of genuine love songs, but this is his most legendary.
With all the grandeur of a classic over-the-top balladeer, Harry Styles is today’s most consistent hit maker. As his first solo single, “Sign of the Times” proves he can balance slick pop songs with apocalyptic love paeans.
Incredibly romantic AND absolutely groove-tastic: the perfect combination. This highly optimistic slice of Chicago soul is the perfect balance of nostalgia and heartfelt love. The slow dance might open up into a soul train line, but that’s never a bad thing.
The Beatles had a ton of love songs, but none of them ever felt as fully enraptured with the idea of love like George Harrison’s “Something”. It was so transcendent that luminaries like Frank Sinatra and Elton John, masters of the love song, held it up as one of the best, if not the best, of all time.
Arguably the most iconic female voice in jazz, Holiday will sweep you up in all her hard-fraught emotion and delicate vulnerability with whatever song she sings. “I’m a Fool to Want You” just happens to be perfect for the most improbable, and imperfect, of relationships.
For tragic star-crossed lovers everywhere, “American Scandal” lets you know it’s ok to embrace the feelings you might have been holding back, no matter what scandal may follow. If your love is anything like Kennedy and Monroe’s, at least you have the perfect song to weather the storm.
Yeah, it’s incredibly cheesy. But who doesn’t love cheese? Posh and breezy, “True” will have you converted by the time the sax solo comes crashing in. Time travel back to the 80s with one of the silliest and most affecting ballads of the decade.
More of a world-conquering call to arms than a true-blue romantic ballad, “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is still highly effective in the slow dance department. Extra bonus: it means you don’t have to play “Wonderwall”.
Perfect for if you want to get really, really, really dramatic with your slow dance, this song was inescapable two years ago, and now just seems like an artifact of a simpler time. Remember the good old days of two years ago with “Shallow”. For full effect, try to replicate those belting high notes of Gaga’s.
Smooth as silk and more soulful than a plate of collard greens, Al Green could sing the dictionary and have it be romantic. This is the song where he goes all out with devotion, which makes it perfect for you and yours to express your devotion as well. “Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad, let’s stay together.” Perfect wedding fodder.
I was amazed that Stranger Things decided to go with “Every Breath You Take” (which is absolutely not a love song) for Eleven and Mike’s first dance instead of this pitch-perfect slow dance song. “Time After Time” is incredibly 80s, but also weirdly transcendent. It works in any decade, and any situation where a slow dance song is necessary.
I mean there’s no way to avoid T-Swift in the slow dance department. Whichever love song of hers you pick will work well, but this one is the easiest, breeziest, and best for your romantic swaying, whether your love has been three summers long or thirty.
Fuzzy and simple, like the best kinds of love, “Fade Into You” is an evergreen cut that is perfect for the gentle swaying of couples during a slow dance. The lulling vocals in the big choruses are the perfect time for a first kiss, if you can sneak it in.
Embrace your inner John Cusack by pulling out the boombox, cranking it up, and blasting this romantic ode to seeing everything you could ever want in someone. If it keeps you from playing any Phil Collins due to a one-Genesis-singer-per-slow-dance maximum, all the better.
McCartney’s best ballad actually happened after his bitter departure, and subsequent malicious implosion, of the biggest band of all time. Go figure. Sometimes the harshest of contexts lead to the most beautiful of outcomes, and that is certainly the case with “Maybe I’m Amazed”.
The most recent addition to this list, “Love is a Wild Thing” is nevertheless destined to be played during slow dances for years to come. It might be a bit fast for a slow dance, but you’ll hardly notice when you’re wrapped up in its beautiful romantic aura.
Imagine you are grabbing Dunkin’ Donuts between classes. You just finished your 7:45 geology lab and have a much needed…
Now that the semester is coming to close you must have noticed college life isn't easy, but that doesn't mean…
I’m sure your Instagram feed is already full of photos from your favorite celebrities. Then of course you have posts…
Packing for college can be such a hassle, especially when you're doing everything at the last minute, which, let's be…
Every freshman at BU dreams of living in one of the glorious, 26 floor Student Villages that are luxurious, have…
It’s no secret that huskies are adorable. Husky puppies are even cuter. Check out these 22 times when husky puppies were…
