The Best Soul Music Love Songs of All Time

Looking for the best soul music love songs of all time? Look no further than this ultimate list of classics that are sure to set the mood.

Introduction

When it comes to soul music, there is no shortage of great love songs. The genre is filled with heartbreak, happiness, and everything in between. While there are countless soul music love songs, there are a few that stand out above the rest. These are the best soul music love songs of all time.

What is soul music?

Soul music is a genre of African American popular music that led to the development of funk and disco. It combines elements of rhythm and blues, gospel, and sometimes jazz. Its key characteristic is a call-and-response pattern between the lead vocalist and an instrumental solo or harmony part.

The term “soul” has been used in popular music to describe a variety of styles since the 1950s. It came to be used as a style consisting of slow, passionate love songs in the early 1960s. In the US, soul music was associated with the black power movement and was often used for political purposes. As the style developed in the 1970s, it incorporated aspects of funk and disco. In the 1980s, it became more influenced by pop music.

The Best Soul Music Love Songs of All Time include:
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” by The Four Tops
“My Girl” by The Temptations
“Stand by Me” by Ben E. King
“You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

The history of soul music

The origins of soul music can be traced back to the 1950s and early 1960s, when artists like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and James Brown began fusing rhythm and blues with gospel to create a sound that was both polished and emotionally charged. The best soul music love songs have a way of getting under your skin and staying there for days on end.

While it’s difficult to narrow down the genre’s greatest hits to just a few, here is a list of some of the most unforgettable soul songs of all time.

“I Can’t Stand the Rain” by Ann Peebles
“A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
“Stand by Me” by Ben E. King
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding

The best soul music love songs of all time

Soul music has a way of making you feel things. It can make you feel happy, sad, nostalgic, and everything in between. And when it comes to soul music love songs, there is no shortage of emotion. From classics like “Ain’t No Sunshine” to modern hits like “Adorn,” these are the best soul music love songs of all time.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers

“Ain’t No Sunshine” is a 1971 song by Bill Withers from his album Just As I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured guitarist Jiminy Cricket and drums by James Gadson. Billboard ranked it as the No. 23 song of 1971. The song is in the key of A minor.”Ain’t No Sunshine” was released as a single in September 1971, becoming a breakthrough hit for Withers, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on the R&B chart, becoming his first and biggest hit single. The song earned Withers a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1972.

“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” by The Four Tops

On the surface, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” is a sweet and simple love song. But there’s something about Levi Stubbs’ powerful voice that conveys both the longing and the ache of lovesickness. It’s a timeless track that remains one of the most popular Motown hits of all time.

“My Girl” by The Temptations

“My Girl” is a classic soul music love song recorded by The Temptations in 1964. The song was written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White and produced by Robinson. It was the first Temptations single to feature lead singer Eddie Kendricks on lead vocals.

The song was a hit, peaking at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number-three on the Cash Box Top 100. It has been covered by many artists including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, and more.

“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye

“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The song was first recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on their 1967 album The Miracles Hits the Charts. The song became a hit in 1968 when it was covered by Marvin Gaye.

The song was ranked as the number one song of 1968 by Billboard magazine and is one of the most popular soul music songs of all time. The song has been covered by many artists, including Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and George Clinton.

“Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye

“Let’s Get It On” is a song and hit single by American soul singer Marvin Gaye, released on July 21, 1973, on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla. The song was written by Gaye and produced by Gaye and Ed Townsend. It was one of Gaye’s most successful singles; it spent two weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number four on the Hot R&B Singles chart.

The record also achieved considerable international success, reaching number one in the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain, as well as peaking within the top ten in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. “Let’s Get It On” helped revitalize Gaye’s career after a number of years of personal and professional struggles. As an indication of its lasting impact, the song was ranked at number 381 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

“Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” is a stone cold classic, and one of the best soul music love songs of all time. Released in 1982, the song was co-written by Gaye and Odell Brown, and produced by Gaye himself. It was originally conceived as a duet with Diana Ross, but Ross turned it down due to the overtly sexual nature of the lyrics.

“Sexual Healing” is a smooth, sensual track that finds Gaye in top form vocally, and is widely considered one of his greatest recordings. The song was a massive success upon its release, spending a record-setting 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, and peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to its commercial success, “Sexual Healing” won Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.

“Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

One of the most well-known and beloved Motown tracks of all time, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” was released in 1968 by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The song perfectly encapsulates the feeling of young love, with its simple and catchy lyrics (“Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby/ Ain’t nothing like the real thing”). The track has been covered by a number of artists over the years, but Gaye and Terrell’s version remains the gold standard.

“You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

“You’re All I Need to Get By” is a 1968 hit single recorded by American Motown duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on the Motown label. The song was written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson.

The song is adeclaration of love and dedication, with the phrase “you’re all I need to get by” being repeated in the chorus.

The song was originally recorded as a duet between Gaye and Terrell, but after Terrell’s untimely death in 1970, Gaye recorded a new version of the song with Diana Ross. This version was included on the 1971 Motown album What’s Going On, which was one of Gaye’s most successful albums.

The original Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell version of “You’re All I Need to Get By” has been ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

“I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5

“I’ll Be There” is a song written by Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Willie Hutch, and Bob West. The song was first recorded by The Jackson 5 and released as a single on October 7, 1970. It became The Jackson 5’s fourth consecutive number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the last of their initial run of eleven number-one singles in a row. In total, “I’ll Be There” sold over six million copies worldwide.

“I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5

Released in 1969, “I Want You Back” was the first hit single for The Jackson 5. The song was written by Motown’s The Corporation (a team of songwriters that included Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell, and Freddie Perren), and produced by the legendary Quincy Jones. It reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the first #1 hit for the group.

The soulful ballad is a classic example of the genre, and its message of love and longing is one that has resonated with fans for decades.