10 Classic Rock Songs About Being Crazy In Love

Feature Photo: Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

Most of us know that feeling of being crazy in love. It usually doesn’t end well. We typically first experience it in high school or, for some, even middle school. It’s that one person you dream about but who seems so far out of reach, and almost always is. Then eventually, if one is lucky, as they get older, they find that one person who may finally give them a look back, and possibly even more. Then it all starts—that crazy in love feeling that turns your world upside down. For very few, it will last a lifetime, but for most, it ends up… well, you know what I mean.

Nonetheless, there are always those songs that seem to understand exactly how you feel during those times in your life when nothing else seemed to matter except that one special person who you simply went radio ga ga over.

# 10 – Crazy Love – Van Morrison

When Van Morrison sang the lyrics, “I can hear her heartbeat from a thousand miles / Hear the heavens open every time she smiles,” you knew he was quite smitten with her. It doesn’t get much more poetic than that when falling in love. Van Morrison’s celebratory song about being crazy in love was released on his Moondance album, which came out in 1970. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Helen Reddy, who had a big hit with it, Aaron Neville, Robbie Robertson, and a wonderful version by Bryan Ferry.

Read More: Our 10 Favorite Van Morrison Songs

# 9 – Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy – Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar keeps it lyrically pretty simple on this one, and that’s okay because it’s such a great rock and roll tune. Songs don’t have to have complex lyrics to be great rockers. Sammy makes his point throughout the entire song and the chorus, but there are times when you realize he’s pretty downright serious about this girl, especially when he sings, “Lead me to forbidden doors, you know I’m yours, yeah you’ve got it, yeah I want it, don’t you know it, baby.” The song was the lead single from his fantastic Three Lock Box album.

Read More: Top 10 Sammy Hagar Deep Cuts

# 8 – Landslide (And every other Stevie Nicks song) – Stevie Nicks

“Landslide” is an interesting one because of its ambiguity in the lyrics, which makes it such a work of art. Stevie Nicks is a treasure—her music, her heart, her soul, her voice, her looks, her style—everything about her has caused millions of people to fall in love with her. Yet, she’s someone who’s never married, someone who’s had many affairs, someone who seems to have loved very deeply. Who really is Stevie Nicks? All we know about her is through her music, which is brilliant.

“Landslide” may be a song about being crazy in love with someone, but what we truly believe it to be is a song about being crazy in love with music. For many, the love of music becomes a sacrifice to all else. A musical career can be so consuming that there isn’t enough left for somebody else. You may think there is, you may try, but for those who are captured by music and whose hearts won;t allow them to do anything else, they eventually find themselves alone, no matter how famous they may be.

# 7 – Somewhere – Tom Waits

Tom Waits’ cover of the legendary Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim song “Somewhere” may not be for everyone, but it remains one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. The beauty of this song also lies in its tragedy. “Somewhere” (with its famous line “There’s a place for us”) was the love theme in West Side Story, the modern-day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Written in 1957 for the Broadway musical West Side Story, the song eventually made its way to the silver screen in 1961, becoming part of one of the most beloved films of all time.

The song has been covered by many artists, but no one has done it quite like Tom Waits. Released as the opening track on his Blue Valentine album, Waits delivered one of the most passionate and genuine vocals of his career.

Read More: Our 10 Favorite Tom Waits Albums

# 6 – Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon

Well, you knew we had to include this REO Speedwagon classic on the list. Talking about dedication to somebody—are there any more dedicated lyrics than when Kevin Cronin sings, “When I said that I loved you, I meant that I loved you forever, and I’m gonna keep on lovin’ you?” However, there are plenty of thorns in the rosy picture Cronin paints in the chorus, as his wife was not as faithful as he had hoped. Still, his love never fades for her, which is pretty amazing if you’ve ever been through something like that. They named the album perfectly.

Read More: Top 10 REO Speedwagon Songs

# 5 – Tiny Dancer – Elton John

Not all love songs need to be spelled out so clearly. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are filled with ambiguity and, at the same time, beautiful cinematic imagery that is easy to understand yet bathed in artistic brilliance. The simplicity of lines like “Oh, how it feels so real, lying here with no one near, only you, and you can hear me” are contrasted with more vivid imagery like “Jesus freaks out in the street, handing tickets out for God, turning back, she just laughs, the boulevard is not that bad.” Putting it all together was the phenomenal melodies, chord changes, and stunning musical performance by Sir Elton John, turning it all into gold.

Read More: Top 10 Elton John Songs

# 4 – Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney’s solo song “Maybe I’m Amazed” was originally released on his debut solo album McCartney. However, it did not become a major hit until it was released on Wings Over America. The live version of the song was very successful commercially. It was evident that this song was written about his wife, Linda, which made it even more special because it felt so genuine. McCartney seems to express his disbelief at being loved by such a wonderful and beautiful woman whom he adores. This song is deeply heartfelt, and if you’ve followed McCartney’s career and seen how he kept Linda by his side in his band, it is clear that he was just crazy in love with her.

# 3 – Crazy on You – Heart

Heart’s “Crazy on You” was released on the band’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie. It was the second single released from the album, following “Magic Man,” which went completely viral and turned the band into a household name rather quickly. There may be no better phrase for a man to hear from a woman than when she states that she wants to go crazy on him—it’s putting it rather bluntly. This song is all about the madness in the world, the chaos surrounding them, from the streets to the kids. There may never be time, but in the middle of the night, when all is quiet, it’s time to go crazy…

# 2 – Since I’ve Been Loving You – Led Zeppelin

You don’t even have to know or understand any of the words Robert Plant is singing in this one because just by the sound of his voice, you can tell he’s madly and crazy in love. It all sounds pretty painful, but of course, that’s what love is all about—pain, pain, pain. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is, without a doubt, one of the greatest songs Led Zeppelin ever released. The song was originally recorded for the band’s debut album, Led Zeppelin I, in 1969.

Read More: Top 10 Led Zeppelin Songs

# 1 – You Really Got Me – The Kinks

This song sums up perfectly what being crazy in love is all about. First off, as we said in the introduction, being crazy in love can happen with someone you’ve never even spoken a word to. That’s where this song actually came from. In multiple interviews, Ray Davies said he wrote this song after seeing a beautiful girl dancing and becoming completely overwhelmed by her looks and everything about her. He became infatuated. The lyrics are brilliant. We’ve heard them so many times, but we probably never really listened to them: “Girl, you really got me goin’, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’ now. Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.” It’s all there—the guy can’t do anything anymore because this girl has frozen his brain. That’s what being crazy in love is all about. You lose all sense of reality, intellect, and common sense, and you just don’t care… until he or she breaks your heart!