Ultimate love songs

Love songs have captured America's heart. By simply turning on a radio, which constantly plays everything from R. Kelly's raunchy tunes to Hilary Duff's tweeny-bopper fluff to classic Beatle hits, it's obvious that romantic songs have swept us off our feet. But one thing is off-beat about the ever-present obsession with love songs – the disagreement over the best one. So Silver Chips compiled a list of five love songs good enough to top any list. Gentlemen, take notes – nothing woos a lady like a good love song, and these are some of the best.

#5: Just call my name… and I'll be there…

There was once a time when Michael Jackson's skin was a smooth mahogany brown, his hair naturally thick and frizzed and his nose untouched by a surgeon's hands. He was just a young boy and a member of the Jackson 5, whose ‘I'll Be There' hit off the Third Album was a huge success, reaching number seven on the Billboard charts in 1970.

With lyrics that read "I'll be there to comfort you/Build a world of dreams come true/I'm so glad that I found you," listeners can easily forget that the lead singer is 12 and drift into the dream world of love and comfort promised by the Jacksons. This song was so well received that Mariah Carey remade it in 1992, and it once again became an automatic hit.

#4: Tryin' to hold back these feelings for so long…

Admittedly, Marvin Gaye's ‘Let's Get it On' is more of a lust song than a love song, but a closer look at the lyrics suggests that Gaye is thirsting for a woman that he has long been attracted to (as opposed to someone he just met in a bar). In the lyrics, Gaye sings: "There's nothing wrong with me/Lovin' you/And givin' yourself to me can never be wrong/If the love is true." Gaye masterfully accomplished what few singers can do – make a song both sexy and tasteful, thus being all the more romantic. Whether it's a purely provocative number or the release of hidden love, this song is still revered as one of the most titillating love songs in history.

#3: I'll think of you every step of the way…

Since ‘I Will Always Love You' was transformed from country singer Dolly Parton's southern ballad to a mainstream hit in 1993, audiences have been amazed by both Whitney Houston's ability to hold a single note and the awesome passion this song inspires. It begins soft as a whisper; with no background music, only Houston's voice is heard. The song intensifies as the true meaning is revealed - Houston must leave her true love despite the fact that she still cares deeply for him. Though the lyrics talk of a bittersweet goodbye, the emotion in Houston's voice is the heart of the song, wishing that he may continue to love her just as she will him. When in the incredible climax Houston sings that she "will always love you," there is no mistaking that she means it.

#2: In my life we'll always go on…

Celine Dion's ‘My Heart Will Go On' has been overplayed, parodied and overexposed, but it still deserves its place on the list. VH1 ranked it number three on their list of 100 Greatest Love Songs, and it won an Oscar for Best Song in 1997. However, the true reason for its high placement on the list is the honest emotion and raw power behind Dion's voice as she belts out to a lost lover that his lingering presence is the sole reason for her own survival. Or, it may that it brings to mind the tragic love story and ultimate sacrifice exhibited in Titanic, the movie for which the song was made. But the enchanting beauty of this song has wowed both critics and fans because of the intense feelings it evokes within the listener's heart.

#1: God speed your love…

There is one song that is mentioned on nearly every top love song list, a song that many Blair teachers cited as one of their favorites, a song WASH FM 97.1 DJ Glenn Hollis, admits that "everyone loves." The Righteous Brother's ‘Unchained Melody' has stood neck-and-neck with other contenders for the coveted number one spot and has emerged victorious, transcending generation gaps to remain a favorite today. Though popular since its conception in 1964, ‘Unchained Melody's' use in Ghost boosted the song's esteem and affirmed its longevity. The true essence of this song is in both the hauntingly beautiful melody and the heartfelt lyrics. Many other songs may proclaim that "I've hungered for your touch" but ‘Unchained Melody' powerful tune gracefully combines with the words to give a more desperate, urgent and altogether more meaningful tone. It is more than an ordinary love song - it is a gentle lullaby, a passionate serenade, and a voluptuous ode in one, qualifying as Chips' number one love song.