10 Of The Greatest Slow Dance Songs Of All Time
The perfect soundtrack to set a romantic mood.
The slow dance has a long, romantic history—one that might be quickly losing traction.
Per The Honest Broker, slow dances were so integral to intimate exploration and courtship that men would literally buy into the ritual, potential scandals be damned. However, recent reporting shows Gen Z rejecting this tradition, partly because the thought of slow dancing may be “too intimate and scary.”
That said, there’s no denying the transportive, magical quality of a great slow dance song. They allow couples and other romantically inclined parties to create special moments together or reminisce about the most sacred of shared memories. In my former life as a mobile and club DJ, these timeless classics always had a special power to bring people together.
This blog post, examines 10 of the greatest slow dance songs of all time, each with its own unique charm and legendary vocal performance. As with my other list posts, it’s also nowhere near exhaustive. Don’t forget to subscribe and chime in with your favorite slow dance song or memory in the comments.
In alphabetical order, let’s get it on (hehe)!
1. "All My Life" by K-Ci & Jojo (1997)
How can you not start a list of the best slow jams with this hit?
Written by Joel "JoJo" Hailey and Rory Bennett, this track ticks all the boxes of a swoon-worthy R&B ballad. Soaring harmonies, a singalong chorus, gorgeous piano, and a seductive rhythm that keeps the hips moving. I’ve seen it result in full make-out sessions in the middle of a packed dancefloor—now that’s power.
It’s no wonder, then, that “All My Life” became K-Ci & Jojo’s most successful single, hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and selling well over three million copies on its own. If any classic R&B sound deserves another go-round in mainstream pop, it’s this one.
2. "At Last" by Etta James (1960)
Originally written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 musical Sun Valley Serenade, it later became James’ signature love song, which is saying a lot. Lest we forget, the album of the same name, released in 1960, includes heaters such as “Sunday Kind of Love” and “I Just Want To Make Love To You.” But, on “At Last,” there’s something about her sultry, powerhouse vocal that gets me every time.
Despite only peaking at No. 47 on the Hot 100 in 1961, this track may have the farthest-reaching legacy of any selection on this list. On top of gracing countless wedding receptions in the decades since, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and joined the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2009.
3. "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley (1961)
Leave it to the King of Rock and Roll to turn a French melody originally penned in the 1700s into a hit ballad. Recorded for his 1961 film Blue Hawaii, it’s become Presley’s most enduring love song, one that’s never been topped despite the countless covers released by other artists, both well-known and obscure. According to Marie Claire, it’s also the most popular wedding first dance song ever.
Fun fact: In the film, Elvis doesn’t actually sing the song to his love interest but rather to the female lead’s grandmother. The look on both of their faces as he’s lip-syncing through the material tells you all you need to know.
4. "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams (1991)
Speaking of slow dance songs played at weddings, this Bryan Adams cut is easily the one I got the most requests for as a DJ. Part of the reason may be that few ballads attain the level of ubiquity this one did, hitting No. 1 in 19 different countries (!) and setting a UK singles chart record by staying in the top spot for sixteen consecutive weeks. Overall, the single moved more than 15 million units, becoming Adams’ biggest commercial success.
Side note: I’m not sure why, but piano-driven ballads were all the rage for most of the 90s. Per Billboard, many artists parlayed this noticeable taste preferences into hit singles, including Mariah Carey, Vanessa Williams, Whitney Houston, and Elton John.
5. "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star (1993)
Some of the best slow dances are slow burns. Deliberate, repetitive melodies, gentle instrumentation, and quietly affecting vocals all ache with longing and a desire to connect. In this category of slow dance, few songs have been as eternal-sounding as Mazzy Star’s 1993 single, “Fade Into You.”
More than any entry on this list, this is a slow dance song for those who aren’t given to unabashed flights of romantic fancy. The lyrics aren’t exactly a downer, but they don’t runneth over with giddy proclamations of love, either. “I wanna hold the hand inside you/I wanna take the breath that's true,” begins singer-songwriter Hope Sandoval. “I look to you and I see nothing/I look to you to see the truth.”
6. "Someone to Hold" by Trey Lorenz (1992)
Best known for his Jackson 5 cover with Mariah Carey that topped the Hot 100 in 1992, Trey Lorenz is one of the most unsung talents of 90s-era R&B. His velvety, soulful voice conveyed an unparalleled sense of tenderness, particularly on his biggest solo success, the ballad “Someone to Hold.”
Featuring a songwriting and background vocal credit for Carey, this track is a terrific showcase for Lorenz’s talent behind the mic. Every word is infused with the joyous sense of finding one’s soulmate, inviting your dance partner to get even closer while moving to the solid synth-laden groove. If there’s any hidden gem to listen to, it’s this one.
7. "Something" by the Beatles (1969)
As far as classy, introspective love songs go, you can’t do much better than “Something.” Of all the ballads Lennon and McCartney have penned over the years, many of which I’m fond of, I don’t think there’s a Beatles song that hits me in the feels quite like this George Harrison-penned diddy. The beauty in its simplicity is breathtaking.
A No. 1 hit in the US that also reached No. 4 in the UK, Harrison later clarified the song wasn’t about his ex, Pattie Boyd (more on her shortly). “I just wrote it, and then somebody put together a video [with] some footage of me and Pattie, Paul and Linda, Ringo and Maureen [and] John and Yoko […] everybody presumed I wrote it about Pattie, but actually, when I wrote it, I was thinking of Ray Charles.”
8. "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran (2014)
When “Thinking Out Loud” began climbing the charts as a single, I remember how undeniable its power was. As a DJ, I’d get asked to play it over and over again (not the last time one of Sheeran’s songs forced my hand during a gig), and as I was preparing for my wedding in August 2023, I stumbled across this song again.
Listening with fresh ears, I found it far more captivating than ever. He’s riffing on blue-eyed soul reminiscent of Van Morrison and Daryl Hall to create an incredibly heartfelt vocal performance. I’m not the only one who enjoys it, either. “Thinking” has over 4 billion streams worldwide as of this writing, as well as Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance Grammys.
9. "The Way You Look Tonight" by Tony Bennett (1958)
I’m cheating a bit here, but there’s no way I can compile a list of the best slow jams without including my favorite entry from the Great American Songbook.
Originally composed by Jerome Kern and written by Dorothy Fields for Fred Astaire, “The Way You Look Tonight” won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1936. It’s since been covered by every crooner worth his salt, from Frank Sinatra to Micheal Buble. However, if I had to pick a definitive version of the song, it’s got to be the one sung by the late great Tony Bennett.
Often performed live with just piano as accompaniment, the scaled-back tempo and arrangement plays to Bennett’s strengths as a vocalist. His smooth, smoky delivery perfectly encapsulates the sensation behind the lyrics, of a man who knows his infatuation will be burned into his memory forever.
10. "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton (1977)
Described by Billboard in 1978 as “perhaps Clapton's prettiest and mellowest love ballad,” “Wonderful Tonight” more than holds up as a gorgeous ballad. The melody is catchy, the guitar playing straightforward yet marvellously expressive, and the harmonies, including a contribution from Yvonne Elliman, are melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Clapton famously wrote this song about Pattie Boyd, who’d taken up with the guitarist after splitting up with Harrison. As she told Taylor Swift in an interview (yes, that was a real thing): “I came downstairs with trepidation thinking [Eric] was going to be so angry that I’d taken far too long [to get ready], and instead he said, ‘Listen, I’ve just written this song.’” The rest, as they say, is history.
Which slow dance song is your favorite? Which classic did we miss and should’ve put on this list? Sound off in the comments!