Classic Rock Hits Every Boomer Needs On Their Anniversary Playlist

Boomers who make their marriage a lasting adventure deserve a classic rock anniversary soundtrack befitting a long-haul victory. Everyone knows a journey calls for a knockout playlist to keep the energy rocking, especially one in which a pair of lovestruck kids went the distance and became an old married couple with a track record to be admired.

No basic tunes will do for a boomer anniversary playlist. We say a milestone so momentous calls for champagne-level classic banger boomer party tunes that celebrate a long-lasting love and all its life-affirming joy. We want an uplifting, energetic, and era-spanning stack of songs that reads like musical Hallmark cards. You say there's an element of friendship in a relationship that's kept on rolling? Queen's "You're My Best Friend" has you covered. Is there a sense of playfulness that gets a boomer couple through the rough patches? Fleetwood Mac's "You Make Loving Fun" is a perfect tune for expressing that vital element.

Whether featured in a photo slideshow, cranked up at a blow-out party, or simply enjoyed by the pair as they dance around their kitchen, these five classic rock songs are our favorites for capturing the sweet and the heat of a boomer wedding anniversary.

You don't forge a long-lasting bond without having a majority share in a successful friendship, and that sort of connection is worth singing about — even if you're just singing along with Freddie Mercury. And because the iconic singer and his pals in Queen turned the concept of having a BFF into a super-sweet shuffle that cranks, "You're My Best Friend" is an impeccable work of musical confection ready to sweeten up a boomer anniversary with sincerity and a rockin' beat.

What boomer spouse could resist being serenaded with a message like, "I've been with you such a long time / You're my sunshine / And I want you to know that my feelings are true / I really love you"? Anyone who has trouble putting their emotions into words, even on a singular occasion like a wedding anniversary, should have this pre-written poem at the ready, set to a melody that feels like a blast of sunshine.

This is one of the most joyous classic rock songs ever tossed onto a turntable, and it deserves a coveted spot on the playlist. Come to think of it, there's no need to pack this one away after the anniversary passes; boomers should keep it handy even after their special so they can fire it up on the regular. It's the least they can do for their bestie.

If such a thing as a classic rock hymn to love exists, it's surely the divine slice of harmony-soaked bliss that is "God Only Knows." The Beach Boys put together an earnest humdinger of a love song that boomers are sure to associate with young love and undying devotion. That youthful optimism may get sanded down against the grit of real life as the years pass, but it's still at the core of what makes a connection last, and "God Only Knows" nails that message.

The lyrics are ingeniously misleading, swinging from devil-may-care insouciance to don't-walk-away desperation in a single couplet. "If you should ever leave me," sings Carl Wilson in his best choirboy falsetto, "Well, life would still go on, believe me / The world could show nothing to me / So what good would living do me? / God only knows what I'd be without you." It's the devotional poem every love-struck young boomer dude wished he could write for his one and only, if only they'd had the talent. It's a good thing a musical prodigy like Brian Wilson was on the scene to jot it all down and set it to music for them.

We think there's a solid chance this song played during plenty of boomer weddings. Resurrecting the candy-coated chords and earnest sentiment of this mid-'60s masterpiece just might spirit the happy couple back to the moment it all began.

Boomer couples who've kept the heat radiating in their marriage should absolutely celebrate their frisky natures with this classic rock anthem to letting the good times roll. And if the title "Feel Like Makin' Love" wasn't direct enough, '70s rockers Bad Company are all too happy to put power chords behind it in a chorus to make their message known.

It's not as simple as flipping a switch, obviously, and the band doesn't make it sound easy in the lyrics, either: "If I had, those golden dreams of my yesterday (Yesterday) / I would wrap you, in their heaven, but they lay dying (Dying, dying) on the way." It's certainly no glib come-on, but there's sincere emotion backing up this proclamation, along with a starry-eyed admission that things may not be as dreamy as they once were. 

Acknowledging that a long-term relationship may result in some flagging enthusiasm and dying dreams doesn't mean giving up, and according to Bad Company, those moments call for rekindling to stoke the fire. A boomer couple who've paid their dues will be sure to appreciate the encouragement and the reminder to canoodle whenever possible on their anniversary, and beyond.

Van Halen knocked it out of the park with the melodic, metallic jam "Dance the Night Away," an upbeat anthem to good times that makes a perfect invitation for a boomer couple to hit the floor and show off their moves. They may rock out a little more cautiously these days, but that shouldn't stop them from jacking up the volume and getting into the groove.

Even the simple story in the lyrics sounds like a meet-cute moment that could have easily lit the fuse on a boomer romance long ago: "Have you seen her, so fine and pretty? / Moving with a style and ease / And I feel her from across the room / Yes, it's love in the third degree." A love-at-first-sight-in-the-club situation that led to a relationship with lasting power may or may not be reality for the celebrating pair, but that's not the point.

The fact that the couple has stuck it out and in a position to make a party out of their years together is worthy of a dance fest with sizzle, which is exactly what Diamond Dave and the boys served up with "Dance the Night Away," years before Van Halen's messy break-up.

It's important to celebrate the lighter side of knot-tying to keep the pilot light lit, especially during the icier spans. And it is to this end that Christine McVie flings her heart out in musical form with "You Make Loving Fun," one of her contributions to the wildly fascinating Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" album. It may have been a chronicle of a powerhouse quintet hitting the skids romantically, but this song sounds like at least one of the musicians was having a good time.

Is the tune about finding someone who reminds you of how joyous a relationship can be, but only after you've extricated yourself from a messier connection? It sure is. But for the purposes of a boomer anniversary, it simply sounds like a love note to a spouse who tickles your fancy, with no drama required: "Sweet, wonderful you," the song goes, "You make me happy with the things you do / Oh, can it be so? / This feeling follows me wherever I go." A sentiment like that, paired with a dozen roses and a chocolate cake, is sure to bring a gleam to a boomer's eye on their most auspicious occasion.