Anniversary songs

What are good songs for a first anniversary?

Good first-anniversary songs are sweet and a little giddy, like Lover by Taylor Swift, Golden Hour by JVKE and Yellow by Coldplay. The first year is still new enough to be dizzy, and most of these are recent. If it’s your paper anniversary, a mix on CD with a printed tracklist fits the tradition; our paper anniversary gift ideas have more on that.

1. 01LoverTaylor Swift · 2019Domestic and a little dreamy, written like a vow. A natural first-year opener.
2. 02Golden HourJVKE · 2022Starts as a quiet piano line and swells into a full rush, like being struck all over again.
3. 03YellowColdplay · 2000Wide-eyed devotion on an acoustic-led guitar song. For the couple that still can’t believe their luck.
4. 04Better TogetherJack Johnson · 2005Easy, barefoot and warm. Sounds like a slow Sunday you never want to end.
5. 05Make You Feel My LoveAdele · 2008A Bob Dylan song sung as a plain promise to be there. Piano, voice, nothing else.
6. 06Adore YouHarry Styles · 2019Bright, a bit giddy, and about being completely gone on someone.
7. 07PerfectEd Sheeran · 2017Barefoot slow-dancing in the kitchen, set to a waltz. A first-dance favourite for a reason.
8. 08LuckyJason Mraz · 2008A duet with Colbie Caillat about being in love with your best friend.
9. 09Die With A SmileLady Gaga · 2024A duet with Bruno Mars that wants one more night together, whatever happens.
10. 10Sunday MorningMaroon 5Rain, a lazy morning and nowhere to be. Light and jazzy.
11. 11Kiss MeSixpence None the RicherSweet and summery, with a guitar line that sounds like a first date.
12. 12BubblyColbie CaillatThe fizzy, can’t-stop-smiling feeling of early love, sung softly.

What are good slow dance songs for an anniversary?

The best slow dance songs for an anniversary are first-dance standards like At Last by Etta James, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran and Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. Push the coffee table back for these.

13. 13At LastEtta James · 1960The slow dance standard: strings, a big voice and the relief of finally finding each other.
14. 14Thinking Out LoudEd Sheeran · 2014About loving someone at seventy as much as now. Made for swaying.
15. 15All of MeJohn Legend · 2013Piano ballad about loving every part of a person, flaws included.
16. 16Can't Help Falling in LoveElvis Presley · 1961Gentle and certain. Works for a fortieth as well as a first.
17. 17Wonderful TonightEric Clapton · 1977Watching your partner get ready to go out and being floored by it.
18. 18Unchained MelodyThe Righteous Brothers · 1965Longing on a grand scale. The slow build is the whole point.
19. 19A Thousand YearsChristina Perri · 2011Patient, devoted, and a staple at weddings and vow renewals.
20. 20Tennessee WhiskeyChris Stapleton · 2015A slow, soulful country groove comparing love to smooth whiskey.
21. 21The Way You Look TonightFrank SinatraClassic crooner romance. Good for couples who learned to dance to the old ones.
22. 22You Are the Best ThingRay LaMontagne · 2008Horns, grit and a big thank-you to the person who turned things around.
23. 23Die a Happy ManThomas Rhett · 2015Country slow dance about needing nothing else as long as you have her.
24. 24Just the Way You AreBruno Mars · 2010Tells someone not to change a thing. Upbeat enough for a dance floor.

What songs suit a 25th or 50th anniversary?

Songs for a 25th or 50th anniversary look back over a life together: You’re Still the One by Shania Twain, Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis and Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts. They include the hard parts, and suit a vow renewal or a parents’ party.

25. 25You're Still the OneShania TwainFor the couple everyone said wouldn’t last, and did.
26. 26Forever and Ever, AmenRandy Travis · 1987A country promise to love someone until the very end, with a grin.
27. 27AmazedLonestar · 1999About loving someone more every single day. Big late-90s country ballad.
28. 28Bless the Broken RoadRascal Flatts · 2004Every wrong turn led to the right person. A favourite for second chapters.
29. 29I Won't Give UpJason Mraz · 2012Honest about the hard parts and choosing to stay anyway.
30. 30When You Say Nothing at AllAlison Krauss & Union StationBluegrass-tinged and tender: the things a partner says without words.
31. 31Through the YearsKenny Rogers · 1981Looks back over a long marriage, good and bad, and is grateful for all of it.
32. 32Remember WhenAlan Jackson · 2003Walks through a whole marriage, from young love to the kids leaving home. Bring tissues.
33. 33The LuckiestBen Folds · 2001A quiet piano song about how unlikely it is that you found each other.
34. 34Have I Told You LatelyVan Morrison · 1989A simple question that works as a thank-you after any number of years.
35. 35Endless LoveDiana Ross · 1981The Diana Ross and Lionel Richie duet. Pure early-80s devotion.
36. 36Grow Old with YouAdam Sandler · 1998From The Wedding Singer. Short, funny and sweet about getting old side by side.

What are fun, upbeat anniversary songs?

Fun anniversary songs include Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Stevie Wonder, You Make My Dreams by Daryl Hall & John Oates and Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen. Not every anniversary needs tissues.

37. 37Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm YoursStevie Wonder · 1970Pure joy in horns and handclaps. Starts any mix on a smile.
38. 38You Make My DreamsDaryl Hall & John OatesBouncy keyboard groove you can’t sit still to.
39. 39Crazy Little Thing Called LoveQueen · 1979Rockabilly Queen, quick and a little silly.
40. 40How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)Marvin GayeGrateful and upbeat. Sixties Motown at its happiest.
41. 41Ain't No Mountain High EnoughMarvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell · 1967A duet that promises to show up, whatever the distance.
42. 42This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)Natalie Cole · 1975Brassy, glowing and impossible to sing along to quietly.
43. 43Happy TogetherThe Turtles · 1967Sixties pop about imagining only the two of you. Huge chorus.
44. 44I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)Whitney Houston · 1987For the couple who still dance in the living room.
45. 45In Spite of OurselvesJohn Prine · 1999A duet with Iris DeMent that lovingly lists each other’s oddest habits.
46. 46Lovely DayBill WithersOne look at the right person and the day is fixed. Warm and steady.
47. 47Banana PancakesJack Johnson · 2005A rainy day, staying in, nowhere to be. Gently funny.
48. 48HomeEdward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros · 2009A whistled, call-and-response duet about home being a person.

What are the classic anniversary love songs?

Classic anniversary love songs include Let’s Stay Together by Al Green, My Girl by The Temptations and Stand by Me by Ben E. King: sixties soul through late-90s pop that couples of any age know the words to.

49. 49Let's Stay TogetherAl Green · 1971Smooth soul about staying together through good times and bad.
50. 50My GirlThe Temptations · 1964Sunshine on a cloudy day. As warm as Motown gets.
51. 51Stand by MeBen E. King · 1961A promise that holds whatever comes. Fits every decade of a marriage.
52. 52SomethingThe Beatles · 1969George Harrison’s quiet, plain-spoken love song.
53. 53Your SongElton John · 1970Tender and a bit awkward, the way real declarations are.
54. 54Wouldn't It Be NiceThe Beach Boys · 1966Daydreaming about the life you’ll build together. Bright and bittersweet.
55. 55Crazy LoveVan Morrison · 1970Soft and soulful, about how good it feels to be loved back.
56. 56Islands in the StreamKenny Rogers · 1983The Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet. Two people sailing off together.
57. 57Time After TimeCyndi LauperA promise to be there whenever you fall. Gentle 80s classic.
58. 58Truly Madly DeeplySavage GardenLate-90s devotion, all in.
59. 59God Only KnowsThe Beach Boys · 1966Brian Wilson’s tender, almost hymn-like love song.
60. 60You're the InspirationChicago · 1984A soft-rock power ballad about the person who makes everything make sense.

Want more for one person? See our lists of love songs for him and love songs for her.

An 80-minute anniversary mix

This 21-song anniversary mix runs 76:18 of music and fits one 80-minute CD. Here’s how we’d sequence it: start upbeat, slow down through the middle with the dance songs, then finish with the ones that look back. The lengths are the studio recordings’ running times, so you can check our math.

That’s 76:18 of music, or 76:58 with the usual 2-second gap between tracks: under 79 minutes, so it burns to one standard CD-R with room to spare. Live versions, remasters and radio edits run a little longer or shorter, so check your own playlist’s total before you burn.

How do you turn an anniversary playlist into a CD?

To turn an anniversary playlist into a CD, keep it under 80 minutes, sequence it, print a tracklist and burn from files you can burn. A disc they can hold is the version that ends up kept in a glovebox for ten years:

• Keep it under 80 minutes. A standard CD holds about 18 to 22 songs; our guide to how many songs fit on a CD has the full math. Paste your list into the playlist length calculator to check it.
• Sequence it. Open with your song, end with the one that makes them cry. Our guide to making a mixtape covers ordering and naming.
• Print a tracklist. Our free CD case template makes a jewel case insert with your song list and a title.
• Use files you can burn. Spotify and Apple Music downloads are copy-protected and won’t burn. Buy the tracks, use your own CDs, or have someone make the disc.

Short on time or without a burner? We’ll burn your anniversary playlist to a custom CD mixtape, with your photo as the cover if you like, and post it to you.

Most of these songs are clean. If you add newer pop or hip-hop, say whether you want clean or explicit versions, because that’s the most common mix-up on a burned CD.