“Music is life; that’s why our Hearts Have Beats.”
It’s Valentine’s Day this month, and as we enter this iconic holiday, we will explore how music and love have existed in people’s lives throughout the many different music genres.
In the past century, the most played song was “You Lost that Loving Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers. In our current century, according to Spotify’s user-generated Valentine’s Day playlist,
John Legend’s song “All of Me” has streamed the most. The stream count is 2,212,221,616 - that is a lot of streams!
To say that music is an integral part of our daily lives is an understatement. John Legend has 35 million monthly listeners, which is a lot of listeners for one musician.
“All of Me” is simply John playing the piano and singing honestly and tenderly. The harmonies at the end are beautiful. It’s no wonder people come back to listen to it over and over and over…. again.
What other music genres celebrate this day?
Many different genres of music also celebrate Valentine’s Day. Jazz musicians began writing songs about the holiday and celebrating it soon after World War I ended in 1918.
“My Funny Valentine,” a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms, was introduced by Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums and performed by over 600 artists.
Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and many other jazz musicians wrote and recorded songs ranging from bluesy ballads to high-energy jazz-funk. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock began incorporating more complex musical elements into their pieces, creating a unique soundscape for this holiday.
Whether it’s a slow and sultry ballad or an upbeat and energetic jam, jazz music has become a powerful expression of love on Valentine’s Day.
As time progressed, other genres like blues, R&B, and Soul began to weave elements of jazz into their music. Artists like Billie Holiday and Nat King Cole masterfully blended jazz with blues, creating a unique, romantic, and soulful love song sound.
This innovative style of music has grown in popularity over the years, helping more people experience the joys of Valentine’s Day through a diverse range of music and sounds.
Let’s not forget the most played Rock Songs, “All Along The Watch Tower” by Jimi Hendrix and “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC.
And lastly, classical favorites on Valentine’s Day are “Claire de Lune” by Debussy and “Fur Elise” by Beethoven. And, in Country Music, Morgan Wallen led country music’s dominance this year with his hit “Last Night,” the most streamed song on Spotify.
What is it with love, music, and Valentine’s Day? A song has the power to arouse emotions, and music can help us feel. It is as simple as that. Music imitates the things closest to life; it brings us to ourselves and makes a day like Valentine’s Day more enjoyable with a beautiful love song!