Top 10 Best Date Night Songs

Most of us don’t have the lyrical ability of Bernie Taupin or the musical genius of Elton John. But thanks to their combined brilliance we have one of the most perfect date night songs imaginable. A song that, in its simple romanticism, allows anyone to proclaim that this track is for their loved one. Because whoever is sitting across from you on date night, you can look them in the eye, and tell them that this is “your song.” And when Elton sings about “How wonderful life is while you're in the world” - well, we couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.

There are few voices as distinctive as Billie Holiday and fewer still as perfect as the soundtrack to a romantic date night dinner. You could put a Billie Holiday playlist on shuffle and those jazz and R&B tones would fit the evening like a glove regardless of which one of her many great songs came on next. But if we had to narrow it down to just one, we gotta give the nod to her 1954 version of the 1934 song, “P.S. I Love You”. P.S. We love it.

Whether or not you and/or your date were around in 1994 when “Fade into You” reached number 44 on the Billboard hot 100 doesn’t matter. This is a great song for a date night regardless. Alternative band Mazzy Star only had one song chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was this one. Rolling Stone magazine has ranked this song as one of the 500 greatest ever, and it’s hard to argue with the selection. The track has an echoing beauty that makes for wonderful background music at dinner but also works for those spontaneous date night slow dances.

If you and/or your partner are fans of the “The Twilight Saga,” then this one is a no-brainer for your next date night playlist. Appearing in both “Breaking Dawn” part 1 and 2 (a version recorded with Steve Kazee appears in part 2), the song is a lyrical exploration of the great Edward and Bella love story. Whether you like the movies or not, there’s no denying the beauty and romanticism of the track. And with the video topping over 2 billion views on Youtube, we sure aren’t the only ones who think that.

While Taylor Swift has produced a number of great songs to listen to after a breakup, she’s also produced some tunes that are perfect for those in loving and committed relationships to enjoy as well. “Lover” off of her similarly-titled 7th studio album, is one such song. In fact, the entire album itself has been described by Swift as a “love letter to love… through a romantic gaze.” So it only makes sense that the beautiful “Lover” be part of the soundtrack as you gaze romantically at the one you truly love.

Unless you’re married to Chrissy Teigen, you can’t tell your partner that this song was written for them. But just because it’s the perfect date night song for John Legend and his wife doesn’t mean it isn’t also ideal for the rest of us. And besides the ridiculously romantic lyrics, “All of Me’s” slow tempo and beautifully simple piano accompaniment create a peaceful and loving atmosphere that’s pretty ideal for any romantic evening. Also, given that the song was the third best-selling track around the world in 2014, we’re gonna assume it’s been part of the soundtrack to at least a few intimate evenings already.

Do you consider your relationship to be the greatest coupling of all time? Well if so, then you obviously need to have the song that Billboard calls the greatest duet of all time as part of your date night playlist. Okay, so maybe that’s a little too much pressure on our relationships. But thankfully, this classic back and forth love song is great for our romantic evenings even if our couplehood isn’t the greatest the world has ever known. And while the Diana Ross and Lionel Richie version is the OG “Endless Love,” we recommended checking out the Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey version as well some nights.

“Let's Get It On” by Marvin Gaye is unapologetically a song about love and sex. We don’t want to assume that your date night has to lead to, shall we say, an intimate conclusion. But if it’s headed that way. it certainly doesn’t hurt to give it a nudge with one of the down and out sexiest songs of all time. It’s smooth and soulful and has that awesome groove that can get anyone in the mood to, as Gaye sings, “You know what I'm talkin' 'bout.” Just make sure you play this one after dinner or else your food is going to get cold.

Stephen Sanchez wrote “Until I Found You” for his girlfriend Georgia and now we can all enjoy it with our girlfriends and boyfriends regardless of their names. As Sanchez put it in an interview with ABC Audio, all the track ever needed to be was “just a song about a girl that I love” - and sometimes that’s all date night needs to be as well. Just an evening with the girl, or guy, that you love and that loves you back. And sure, Sanchez and Georgia are no longer together - but they’ve remained good friends and, in Sanchez’s own words, “she'll always be someone so important and special to me.” It kinda makes us love the song even more.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Say You Won't Let Go” (2016), James Arthur
Let Your Significant Other Know You Will Always Hold On

“I Belong to You” (2015), Brandi Carlile
A Guitar & Brandi Carlile’s Beautiful Voice - A Great Date Night Combination

“Angels” (1997), Robbie Williams
Whether It’s 2 People or 20,000, You Can’t Go Wrong With This One

“Earned It” (2014), The Weeknd
You & Your Partner Earned This Date Night, No ‘Red Room’ Required

“The Way You Look To-night” (1936), Fred Astaire
If It’s Good Enough for Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, It’s Good Enough for Us

“At Last” was originally written for the 1941 musical “Sun Valley Serenade,” and it has been re-recorded multiple times throughout the decades that followed. However, while there are some nice recordings out there, when it comes to “At Last” there really is just one version that matters. That’s the one Etta James gave the world in 1960. The one that was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. The one that Rolling Stone called the 115th greatest song of all time. The one that has been the soundtrack to many a wedding reception. And the one that is the ultimate date night song for you and yours.

What’s your go-to date night song? Let us know in the comments.