James Taylor's Hit Love Songs Are The Definition Of Timeless

There's just something about the sweet but commanding voice of James Taylor combined with the simple plucking of his acoustic guitar that makes the singer-songwriter's love songs absolutely timeless. Though they were all first released in the 1970s, his explorations and confessions of love feel like they could've been written or recorded at virtually any time, past or present. Indeed, Taylor possesses all the qualities of a solid songwriter: He's a poet who can express complex emotions in a few well-chosen words and a keen observer of the human condition, particularly people in the throes of big feelings. Combine all of those with some simple melodies performed on an acoustic guitar and generally not much else, and Taylor is responsible for some love songs that belong to the ages more than they do the singer-songwriter boom of the 1970s.

While Taylor sang about lots of subjects and pondered life's big questions, his love songs proved particularly commercially successful. And if you listen to them, it's easy to see why. Here are some of his biggest hit singles of the '70s that also happen to capture universal and timeless truths about love.

There are lots of different kinds of love, including friendship, and "You've Got a Friend" is one of the kindest and most heartfelt songs ever written about that particular style of affection. In 1971, James Taylor made it his only No. 1 pop single, and it's one of his few best-known songs that he didn't also write. "You've Got a Friend" is as much a part of Carole King's illustrious story, appearing on her "Tapestry." But after Taylor heard his honest-to-goodness real-life dear friend play it during a Los Angeles concert, he asked King if he could record it too. King gave him permission, Taylor recorded it, and record-buyers fell in love with the profound song about a beautiful human connection.

"You've Got a Friend" instantly shows off its heart, with Taylor singing a melody that oozes vulnerability as he clearly, crisply, and boldly declares his eternal support for another. "When you're down and troubled / And you need some lovin' care / And nothin', nothin' is goin' right" he offers, "Close your eyes and think of me / And soon I will be there." Taylor sings his friend's "You've Got a Friend" with such conviction that it's irresistible, because really, who wouldn't want a friend like that?

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" was made famous by Motown legend Marvin Gaye, hitting No. 6 in 1965. Ten years later, James Taylor took the giddy, can't-believe-the-luck uptempo love song one rung higher on the Hot 100. Loving the music of Motown and Gaye is a monumentally widespread feeling, and Taylor must have really adored the classic to even attempt a cover. That very human affection for the art of it all fuels Taylor's transformation of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)." While Gaye's original is buoyant, joyous, and playful, Taylor turns it down a notch. Yet it's no less effusive with his feelings, instead presenting the song as a bouncy, piano-driven number, making it perfect for endless spins on soft rock radio for decades to come. 

The production and approach may differ, but the message is the same. And it's one people feel around the world and throughout time: It sure does feel nice when someone you love loves you back. And so, Taylor zooms in on one particular element of the composition. "I want to stop and thank you baby," he coos to the person who loves him, because gratitude is as timeless a feeling as love.

Certainly the vast majority of the radio listeners and record buyers who sent James Taylor's "Your Smiling Face" to the Top 20 of Billboard's pop chart in 1977 did so because the song made them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps the most universal form of communication between humans, and a sign that everything is fine, even spectacular, is a smile. And James Taylor went ahead and wrote a song about the magic that happens when one sees their beloved's beaming smile and realizes that it's just for them. Taylor's barely restrained joy — he sounds like he's smiling as he sings — is infectious. He even admits it in the lyrics: "Whenever I see your smiling face / I have to smile myself / because I love you, yes I do." It's as simple as that.

In the hands of a musician with less gravitas, "Your Smiling Face" could come across as corny, false, or the product of a youthful, fleeting crush. But Taylor is convincing and authentic. He proves the song came from a truthful place (and relatable, if one can be so fortunate) when he unspools world-weariness-erasing lines like "Isn't it amazing a man like me / can feel this way?" and thanks the universe for not sending him someone who will leave him miserable.

James Taylor got to experience love long enough to make enduring songs about it. The tragic real-life story of James Taylor includes a divorce and estrangement from fellow '70s singer-songwriter Carly Simon. But during the pair's 1972 to 1983 marriage, they shared whatever palpable affection and admiration that was there at the time with the world. For example, Carly Simon and James Taylor dueted on the very meaningful "Mockingbird" in 1974, and four years later, they delivered a more traditional love song with "Devoted to You." In September 1978, the single peaked at No. 36 on the Hot 100.

Knowing that the marriage wouldn't last forever does add a twinge of melancholy to "Devoted to You," but it also makes it more timeless. This is a song that captures a moment in a romantic relationship, one experienced by many, when nothing exists except the other person, and the opaque future looks to contain nothing but unrelenting bliss. There are few things more romantic in music than actual romantic partners singing in literal perfect harmony together, and in "Devoted to You," Taylor and Simon sing together and apart. "I'll never give you reason to cry / I'd be unhappy if you were blue," Taylor promises, baring his heart and empathetic side.