Admittedly, I've been kind of cynical about love songs since a girlfriend gave me a Tuck & Patti cassette (yes, cassette) and said she wanted "You Take My Breath Away" to be "our song."

I was newly out and a novice in all things lesbian (well, most things lesbian), so I put aside my qualms about choosing a song in such a non-organic manner, thinking that perhaps this was The Sapphic Way. But Tuck & Patti's version of "My Romance" completely swept me off my feet, so I suggested we adopt it instead. GF acted affronted at the suggestion and said she really loved her choice. Well, OK. After we broke up, I learned that she gave that recording to each of her girlfriends and "My Romance" had already been allotted to a previous GF. That's the story of, the glory of, love.

That said, Entertainment Weekly's list of the top 25 love songs doesn't do much to inspire me. I mean, the No. 1 song, the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" is the theme song to the No. 1 show about polygamy, Big Love.

Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" (No. 2) is better, although, at the risk of incurring all sorts of wrath, I like UB40's version better. But the first song on EW's list that I can really get down with is Aretha Franklin's "You Make Me Feel," which ranks fourth. … continue reading