10 Classic Rock Songs About Being Crazy In Love

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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 about hearing her heartbeat from a thousand miles away and the heavens opening 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. Morrison’s “Crazy Love” appeared on his classic 1970 album Moondance and became one of his most enduring romantic songs. Many artists have covered it over the years, including Helen Reddy, who had an Adult Contemporary 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 chorus, and there are moments when you realize he’s pretty downright serious about this girl. “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” was released as the lead single from his fantastic 1982 album Three Lock Box and became Hagar’s biggest solo pop hit, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Read More: Top 10 Sammy Hagar Deep Cuts

# 8 – Landslide (And Every Other Stevie Nicks Song) – Fleetwood Mac

“Landslide” is an interesting one because of the ambiguity in the lyrics, which makes it such a work of art. Written and sung by Stevie Nicks, the song was released on Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1975 album. 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. “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, and those captured by it can find that their hearts simply won’t allow them to do anything else. That’s part of what has always made this song feel so deep and personal.

# 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 song’s beauty also lies in its tragedy. Written for the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story, with music by Bernstein and lyrics by Sondheim, “Somewhere” became part of the acclaimed 1961 film adaptation as well. Waits opened his 1978 album Blue Valentine with the song and delivered one of the most passionate and genuine vocals of his career, making a familiar standard sound completely his own.

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, Kevin Cronin makes it about as direct as possible when he promises that the love he declared was meant to last forever. Yet there are plenty of thorns in the rosy picture painted by the chorus, because the song grew out of a relationship damaged by infidelity. Even with all that hurt, the narrator’s love refuses to disappear. Released on the massive 1980 album Hi Infidelity, “Keep On Loving You” became one of REO Speedwagon’s signature songs and one of rock’s great declarations of hanging on when common sense might tell you not to.

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 to “Tiny Dancer” are filled with ambiguity and, at the same time, beautiful cinematic imagery that feels easy to understand yet is bathed in artistic brilliance. Elton John’s melody, chord changes, and performance turned those words into gold when the song opened his 1971 album Madman Across the Water. It is one of those recordings where the details of the scene matter almost as much as the relationship itself, giving the song a sense of romance that feels both personal and larger than life.

Read More: Top 10 Elton John Songs

# 4 – Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” was originally released on his 1970 solo debut McCartney, though that studio recording was not issued as a single at the time. The song was written for Linda McCartney, which made it even more special because it always felt so genuine. McCartney seems almost stunned by the strength of the love and support she gave him during a difficult period in his life. A live Wings version from Wings Over America was released as a single in 1977 and became a major hit, but whether you hear the studio or live recording, the heart of the song remains the same: Paul McCartney sounds completely, unmistakably crazy in love with Linda.

# 3 – Crazy on You – Heart

Heart’s “Crazy on You” appeared on the band’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie, and became one of the songs that introduced Heart to American rock audiences in 1976. Written by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the track moves from Nancy’s beautiful acoustic opening into one of the band’s great hard-rock performances. There may be no more direct phrase than telling someone you want to go crazy on them, but the song is also about trying to find love and release while the world around you seems filled with chaos. When everything outside feels out of control, the answer in this song is to hold on to that one person and go a little crazy together.

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

You don’t even have to know or understand every word 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. Rather than coming from the band’s debut album as the original copy stated, the song was recorded during the sessions for Led Zeppelin III and released on that album in October 1970. Plant’s vocal, Jimmy Page’s guitar, John Paul Jones’ organ, and John Bonham’s drumming turn all that romantic misery into one of the greatest slow blues performances in rock history.

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. As we said in the introduction, being crazy in love can happen with someone you’ve never even spoken a word to, and Ray Davies has recalled being inspired by seeing an attractive girl dancing while he was playing with the Dave Hunt Band and then discovering she was gone before he could find her afterward. He became infatuated, and that feeling ended up feeding one of the defining rock songs of 1964. The guy in “You Really Got Me” can’t think straight, can’t sleep, and doesn’t want to be set free. 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!