Totally smitten: 25 songs to play when you’re falling in love

smiling couple listening to music

Is anything quite as blissful as the first giddy days of falling in love? You meet someone and suddenly they’re in your head and you just can’t stop smiling. It’s a fantastic feeling that just needs one thing to make it even better – the right music. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best ever songs about falling in love; 25 tunes that perfectly capture that joyous, swooning feeling of new love.

There are many signs that you’re falling in love, but perhaps one of the most universal – and the most fun – is the moment when even the silliest love songs make you break into a huge, swooning smile. You know the moment: you’re so giddy and happy with love that you feel like singing at the top of your lungs (surely it’s not just us?).

If you’re stuck on someone who makes you smile, then this is the Spotify® playlist you need. We’ve picked 25 falling in love songs that perfectly sum up the gleeful giddiness of new romance. Play them loud, and feel free to sing and dance along – we promise we won’t tell!

25 Songs About Falling in Love

1. Something’s Gotta Hold On Me – Etta James
If you’ve waited a long time for love, it can feel overwhelming when it finally does arrive. Here, the incomparable Etta James nails the wonderful, slightly proud bafflement that comes with falling in love and it lighting up your life.
Falling in love lyric: Step by step, I got a brand new walk /I even sound sweeter when I talk

2. Be My Baby – The Ronettes
From those iconic opening drumbeats (that sound a bit like the skipping heart of someone falling head over heels in love), to the perfect girl-group harmonies, this song is the ideal track to play if you’ve got a crush on someone and are working up the courage to let them know.
Falling in love lyric: I’ll make you happy, baby, just wait and see/For every kiss you give me I’ll give you three

3. Reflecting Light – Sam Phillips
A song beloved by Gilmore Girls fans (it’s playing in the scene when Luke and Lorelai dance and fall in love), this track has resonance beyond TV land. Its sweetly waltzing tune sums up those magic moments when you’re feeling so much love, you think you must be glowing.
Falling in love lyric: And the moon’s never seen me before/But I’m reflecting light

Want to see the Luke and Lorelai scene for yourself? Try our countdown of TV’s best couples

4. Here in My Arms – Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges sounds like he strolled right out of the early 60s, but in fact this is a surprisingly modern falling in love song: it’s from his 2015 album Coming Home. A tune for anyone wanting to take care of their new love, it’s tailor-made for slow dancing.
Falling in love lyric: Oh baby, please come where its warm​/In my arms, in my arms

5. This Is The One – The Stone Roses
A great falling in love song has the power to dissolve any scepticism about romance, bringing you straight back to your idealistic teenage years. Here, The Stone Roses capture the youthful feeling of meeting someone and it sending an electric shock through your whole world.
Falling in love lyric: Oh this is the one/This is the one/I’ve waited for

Falling in love isn’t just for the young – not with these timeless tips for true romance!

6. Stuck On You – Meiko
One of the cutest songs about falling in love, this tune is a treacle-sweet homage to the kind of crush that turns you into a great big, hopeful goof. It’s the perfect soundtrack to those moments when you catch yourself day-dreaming about you and your sweetie’s shared future.
Falling in love lyric: You are the one I could never be done with

7. There She Goes – The La’s
Although there are a number of ways to interpret the lyrics of this song, we choose to believe it’s about falling for someone who makes your heart skip every time they walk by. We’re so adamant about this, we’ve even included it on our list of the best love songs of all time.
Falling in love lyric: There she goes again/ Racing through my brain

Discover the other songs that made the cut – find our top 100 best love songs here

8. New Love – Amos Lee
Ever meet someone new and found yourself treasuring every moment? Suddenly you stay up all night talking and, when you finally sleep, you can’t wait to wake up and see them again. Amos Lee gets it. This is the ultimate tune for languid mornings in bed with your new love.
Falling in love lyric: I can’t wait to say good morning baby/What you wanna do today?

9. This Will Be Our Year – The Zombies
If you’ve been bruised in the past by love, letting yourself fall for someone can feel both brave and like letting go of a tension you may not have even realized was there. Here The Zombies confirm that doing so is utterly worth it – even if you have to be single a while first.
Falling in love lyric: The warmth of your love’s/Like the warmth from the sun

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10. All My Life – K-Ci & JoJo
One of 1998’s best falling in love ballads, this song is a truly sweet tribute to a relationship that has the potential to becoming life-changing. Add in some slow 90s R&B jams and those wrap-around harmonies and you have love song perfection.
Falling in love lyric: You are the only one my everything and for you this song I sing

11. For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
Sometimes you think you’ll be single forever – and then you suddenly meet someone who loves you back and everything’s in technicolour. A lot of falling in love songs try to illustrate this feeling, but no-one captures the jubilant delight of it all quite like Stevie Wonder.
Falling in love lyric: Someone warm like you/Would make my dreams come true

Ready to bring love back into your life? Find out if you’re ready to start dating again

12. Head Over Feet – Alanis Morissette
When you’ve been hurt in the past, love can be scary: you don’t want to get burned again so you stay back from the fire. And then, someone comes along and you find yourself thawing and falling in love despite your fears. Alanis nails the conflicting feelings perfectly.
You’ve already won me over in spite of me/& don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet

13. All I Want Is To Be Your Girl – Holly Miranda
Love can blindside you when you least expect it. You’re living your happily single life and then boom – someone comes along and rocks you to your core. In this catchy track, Holly Miranda makes the argument that embracing that feeling is the quickest route to joy.
Falling in love lyric: I wasn’t looking for love but she found me

Not sure if it’s mutual? Discover the signs she likes you!

14. What I Like About You – The Romantics
Not every occasion needs a deep, meaningful song about falling in love. Sometimes you just want something that matches your upbeat mood. What I Like About You is the perfect song for those dance-like-a-loon moments – it even has a solo for you to do air harmonica!
Falling in love lyric: Never wanna’ let you go, know you make me feel alright, yeah

15. I’m A Believer – The Monkees
Being hurt by love can make you a cynic, but here The Monkees argue that it just takes one person to blow all your carefully constructed walls away. One of the all-time classic songs about falling in love, this track is ideal for anyone who has experienced love at first sight.
Falling in love lyric: Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer/Not a trace of doubt in my mind

Is it possible to fall in love so fast? We found out the truth about love at first sight

16. The Shoop Shoop Song – Cher
Do they love you? Do you want to know? According to Cher, there’s one way to tell: it’s all about the kiss. This tune is an old classic, but Cher’s version is definitely the most fun to sing along with. Bellow it out, then hug your sweetie tight and find out what you want to know.
Falling in love lyric: If it’s love if it really is/It’s there in his kiss

17. F.N.T. – Semisonic
There’s a particular moment in many new relationships when you look at the person you’re falling for and you marvel that no-one else has snapped them up already. To you, they’re simply wonderful and they make you wonder: how on earth did you get so lucky?
Love lyric: I’m surprised that you’ve never been told before/That you’re lovely & you’re perfect

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15. Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows
Although it’s most famous for its inclusion on the Shrek 2 soundtrack (it was even nominated for an Oscar as a result!), this song about falling in love when you least expect isn’t just for kids. Instead, the joyous lyrics and catchy tune make it perfect for anyone feeling smitten.
Falling in love lyric: Melting under blue skies/Belting out sunlight/Shimmering love

19. Summer Love – Justin Timberlake
That addictive beat. The oh-so-catchy chorus (I cant wait to fall in lo-ove with you). Summer Love is the ideal tune for anyone falling in love during the summer months: it’s a little rauchy, a little fun, and you don’t want it to end – just like a summer romance.
Falling in love lyric: I can’t wait to fall in love with you/You can’t wait to fall in love with me

Have your own summer love? Make it last with our guide to the best second date ideas

20. Something So Strong – Crowded House
Being emotionally vulnerable can be scary and so, sometimes, you’ll come up with a whole lot of excuses explaining why you’re not falling in love. Songs like Something So Strong say that we should forget about the excuses and just let ourselves fall – it’s worth it.
Falling in love lyric: Roots that spread so deep, bring life to frozen ground

21. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) – Natalie Cole
Truly letting yourself fall in love is an act that takes a lot of optimism, and here Natalie Cole has bucketfuls to spare. She starts off cautiously (as most of us do when newly in love), but by the end of the track, she can’t contain her joy. It’s inspirational.
Love lyric: You gave me more joy than I ever dreamed of/and no one can take the place of you

Ready to take the plunge? Try our guide to asking someone out in every scenario

22. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
If there was such a thing as a musical sunbeam, this 80s bop would be it. A love song tailor-made for hairbrush karaoke sessions, this is the track to play when you finally ask out that person you’re crushing on – and they give you an emphatic yes!
Falling in love lyric: I used to think maybe you loved me now baby I’m sure

23. This Kiss – Faith Hill
It’s one of the cheesier falling in love songs, but that doesn’t make This Kiss any less enjoyable. The happy lyrics about love winning you over perfectly match the uplifting tune, making it impossible not to sing along. All together now: ”it’s – ahhhh – subliminal!”
Falling in love lyric: It’s centrifugal motion/It’s perpetual bliss

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24. Shut Up and Dance – TALK THE MOON
Sometimes you meet someone and start dreaming of a whole shared future unfolding before you. Now, that’s a lovely feeling, but as this songs reminds us, it’s important not to miss the present either. The future can wait: for now, it’s time to just dance together and fall in love.
Falling in love lyric: This woman is my destiny/She said, “Oooooh, shut up and dance with me”

25. Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
Is this the greatest falling in love song? Even if your feelings for someone are quite new, one slow dance to this track and you’ll feel swept away on the tides of love. Is it Elvis’ crooning voice? Is it the dreamy beat? Don’t worry about trying to decipher it – just let yourself float.
Falling in love lyric: Wise men say/Only fools rush in/But I can’t help falling in love with you

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About the author: Sophie Watson

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