Love Has Many Partners, When It Comes To Song Titles
Nazareth Scored Their Biggest Hit With a Love Song
Had Paramount Pictures had its way, movie fans would have been celebrating the film's fiftieth anniversary on Valentine's Day instead of the week before Christmas. Based on its title alone, "Love Story" would have been more suited to open in the first half of February, but author Erich Segall could not complete the screenplay by then.
Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw,the leading couple, had stellar performances that warranted nominations for the Academy Award. McGraw netted the award for best female actress, while the film also took the Oscars for Best director, best film, and best screenplay.
Its fifth Academy Award came for its musical score, written by Francis Lai. It is unfortunate that Lai passed away last November, just a few months from taking part in the film's fiftieth anniversary year.
Although the short title seems uninspiring, it very often does not require much more than the word love to appeal to audiences. This statement is especially true in the world of music, where dozens of songs have titles featuring just one word after "Love."
Here are fifteen of those Love ______ songs.
1. Love Hurts by Nazareth
Hair of the Dog has a title track that better represents the hard rock of the band, yet it was their remake of this ballad that became the biggest hit.
2. Love Luggage by Young Fresh Fellows
Thirty years after its formation, Scott McCaughey's power pop band proved its timelessness on this track and the rest of the Tiempo de Lugo album.
3. Love Stinks by the J. Geils Band
Before topping the charts with "Centerfold" and the rest of the Freeze Frame album, Peter Wolf previewed that pop direction on this title track.
4. Love Life by the Rutles
While parodying The Beatles, this band actually created some catchy tunes like this one.
5. Love Field by Elvis Costello
If you think a mine field is dangerous, implies Costello on this track from Goodbye Cruel World, you best stay completely away from something like this title.
6. Love Child by the Supremes
Of course a song called this would have been born during the Sixties, where it became one of the three dozen hits for the trio.
7. Love Game by Terry Jacks
Shining atop the Seasons in the Sun album is this gem, written by the Canadian folk-rocker himself.
8. Love Gun by Kiss
How could the shock rockers possibly top Destroyer and Rock and Roll Over? All they needed to do was fire this album at us.
9. Love Shack by the B-52s
Many people had tired of the New Wave of the early Eighties by the time this song hit the radio, but somehow it is still playing in almost daily rotation.
10. Love Train by the O'Jays
It served as a great metaphor for world peace and, even though it has yet to be realized, the song endures.
11. Love Machine by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Several images could come to mind when one hears this title, which stipulates that "I won't work for nobody but you."
12. Love-Itis by the J. Geils Band
Not only did love stink for these guys, but they also suffered from this chronic malady.
13. Love Now by Mott
Ian Hunter left with the Hoople, allowing the rest of his band to create their own great tracks like this one from Drive On.
14. Love Song by Sara Bareallis
So well-known has this song become, that its is often used as a crossword puzzle clue for the singer's first name.
15. Love Letters by Elvis Presley
The King continued written communication with this hit, even after he had scored with "Return to Sender."
