Photo above is DJ Dave in July 2022 when I was the DJ for the wedding reception of my niece Lydia and her husband Roger at Shady Lane Farm, New Gloucester, Maine. Photo courtesy of Paige Lucas Photography.
Since my retirement as Manager with Carilion Clinic in 2017, I have provided DJ services for many wedding receptions over the past 8 years.
To be a superb DJ when working wedding receptions, a person needs to be familiar with many types of musical genres and be flexible selecting songs to play at these events.
With this month’s article, I will be counting down what I consider to be the best classic wedding love songs. The time frame for songs that I selected for this article will range from the mid 60s to the late 80s.
Please note: my article is not a definitive listing of all various types of songs played at weddings and/or wedding receptions. The tunes that I have selected are all from my personal experience as a veteran DJ.
Some songs should never be played at wedding receptions. I attended at a wedding reception a few years ago and the DJ hired played “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. While this is an outstanding Southern Rock song, the lyrics were totally inappropriate for a wedding celebration.
One caveat about banning some songs being played at a wedding celebration: When a bride and groom chooses a first dance song that isn’t “wedding worthy”, this DJ always defers to the couple getting married and plays their special first dance song.
In my own personal experience, I have played songs that I felt were strange for first dance tunes: However, I did play the requested songs the bride and groom selected: it was their special day and not mine. The two interesting songs below:
- Stuck With You—Huey Lewis & the News: “We thought about someone else, but neither one took the bait, we thought about breakin’ up, now we know it’s much too late, I’m so happy to be stuck with you, ’cause I can see that you’re happy to be stuck with me.”
- S.O.S.—ABBA: What happened to our love? It used to be so good, the love you gave me, nothing else can save me, S.O.S. When you’re gone, how can I even try to go on?”
There are four basic types of songs played during a wedding reception:
- Specific songs selected by the bride and groom for first dances, when entering and/or leaving event locations, and other meaningful tunes the newly married couple request the DJ to play throughout the event.
- Appropriate songs selected by the DJ as guests arrive and wait inside reception venue for the bride, groom and wedding party to enter facility.
- Music played during dinner. During this time, I tend to play soft pop, slow-tempo ballads, and acoustic love songs to create a calm atmosphere for guests to enjoy their meals and conversations.
- Songs the DJ plays for folks to dance. Mostly up-tempo songs with a few ballads sprinkled in for couples who want slow dancing.
Songs on my countdown are in two categories: Numbers 2 and 3 above.
Within the parameters of songs that I play before and during dinner times, my countdown listing includes songs from a couple different silos:
• Songs that actually mention the words wedding or weddings in the lyrics.
• Songs that have positive and/or affirming lyrics about love.
Please note that I purposely left out songs on my countdown that are played purely by a DJ for the sole purpose of dancing. Those types of tunes may end up in a separate music blog message in the future.
Songs like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” by Stevie Wonder and “September” by Earth Wind & Fire are superb wedding dance tunes. However, DJs should hesitate before playing these songs during non-danceable segments of wedding receptions events.
Also excluded for consideration for my countdown are songs with lyrics describing marriage and/or longing for marriage to happen in the future. In my humble opinion, the songs listed directly below are all good tunes but not appropriate to play at any wedding reception.
- Wedding Bell Blues—The 5th Dimension
- That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be—Carly Simon
- Band of Gold—Freda Payne
- Worst That Could Happen—Brooklyn Bridge
- Wouldn’t It Be Nice—The Beach Boys
- White Wedding—Billy Idol
- Jackson—Johnny Cash & June Carter
- The River—Bruce Springsteen
- I Love You—Climax Blues Band
- Rings—Cymarron
- Keep Your Hands to Yourself—The Georgia Satellites
- (You Never Can Tell) C’est la Vie—Emmy Lou Harris
With the next three sections of songs, I have selections from the 60s, 70s and 80s that didn’t make my countdown but are quality songs to play at all non-danceable times during wedding receptions. These songs are not ranked and placed in a random order.
Excellent Songs Outside the Top 25 Countdown from the 60s:
- Love Can Make You Happy—Mercy
- L-O-V-E—Nat King Cole
- You’ve Made Me So Very Happy—Blood Sweat & Tears
- My Cherie Amour—Stevie Wonder
- (You Make me Feel Like) A Natural Woman—Aretha Franklin
- And I Love Her—The Beatles
- My Special Angel—The Vogues
- The Way You Look Tonight—Frank Sinatra
- Something—The Beatles
- Chapel of Love—The Dixie Cups
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You—Frankie Valli
Excellent Songs Outside the Top 25 Countdown from the 70s:
- First Time Ever I Saw Your Face—Roberta Flack
- How Deep Is Your Love—The Bee Gees
- Maybe I’m Amazed—Paul McCartney
- Love Will Keep Us Together—Captain & Tennille
- Wonderful Tonight—Eric Clapton
- Bridge Over Troubled Water—Simon & Garfunkel
- You Are Everything—The Stylistics
- Your Smiling Face—James Taylor
- The Air That I Breath—The Hollies
- Make It with You—Bread
- (They Long to Be) Close to You—The Carpenters
- Nobody Does It Better—Carly Simon
- Annie’s Song—John Denver
Excellent Songs Outside the Top 25 Countdown from the 80s:
- Time After Time—Cyndi Lauper
- Heaven—Bryan Adams
- In Your Eyes—Peter Gabriel
- Tonight, I Celebrate My Love—Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
- The Promise—When in Rome
- Biggest Part of Me—Ambrosia
- Every Little Thing She Does is Magic—The Police
- Right Here Waiting—Richard Marx
- Lady–Kenny Rogers
- You’re the Inspiration—Chicago
- For Your Eyes Only—Sheena Easton
- You Are My Lady–Freddie Jackson
- Up Where We Belong–Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
- Eternal Flame—The Bangles
I recommend playing any of the songs that I have listed above during non-dancing segments of wedding receptions. Of course, a bride or groom could pick one of these songs for their first dance. For those instances, many of these tunes do make outstanding choices for slow dancing.
The same methodology can be applied for the 25 songs in the countdown below. All countdown songs are perfect for bride and groom first dances at any wedding reception.
With my experience as a DJ for many wedding receptions over the years, I now submit my classic wedding love songs countdown:
25. Truly—Lionel Richie: 1982
Debut solo single for singer-songwriter Lionel Richie, who wrote this song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael. The artist won a Grammy Award for “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” for this tune.
24. Unchained Melody—The Righteous Brothers: 1965
Music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers sings lead vocals on song. Became a hit twice, the second time in 1990.
23. Faithfully—Journey: 1983
The song was written by Journey’s keyboardist Jonathan Cain. Powerful vocals by Steve Perry. A quintessential 80s power ballad.
22. Endless Love—Lionel Richie & Diana Ross: 1981
While still a member of the Commodores, Lionel Richie wrote the song and it was featured in the film “Endless Love.” The duet with Diana Ross is rated as the “Greatest song duet of all-time” by Billboard.
21. Always—Atlantic Starr: 1987
Love ballad written by David Lewis, Jonathan Lewis and Wayne Lewis. Peaked at #1 on Billboard Hot 100. Biggest hit single for Atlantic Starr.
20. With This Ring—The Platters: 1967
Last Top 40 hit for the Platters was written by Richard “Popcorn” Wylie, Luther Dixon, and Tony Hester. It’s considered a core song with Carolina “Beach Music” and is a favorite song for shag dancers.
19. For All We Know—The Carpenters: 1970
Soft pop rock song has music credited to Fred Karlin and lyrics from Robb Wilson and James Griffin. Karen Carpenter has outstanding vocals on this selection.
18. Always and Forever—Heatwave: 1978
Rod Temperton, keyboardist and principal songwriter for Heatwave, wrote this classic tune for his British-based multinational funk-disco band. This ballad has lead vocals by Johnnie Wilder, Jr.
17. Here and Now—Luther Vandross: 1989
The R&B Pop singer won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance with his signature ballad. Written by David L. Elliott, Terry Steele, and Charles White.
16. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)—Natalie Cole: 1975
This up-tempo wedding anthem was written by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, with Richard Evans creating the musical arrangement. Natalie Cole won a Grammy Award for “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” with her huge hit single.
15. Three Times a Lady—The Commodores: 1978
Smooth signature love ballad was penned by Lionel Richie, lead singer of the Commodores. Reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks during the summer of 1978.
14. You Make Me Feel Brand New—The Stylistics: 1974
One of the Stylistics signature songs was co-written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. The R&B love song features vocals by baritone singer Airrion Love and falsetto of lead vocalist Russell Thompkins Jr.
13. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)—James Taylor: 1975
Cover rendition of a Marvin Gaye 1965 hit. It was written by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland. James Taylor’s superb guitar and smooth vocals are complimented by David Sanborn on saxophone and Carly Simon with backup harmony vocals.
12. God Only Knows—The Beach Boys: 1966
Co-written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. Song renowned for its beautiful harmonic structure and innovative complexity. Rolling Stone magazine ranks it at number 11 on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” listing.
11. You Are the Sunshine of My Life—Stevie Wonder: 1973
Progressive soul. The song written by Stevie Wonder was the second consecutive single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Singer-songwriter won a Grammy Award for “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” for his tune. I rate it as the 22nd best single of ’73.
10. Let’s Stay Together—Al Green: 1972
Co-written by Al Green, Willie Mitchell and Al Jackson, Jr. This superb soul single is rated as the 60th greatest song of all-time by Rolling Stone and I rank it as the 7th best single of 1972. “Let’s Stay Together” is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress, National Recording Registry.
9. You Are So Beautiful—Joe Cocker: 1975
Gospel & Soul singer Billy Preston co-wrote this tune with Bruce Fisher. Joe Cocker’s cover had a slower tempo than Preston’s original faster version. It became the Englishman’s biggest solo hit single on the Billboard Hot 100.
8. In My Life—The Beatles: 1965
This melodic selection is credited as a John Lennon and Paul McCartney written track. From the Beatles “Rubber Soul” album. Rolling Stone magazine ranks it at #5 on their “100 Best Beatles Song” list. “In My Life” has become a staple for wedding receptions in the 21st century.
7. Your Song—Elton John: 1971
Penned by lyricist Bernie Taupin and musician Elton John. It was the first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for the English singer-songwriter. “Your Song” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.
6. Just the Way You Are—Billy Joel: 1978
Written by Billy Joel. Features outstanding saxophone by artist Phil Woods. From album “The Stranger.” Pop ballad/smooth jazz. Received two Grammy Awards for “Record of the Year” and “Song of the Year” in 1979. I rate the song as the 17th best saxophone single of the 60s & 70s.
5. My Girl—The Temptations: 1965
Written and produced by the Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. First #1 single for the Motown vocal group. Was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and placed in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress during 2017. “My Girl” is a signature song for the Temptations.
4. Wedding Song (There is Love)—Noel Paul Stookey: 1971
Noel Paul Stookey first gained musical popularity with the folk-rock trio Peter, Paul and Mary. He wrote “Wedding Song (There is Love)” in 1969 and first performed it for his friend Peter Yarrow. I rate this melodic tune as the 2nd best one hit wonder of 1971.
3. We’ve Only Just Begun—The Carpenters: 1970
Originally this song was in a wedding-themed television commercial for a California bank and was co-written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics). The Carpenters scored their second consecutive top 2 hit with this soft rock single. Karen Carpenter shines with her vocals on “We’ve Only Just Begun.”
2. Longer—Dan Fogelberg: 1980
Written and recorded by singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg. “Longer” is a melodic love song, with flowing harmonies and sparse instrumentation. I rate it as the 4th best single of 1980. Fogelberg’s crown jewel became a staple at thousands of weddings in the 80s and is still popular among some marriage ceremonies this decade.
- Never My Love—The Association: 1967
My number 1 classic wedding song is “Never My Love” by the Association. This soft rock single was co-written by siblings Don and Dick Addrisi. In 1999, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) ranked this tune as the second most played song on radio & TV in the 20th century.
Musically, this single features multiple trumpets and French horns, as well as exceptional saxophone playing by John Johnson. In addition, two guitars, piano and drums round out this musical masterpiece.
The Association’s love song reached #1 on the Cashbox Top 100 and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the fall of 1967. I rate this single as the 5th best sunshine pop single of the 60s and 9th best top 40 single of 1967. Without a doubt, “Never My Love” by the Association is my #1 best classic wedding love song of the 20th century.
That wraps up my countdown of what I consider to be the best classic wedding love songs from the mid 60s through the late 80s. I recommend playing any of the top 25 songs from my countdown for non-dancing segments of wedding receptions.
I realize that my listing of songs in this category was written from my point of view and is subjective. If you were creating a similar register of excellent wedding love songs, your tabulation may be totally different from my selections.
What do you consider to be best wedding reception love songs from 1964 until 1989? There are no right or wrong answers. I welcome your thoughts.
If you know of anyone that is getting married, I hope you will share this message with any engaged couples looking for song suggestions for an upcoming wedding reception.
I leave you with the opening lyrics of “Wedding Song (There Is Love)” by Noel Paul Stookey:
“He is now to be among you, at the calling of your hearts, rest assured this troubadour is acting on His part. The union of your spirits here has caused Him to remain, for whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name, there is love.”
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