Happy Metal Valentine’s Day: No Sappy Songs Allowed
Play some truly romantic songs this year
In 1976, Paul McCartney wrote a song claiming that there was nothing wrong with people wanting to fill the world with silly love songs. I rarely disagree with the Great Beatle, but he probably never imagined a world with Celine Dion. With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, I think it’s time for love songs with a little less sap and a little more edge. Thus, I offer you a few tunes that may not immediately leap to mind when you think of love songs, but totally are.
“Turbo Lover” — Judas Priest. I could probably make a decent argument that every Judas Priest song is ultimately a love song, but that’s an article for another day. There is, however, no doubt that this scorcher from the Turbo album is a love song. You can even slow dance to it…sort of.
“She Sells Sanctuary” — The Cult. You forgot about The Cult again, didn’t you? Far too many have, maybe because they never fit into a specific genre. That’s a shame, because they were both awesome and occasionally romantic, as this song proves. Is it a coincidence that Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy released the song on an album called Love? I think not.
“Kiss Me Deadly” — Lita Ford. I almost picked Lita’s duet with Ozzy, “Close My Eyes Forever,” but that one definitely crosses the line into power ballad territory. That is not the case with her most famous post-Runaways song. She wouldn’t have had to tell me twice.
“Talk Dirty to Me” — Poison. I said there would be no power ballads; I did not say there would be no hair metal. And if you protest that the chorus is not conventionally romantic, you don’t remember being 15 years old.
“No One Like You” — Scorpions. The German legends are certainly not hair metal, and though they did record a power ballad or two over the years, this scorcher definitely isn’t one of those. It’s also a sweeter sentiment than the previous tune.
“Black Dog” — Led Zeppelin. Not an obvious inclusion, I admit; “Whole Lotta Love” might seem more appropriate. But when you consider that the song is ultimately about depression, it really is a love song. Those two things go hand in hand.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” — Guns N’ Roses. I almost left this one off; it’s so ubiquitous that you expect it to be here. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that’s exactly why it has to be here. As a side note, for some reason I will never understand, every woman I know thought Axl and Slash were incredibly sexy.
“You Shook Me All Night Long” — AC/DC. Let’s wrap up with one that countless couples want to be singing to each other on February 15th. Enough said.
When you’re done with the expensive dinner Valentine’s night (unless you’re Catholic…it’s also Ash Wednesday and thus a day of fasting), cue up this playlist rather than some stupid, sappy song by Lionel Richie or Air Supply. You’ll be glad you did.
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