21 Summer Hits To Add To Your Playlist When You’re In Love

If you asked me what my favorite music was at any point growing up or in most of my 20s, you would get a list of some of the saddest songs you’ve ever heard. As a singer/songwriter myself, I am very familiar with what goes into making a song about heartbreak — namely, heartbreak. For anyone going through a painful period romantically, whether it’s unrequited love, lost love, or unhealthy love, sad songs really do have a special power to help you heal and process what you’re experiencing. 

However, what I noticed both as an artist and a listener was that as my own heart healed, and as I found true love, got married, and started to have babies, I no longer wanted to hear or write the same sad songs. The lighter, brighter, and more playful side of music, with lyrics that reference commitment and healthy love, opened up to me as a way to celebrate the love I feel and to help me find that same connection with others, whether it’s relaxing with my husband, spending time with friends, or dancing with my toddler. 

That sort of song can be oddly hard to find. If you’ve ever looked at the biographies of your favorite musicians and artists, you’ll probably notice that not many of them seem to live “happily ever after.” This means that the majority of the songs they write land somewhere on the breakup side of love, if not in the you-really-should-breakup side of darker and more dysfunctional romance. Maybe it’s because fame and fortune make it hard to trust and find someone who loves you just for you. Maybe it’s because creative people also tend toward neuroticism and away from structures like marriage and family that might keep them more grounded and stable. Maybe it’s because there’s a bigger market for heartbreak and darkness since, as they say, misery does love its company. Or maybe it’s because our culture isn’t as interested in promoting monogamy, commitment, family, and healthy love as it once was.

Whatever the reasons, I did some listening on behalf of all of us happily-in-love girls and found you 21 songs that celebrate the beauty of true and lasting love this summer. You’ll find a mix of new releases and timeless classics that bring both the warmth of sunshine and the warmth of your man’s hand in yours to your ears. Listen to all 21 songs on an Apple Music playlist here and on a Spotify playlist here.

“Darlin’” by The Beach Boys

“I dream about you often, my pretty darlin.’ I love the way you soften my life with your love, your precious love.”

“Misty” by Leslie Gore

“Walk my way and a thousand violins begin to play. Or it might be the sound of your hello, that music I hear, I get misty the moment you’re near.”

“You’re Still the One” by Shania Twain

“You’re still the one I run to, the one that I belong to, you’re still the one I want for life.”

“My Girls” by Animal Collective

“I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status. I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls.” 

“That’s How Strong My Love Is” by Otis Redding 

“I’ll be the ocean so deep and wide and catch the tears whenever you cry. I’ll be the breeze after the storm is gone to dry your eyes and love you warm.”

“I’ll Be Your Mirror” by The Velvet Underground & Nico

“I find it hard to believe you don’t know the beauty you are, but if you don’t, let me be your eyes, a hand to your darkness so you won’t be afraid.”

“Love on Top” by Beyoncé 

“I can feel the sun whenever you’re near. Every time you touch me, I just melt away.”

“Oh Yoko!” By John Lennon

“In the middle of a cloud, I call your name. Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on.”

“Born for Loving You” by Big Thief

“I was born for loving you, that’s just something I was made to do. Doesn’t matter what dreams come true, I was born for loving you.”

“For the Love of You” by Whitney Houston

“I want to be living for the love of you. All that I’m giving is for the love of you.”

“My Love Is Forever” by Prince

“You’re the wind and the rain, you’ve got a river that takes away my pain and the sky that’s oh, so blue. You’re everything, girl, don’t you know I need you.”

“In My Life” by The Beatles

“Though I know I’ll never lose affection for people and things that went before. I know I’ll often stop and think about them, in my life I love you more.” 

“LOVE. (FEAT. ZACARI.)” by Kendrick Lamar

“Only for the night, I’m kiddin,’ only for life, yeah, only for life, yeah, only for life, let’s get it.”

“A Running Start” by Sufjan Stevens 

“We’ve always had a running start. I jump between the trampolines. You throw your arms around my heart as if to say you’re all I need.” 

“Love Is Like a Butterfly” by Dolly Parton

“Love is like a butterfly, as soft and gentle as a sigh. The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings.”

“What a Difference a Day Makes” by Dinah Washington 

“My yesterday was blue, dear. Today I’m part of you, dear. My lonely nights are through, dear, since you said you were mine.”

“Dreams” by The Cranberries 

“You’re what I couldn’t find, a totally amazing mind, so understanding and so kind, you’re everything to me.”

“Sea of Love” by Cat Power

“Come with me, my love, to the sea, the sea of love. I want to tell you how much I love you.”

“Love and Some Verses” by Iron & Wine

“Love is a dress that you made, long to hide your knees. Love to say this to your face, “I’ll love you only.’”

“Unison” by Bjork 

“You, gardener. You, discipliner. Domestically, I can obey all of your rules and still be, be.”

“Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift

“I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings.”

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