Many people enjoy listening to love songs all year round, but specifically in the month of February. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Falcon Flash has compiled some popular love songs for each decade to make your Valentine’s day just that much sweeter for you and whoever you decide to spend it with.

The 1950s and 1960s

In the 50s and 60s, America experienced a shift from traditional pop music to the modern pop music we hear today. While it was only the beginnings for this new genre, the ‘50s produced some spectacular love songs like “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash, “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes, and “Stupid Cupid” by Connie Francis. The 60’s continued to pull through with songs like “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Pressley.

Samantha Hackett, grade 9, said, “I tend to enjoy older songs like these because the love sung about seems more real.”

The 1970s and 1980s

Disco fever hit the US hard during the 70s. Some popular songs during this period were “How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees, “Easy” by The Commodores got very popular along with songs such as “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel. Disco fell off, however, as the 80s began with a bigger focus on rock and roll. Prominent songs during this time were “Faithfully” by Journey and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard.

Penny Altland, grade 10, said, “I love 80’s songs. I don’t know what it is about them but I think I prefer them to today’s music because they balance sweet and funny really well.”

The 1990s and 2000s

The 90s and 00s had a lot of hit love songs worth mentioning. For example, “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion is an extremely popular song a lot of people know the tune of. Punk rock bands like Blink-182 and Paramore produced songs like “First Date” and “Still Into You”. Artists also started to collaborate on songs, such as “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z. 

The 2010s and 2020s

The 2010s saw the rise of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Ray with countless love songs like, “You Belong With Me” and “Diet Mountain Dew.” Recently, “Nonsense” by Sabrina Carpenter has gained popularity, as well as “Risk” by Gracie Abrams. With only five years left of the 2020s there are a lot more love songs to look forward to for Valentine’s Days to come.

Since the 1950’s, there have been a lot of changes in the music industry. These changes have influenced and will continue to influence love songs for generations to come. Valentine’s Day just wouldn’t be the same without some of these songs.