The 100 Best Indie Love Songs

3 February 2021, 06:00 | Updated: 22 February 2021, 09:37

Get ready for Valentine's Day with our Top 100 Indie love songs - songs for romance, songs for weddings, songs for when love is elusive...

Listen to Radio X's Indie Love Songs playlist via Global Player here

1. 41. The Wannadies - You And Me Song

   “You and me / Always / And forever.” A great tune for when you're at the top of your game.

2. 42. The Cure - Friday I'm In Love

   "I don't care if Monday's blue / Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too / Thursday, I don't care about you / It's Friday I'm in love". Robert Smith can't wait to see you!

3. 43. Ash - Girl From Mars

   An ode to an intergalactic lover, from young Tim Wheeler.

4. 44. The Zutons - Valerie

   The original version of this joyous indie hit.

5. 45. Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down

   Simple, old fashioned teenage romance.

6. 46. The Cardigans - Lovefool

   Sometimes love makes you silly, yes.

7. 47. Wolf Alice - Don't Delete The Kisses

   “Me and you were meant to be in love,” sings Ellie Rowsell in this shy and wistful pledge of love. “I look at your picture and I smile / How awful's that? I'm like a teenage girl / I might as well write all over my notebook.”

8. 48. Viola Beach - Boys That Sing

   “And she told me that she loves a boy who knows how to sing / So I learnt how to sing.”

9. 49. Peace - Lovesick

   "I don’t wanna go to school / I don’t wanna take the call / I just wanna be a fool and get lovesick with you / I don’t wanna move my head, lay around and die in bed."

10. 50. The Lumineers - Ho Hey

    “I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart”

1. 51. The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

   "And if a double decker bus / Crashes into us / To die by your side / Is such a heavenly way to die." The most unlikely romantic sentiment ever. courtesy of this Queen Is Dead album track.

2. 52. David Bowie - “Heroes"

   "I, I will be king / And you, you will be queen / Though nothing will drive them away / We can beat them - just for one day" Bowie's most inspirational, anthemic lyric that was the title track of his 1977 album.

3. 53. The Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon

   From the Roses' early years. Is it a true story, or just a letter that’s been found? “Then I put the letter back / In the place where it was found / In the pocket of a jacket / On a train in town.”

4. 54. Arctic Monkeys - Cornerstone

   A fractious relationship finally comes good in this Humbug track.

5. 55. Pulp - Something Changed

   “Do you believe that there's someone up above? And does he have a timetable directing acts of love?” Jarvis Cocker does.

6. 56, The Cure - Just Like Heaven

   A magical night for Robert Smith, kept for posterity as this classic 1987 song.

7. 57. Catfish And The Bottlemen - Cocoon

   "You go all red like the first time – I love it when you do that / God, I love it when you do that."

8. 58. The Killers - A Dustland Fairytale

   One of Brandon's more perplexing lyrics, but one of the band's most romantic.

9. 59. The Fratellis - Whistle For The Choir

   "Is it out of line if I was to be bold and say 'Yould you be mine'?"

10. 60. Snow Patrol featuring Martha Wainwright - Set The Fire To The Third Bar

    "I pray that something picks me up / And sets me down in your warm arms." A bewitching tale of love across a great distance.

1. 61. Courteeners - That Kiss

   Liam Fray sums up the perfect moment exactly: "We probably shouldn't have danced to that song."

2. 62. The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love

   They may be daft, but this song is spot on.

3. 63. Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight Tonight

   Those strings! Marry me now!

4. 64. Damien Rice - I Don't Want To Change You

   "Wherever you are / Well, know that I adore you / No matter how far / Well, I can go before you / And if ever you need someone / Well, not that you need helping / But if ever you want someone / I know that I am willing."

5. 65. Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

   Despite his daft outfit, Luke Steele will still be your shoulder to lean upon.

6. 66. Vance Joy - Riptide

   "I swear she's destined for the screen / Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen, oh."

7. 67. The Jam - English Rose

   The gentler sound of young Mr Weller.

8. 68. MGMT - Electric Feel

   “She got the current in her hand / Just shock you like you won't believe...”

9. 69. Muse - Bliss

   Everything about you is so easy to love says Matt Bellamy.

10. 70. Oasis - Songbird

    "She's a little pirate in my mind / Singing songs of love to pass the time." A surprisingly sweet moment from Liam.

1. 71. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

   Sometimes, the feelings are so strong they can't last, as this heartbreaking song proves.

2. 72. Maximo Park - Books From Boxes

   "This is a matter of fact, it wasn't built to last." Surely it's better to have loved and lost, Paul Smith...?

3. 73. Blur - Out Of Time

   From Damon Albarn's downbeat period.

4. 74. R.E.M. - The One I Love

   What a lovely sentiment. Or is it?

5. 75. Bon Iver - Skinny Love

   "In the morning I'll be with you / But it will be a different kind." Justin Vernon rings the changes.

6. 76. The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses

   A tear-stained country ballad about being away too long.

7. 77. The Smiths - Back To The Old House

   Morrissey’s most devastating lines: “And you never knew / How much I really liked you / Because I never even told you / Oh, and I meant to.”

8. 78. U2 - Sweetest Thing

   Uh-oh, we wouldn't want to be in Bono's shoes right now.

9. 79. The xx - Say Something Loving

   “You say something loving / It's so overwhelming, the thrill of affection / Feels so unfamiliar.”

10. 80. Lou Reed - Satellite Of Love

    A song of burning jealousy, or something much sweeter? You decide.

1. 81. The White Stripes - I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself

   Jack White covers Dusty Springfield. Now that it’s over, he’s literally driven to distraction.

2. 82. Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

   "Do I wanna know / If this feeling flows both ways? / Sad to see you go / Was sort of hoping that you'd stay." Curious chat from Alex Turner.

3. 83. Blink-182 - I Miss You

   "Don't waste your time on me / You're already the voice inside my head." They may rock out, but here's one of their gentler moments.

4. 84. The Beatles - I'm So Tired

   John Lennon just can't sleep, he's so mixed up about this mysterious new girl.

5. 85. The Zutons - Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?

   Another tune about being driven to distraction.

6. 86. Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore

   "We must never be apart!" cries Billy Corgan.

7. 87. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

   Robert Smith may be trying to front it out, but we know he's a mess really.

8. 88. Elbow - The Bones Of You

   "And I'm five years ago / And three thousand miles away." Because sometimes you can't shake off those memories.

9. 89. Massive Attack - Unfinished Synpathy

   "You're the book that I have opened / And now I've got to know much more."

10. 90 The Charlatans - The Only One I Know

    "The only one I see / Has carved her way into me." Someone's got under Tim Burgess's skin.

1. 91. Oasis - Wonderwall

   "Are you gonna be the one that saves me?" Noel's absolute classic of a lyric.

2. 92. The Smiths - Hand In Glove

   "No it's NOT like any other love, this one is different because it's ours."

3. 93. The La's - There She Goes

   "No one else could heal my pain."

4. 94. Ben Folds - The Luckiest

   “Now I know all the wrong turns the stumbles / And falls brought me here / And where was I before the day / That I first saw your lovely face / Now I see it every day / And I know that I am, I am, I am, the luckiest.”

5. 95. Guns N’Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine

   "She's got a smile that it seems to me / Reminds me of childhood memories." Axl Rose writes beautiful lyrics to a hard rocking tune.

6. 96. The xx - VCR

   The song for when you just want to stay in and watch a movie with your beloved.

7. 97. The Beatles - Something

   George Harrison's perfect song for his wife.

8. 98. Queen - You're My Best Friend

   A simple song of true companionship by John Deacon.

9. 99. The Style Council - You’re The Best Thing

   One of Paul Weller's sweetest tunes.

10. 100. Paul McCartney - Maybe I’m Amazed

    A big Macca ballad for the love of your life.

1. 1. Oasis - Slide Away

   "Let me be the one / that shines with you." An epic love song from the Gallaghers, in this peerless track from their debut album Definitely Maybe.

2. 2. The Stone Roses - Ten Storey Love Song

   "Take my hand baby I'm your man / I got love maybe enough for two." Ten storeys! He's that into you! This was the lead track for The Stone Roses' long, long awaited album The Second Coming (1994).

3. 3. Courteeners - Take Over The World

   "I think it's time for me and you to take over the world," says Liam Fray. And who are we to argue?

4. 4. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

   “If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?” Wistful romance from Gary Lightbody.

5. 5. Guns N'Roses - November Rain

   One for the wedding, obviously. Or is it? "And it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain."

6. 6. Foo Fighters - Everlong

   Dave Grohl's most tender and affecting moment: "If everything could ever be this real forever."

7. 7. Suede - Stay Together

   Brett Anderson knows how to do the heartbreaking anthem.

8. 8. Biffy Clyro - Many of Horror (When We Collide)

   One of the Biff's swooning love anthems, impeccably delivered.

9. 9. Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows

   Rick Witter gets into a proper fluster over someone.

10. 10. Richard Ashcroft - A Song For The Lovers

    Britain's biggest romantic balladeer sends one out for all of you.

1. 11. Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire

   A song for the lovers.

2. 12. Courteeners - How Good It Was

   "I try not to think of you but think of nothing else." Liam Fray looks back on a great love affair.

3. 13. The Subways - Rock And Roll Queen

   When teenage rock and roll dreams come true.

4. 14. Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

   For some reason, this encapsulates a great summer romance perfectly.

5. 15. The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl

   It bears repeating.

6. 16. Buzzcocks- Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn't've

   Because sometimes you shouldn't go there.

7. 17. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

   “Every time I see you falling / I get down on my knees and pray / I'm waiting for that final moment/You'll say the words that I can't say.”

8. 18. Gerry Cinnamon - Belter

   “She plays with lightning / I’m a hundred miles high / Dishing out the thunder/ Like a God inside the sky.”

9. 19. The Stone Roses - Waterfall

   “She’ll carry on through it all - she’s a waterfall.”

10. 20. Razorlight - I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got

    Calm down, Johnny! Have a cold shower or something.

1. 21. The Verve - Sonnet

   "Yes, there's love if you want it / Don't sound like no sonnet, my lord." Ashcroft breaks our hearts again.

2. 22. The Killers - Read My Mind

   "Can you read my mind?" Yes, try and work out what they're thinking...

3. 23. Supergrass - Late In The Day

   Musing on your lover when you're all alone at sunset.

4. 24. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

   "Wait... they don't love you like I love you"." So moving it made Karen O burst into tears.

5. 25. The Kooks - Naive

   Sounds like a tricky relationship about to kick off.

6. 26. Kings Of Leon - On Call

   Caleb is there for you. Although he doesn't seem to happy about it...

7. 27. Snow Patrol - Run

   Others may try to top it, but the original is perfect.

8. 28. Ben Howard - Only Love

   "And I'll be yours to keep / A wind in the shadow, a whale song in the deep."

9. 29. Arctic Monkeys - 505

   Longing thoughts from Alex Turner in a mystery hotel room.

10. 30. Aqualung - Strange And Beautiful

    The best-known song from Matt Hales and star of an advert.

1. 31. Paul Weller - You Do Something To Me

   The Modfather comes over all peculiar in this timeless song from his 1995 album Stanley Road.

2. 32. Blur - To The End

   "Well you and I collapsed in love..." They've made it to the end... of what, though?

3. 33. The Cure - Lovesong

   "However far away, I will always love you." Robert Smith wrote this for his wife's wedding present. 'Nuff said.

4. 34. The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses

   “Cradle me, I’ll cradle you / I’ll win your heart with a woop-a-woo!” God, we miss these guys.

5. 35. Wolfman featuring Pete Doherty - For Lovers

   "I'm running away with you / That's all I ever do." One of Pete's more tender moments.

6. 36. Coldplay - Fix You

   A song of strength and support from Mr Martin: "Lights will guide you home / And ignite your bones / And I will try to fix you."

7. 37. Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats

   Jose turns electropop into acoustic bliss, thanks to this Knife cover.

8. 38. Florence And The Machine - Cosmic Love

   Ms Welch sings of love from the heavens.

9. 39. Jeff Buckley - Grace

   The most romantic voice ever?

10. 40. Nothing But Thieves - Real Love Song

    "Got a thing about you, and it won't go away" sings Conor Mason, as he names all the ways his love is "real" - which includes listening to a lot of Nick Cave.