This playlist is a guided tour through love’s finest complications, narrated by artists who definitely could have used group therapy. Sit back, relax, and enjoy these romance catastrophes from the safety of your own headphones.
| Title | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Part-Time Lover | Stevie Wonder | Parler d’amour (in English ‘talking about love’) was written for Ute Lemper by Art Mengo and his brother-in-law Patrice Guirao. Michel Armengot (born in Toulouse on 16 September 1962), more commonly known as Art Mengo, is a French singer and songwriter of Spanish descent. Ute Gertrud Lemper (born in Münster, West Germany on 4 July 1963) a German singer and actress who recorded numerous pop albums, variously in English, French, and German. |
| Part-Time Love | Elton John | “Du” (You) by Peter Maffay was written by Michael Kunze and Peter Orloff. Peter Alexander Makkay (born 30 August 1949), known as Peter Maffay, is a Romanian-born German musician, singer, and composer, who established a ranch on the Spanish island of Mallorca where traumatised children from all over the world can have a free two-week holiday to help them cope with their problems. |
| Never Never Never | Shirley Bassey | “Can’t Help Falling In Love”, featured in the 1961 Elvis movie Blue Hawaii, was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody is based on a French song called “Plaisir D’Amour,” which was penned in 1784 by a German Jean-Paul Egide-Martini. |
| With Or Without You | U2 | The Partridge Family was a TV series that ran from 1970-1974 about a musical family that travelled in a very colourful tour bus. Two of the lead actors, David Cassidy (son of the actor Jack Cassidy), who quickly became a teen idol, and his real-life stepmother Shirley Jones, were real singers. “I Think I Love You”, written by Tony Romeo, was released in August 1970, about a month before the show debuted on September 25, 1970. |
| Lost In Love | Air Supply | This soft-rock plea of devotion was written by Graham Russell in 15 minutes. It reflects overwhelming romantic vulnerability. Originally released in Australia in 1979, then worldwide in 1980 and became a massive adult-contemporary hit. |
| I and Love and You | The Avett Brothers | A song about vulnerability, emotional honesty, and starting over. Written by Scott Avett during a period of reflection about forgiveness and change. Produced by Rick Rubin, which helped bring the band to a wider audience. |
| Una Storia D’Amore (By Tita) | Jovanotti | This romantic dance-pop song by an early-career Jovanotti is playful and youthful. The “Tita” persona refers to a light-hearted style Jovanotti used early on. Lyrics describe a sweet but naïve love story. It reflects the era’s Italian pop/rap crossover style. Lorenzo Cherubini initially chose “Joe Vanotti” as his stage name, but a promotional poster for a night club incorrectly billed him as “Jovanotti” and the name stuck. Jovanotti derives from giovanotti, the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto (“young man”). |
| I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) | Michael McDonald | Written by Michael McDonald and Ed Sanford. Describes the emotional pull of a broken relationship. Michael McDonald recorded it with his sister Maureen McDonald providing backing vocals. Michael H. McDonald (born February 12, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist, known for his distinctive, soulful voice, backing vocalist for Steely Dan and lead vocalist of the Doobie Brothers. |
| Drive | The Cars | Written by Cars frontman Ric Ocasek with lead vocal by their bass player Ben Orr. Often seen as a breakup song, about emotional withdrawal and silent suffering. UK radio station XFM banned the song after the death of Princess Diana, not to upset people. |
| (Everything I Do) I Do It for You | Bryan Adams | “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” is a song by Bryan Adams (born Bryan Guy Adams on November 5, 1959) a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the power ballad was the lead single for both the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The song was based on the film’s love theme by Kamen, “Maid Marian”. |
| Promise Me | Beverley Craven | “Promise Me” is a song by British singer-songwriter Beverley Craven. Rosa López released a Spanish version titled “Júrame” in 2008 as well as Mexican actress Chantal Andere in 1992, titled “Entre tú y yo”. The song explores themes of longing, distance, and commitment. |
| Lost & Blown Away | Novastar | Novastar frontman Joost Zweegers wrote this haunting portrait of emotional collapse after heartbreak, sung with his characteristic fragility. The track is from the album Another Lonely Soul, largely written in isolation in the U.S. The song blends melancholy with soaring melodic lines, becoming a fan favourite. |
Sources
The information sources of the song facts include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, songfacts.com, discogs.com, secondhandsongs.com, YouTube and artists’ related websites.
