The 1960s produced some of the most incredible and heartstring-pulling love songs of any decade. And when it comes to the following love songs from the 1960s, each of them still gets plenty of play among fans young and old. Let’s take a look!
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley from ‘Blue Hawaii’ (1961)
This one’s a classic. Even if you aren’t the biggest Elvis Presley fan, you’ve definitely heard this iconic pop song and been swept away by Presley’s tender delivery. Listeners in 1961 were really swept away by “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, enough to take the song to the top of the charts. This easy-listening classic peaked at No. 1 in the UK and on the US Adult Contemporary chart. It also made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Fun fact: “Can’t Help Falling In Love” has a melody based on a French song from the 1700s called “Plaisir d’amour”.
“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers from ‘Just Once In My Life’ (1965)
This pop classic can be traced back all the way to a Todd Duncan song from 1955. That version was produced for the prison film Unchained. It has been covered many times over the years. But the version that most people remember comes straight from The Righteous Brothers in 1965. Their blue-eyed soul version of “Unchained Melody” was a smash hit, making it to No. 4 on the Hot 100.
“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys from ‘Pet Sounds’ (1966)
The Beach Boys dropped this long-enduring classic in 1966. And whenever I think of love songs from the 1960s, this is the very first song that comes to mind. The beautiful, ethereal harmonies just cannot be beat, nor can Brian Wilson’s incredible songwriting ability. “God Only Knows”, surprisingly, was originally just a B-side to the pop classic “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. That didn’t stop it from going all the way to the Top 40 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 in the UK. And despite not getting single treatment, “God Only Knows” remains one of The Beach Boys’ most famous songs. Even Paul McCartney said it was his favorite song. That’s a pretty big deal, I’d say.
Photo by Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images
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