Iconic '70s Love Songs That Went Platinum

There aren't many things more universally experienced, or yearned for, than love, and the 1970s gave us plenty of tunes that tried to express that feeling that's so hard to define. These were the kind of love songs that still leave every baby boomer crying, as the 1970s seemed to be a peak era for such grand, sweeping romantic tunes. We also know that some of these 1970s love songs resonated because they sold a quantifiable ton of copies — at least a million, or enough to earn official "platinum" status from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Just a relative handful of love songs from the 1970s achieved undeniable iconic status, both for their artistry and their commercial viability. These songs populate the soundtracks of numerous relationships, corresponding to milestone moments in those love stories, all thanks to them thoroughly nailing what love is about, saying succinctly through music what so many couldn't quite put into words. Here are the most impactful and forever popular '70s love songs.

The first time Billy Joel landed a top-five single was with "Just the Way You Are" in February 1978, obviously striking upon a need in his audience. Even the creation itself is steeped in romance: Joel wrote the song for his then-wife, Elizabeth Weber, as a birthday gift. "Just the Way You Are" has been purchased and played so much that it's been certified triple-platinum.

While the song was personal, Joel thinks its themes and sentiment would apply to pretty much anyone. "To this day I still empathize with the song's main feeling: I love you just the way you are. Everybody wants to be told that," Joel said in Fred Schruers' "Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography."  The instrumentation makes for a heart-swelling, irresistible foundation for a love song: the lush sounds of an electric organ saturate the song while a saxophone solo positively soars. Joel, often so brash, tones down the schtick to the point where he earnestly and honestly croons and almost squeaks. He's really feeling it, and that has inspired listeners to do the same. "Just the Way You Are" suggests that simple sentiments go a long way; after all, Joel just wants "someone to talk to" with a person who is more than enough and doesn't ever need to change a thing.

"Your Song" was Sir Elton John's first single to enter the U.S. Top 10. It bore the hallmarks of much of John's work: sentimental piano, vocals that ranged from whispers to emotional belting, and lyrics written by Bernie Taupin. "Your Song" is self-aware, presented as a romantic gift from the performer, who can just barely begin to express the depth of his love.

For more than 50 years, John's bright-eyed, idealistic view of romance has called out to those lovers and yearners who struggle to effectively express themselves with their own words, relying instead on music to get the message across, and "Your Song" delivers a message of love while discussing the universal difficulty in doing so. John confidently sings Taupin's words, particularly the lines "How wonderful life is / While you're in the world," which anyone would be thrilled and moved to hear from the one they love, and millions clearly have. Of John's numerous platinum singles, "Your Song" is one of the top-sellers, and went triple-platinum in 2024.

"Reunited" is maybe the most famous and popular make-up after a break-up song ever recorded. Slow and sappy, the 1979 chart-topper by pop-soul duo Peaches and Herb is all about the unique joy –  both invigorating and cathartic — of returning to a partner. Just six days after hitting No. 1 in 1979, Peaches and Herb was honored by the RIAA with its platinum certification for its still-new song about old love.

In celebrating a romantic reconciliation, "Reunited" strikes the right tone — one of joy and relief but with a delicate touch. The characters — and listeners — will tread lightly with full and optimistic hearts after being previously hurt, and "Reunited" has resonated for so long because it's so refreshingly honest. Rather than get mired down in the moony and idealistic language that characterizes songs for young and free-spirited lovers, this is the love song for people who have seen a little life, who appreciate how it calls out the complications of love. Beyond that, it just sounds like slow-dance music, the kind of thing that accompanies lit candles and drawn curtains.

Debby Boone, daughter of 1950s pop star Pat Boone, recorded the theme song to the 1977 music industry drama "You Light Up My Life." The song is a soaring, inspirational ballad about the transformative power of what many listeners assumed was the love of a romantic partner, whereas Boone had God in mind when she sang "You Light Up My Life." "The lyrics lent themselves to a prayer-like quality, and that was my interpretation," Boone told Grigware Interviews. In November 1977, during Boone's dominant, 10-week run at No. 1, "You Light Up My Life" went platinum. 

A big part of why "You Light Up My Life" is a great love song is that it's not explicitly about any certain kind of love. It's a blank canvas of sentiment onto which listeners can project whatever they need it to be about. Love for another, or love from another, can make a person feel better about themselves, or invincible. "You Might Up My Life" is attractively inspirational and aspirational, and makes listeners think about whoever makes them feel like their best selves, be it a partner, spouse, child, or a higher power.

Love songs tend to focus on the past, present, or future of a relationship, and Al Green's smooth, horn-laden, and gorgeous "Let's Stay Together" is about all three. Green, also a co-writer of the song, declares his love for the subject and how he wishes to never leave their side, just as he never has done, simply because he wouldn't feel the need. "Let's Stay Together" is a song of love as well as devotion, which makes it stand out from so many others. 

In 2021, "Let's Stay Together" was recognized by the RIAA for its millionth sale, an award that came 49 years after it topped the pop chart. The song is beloved because it's about an enduring, long-term relationship, expressing how the fluttery feelings from early in the relationship give way to a calm, solid, and reliable kind of love, providing hope and promise of the rewards for staying together. People want to be assured that they've found their soulmate, and to know that they're not missing out on much by not being one of the couples that Green makes an example of — those that constantly break up and make up.