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Our Top 10 Bruno Mars Love Songs list presents a collection of Love Songs by Bruno Mars like “Just the Way You Are” “Marry You,” and many more. Bruno Mars grew up in Honolulu before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a music career right out of high school. It took him some time, but in the end, he started seeing serious success in the late 2000s and early 2010s. First, he and his songwriting partners got a fair amount of attention because of their work on the Coca-Cola version of K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Second, he built momentum by contributing vocals to both B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire.” Then, his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans made him an international superstar on the strength of several hits in 2010. Since then, Mars has moved from success to success, building an enviable reputation as a spectacular showman who can perform in a remarkable range of styles.
Top 10 Bruno Mars Love Songs
#10 – Versace On the Floor
“Versace On the Floor” was the promotional single for Mars’ third studio album 24K Magic in 2016. It met with a somewhat mixed critical reception but performed well enough from a commercial perspective. Yes, “Versace On the Floor” was no match for one of Mars’ real mega hits. Still, not just any song can go double-platinum in the American, Australian, and Canadian markets. This is a retro R&B song with sexually-charged lyrics. Under those circumstances, it shouldn’t be too hard to guess why there is talk of Versace brand clothing strewn about on the floor. Bruno Mars formed the core team of songwriters along with Philip Lawrence and Christopher Brody Brown on 24K Magic, though James Fauntleroy also contributed to this song.
#9 – If I Knew
This isn’t one of Bruno Mars‘ better-known songs. That isn’t a slight against it so much as an acknowledgment it wasn’t chosen to become a single off of his second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox. Back then, the Smeezingtons consisting of Bruno Mars himself, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine still wrote Mars’ songs either on their own or in collaboration with other songwriters. “If I Knew” is no exception to that rule. It is one of those songs that start slow but build up more strength than one would expect. Lyrics-wise, “If I Knew” sees the singer apologizing for his past mistakes. Unsurprisingly, people often treat it as something of a make-up song.
#8 – Locked Out of Heaven
Speaking of which, “Locked Out of Heaven was released as the lead single for Unorthodox Jukebox in 2012. It did very well, as shown by a couple of things. One, it won a slew of awards, though it failed to walk away with any of its three Grammy nominations. Two, it went nine times platinum in the United States and seven times platinum in Australia. What is particularly remarkable is that “Locked Out of Heaven” managed this as a cross between pop rock and reggae rock with clear funk and even new wave influences. That made it a considerable departure from its predecessors, to say the least.
#7 – Treasure
“Treasure” didn’t do quite as well as “Locked Out of Heaven” as the third single for Unorthodox Jukebox. Still, that is like saying 18-karat gold isn’t as pure as 24-karat gold. After all, “Treasure” did go five-times platinum in the United States, which isn’t including its sales in other markets. Appropriately, the song goes to great lengths to describe how the singer’s lover is his treasure. There was a touch of controversy because “Treasure” resembled Breakbot’s “Baby I’m Yours” a bit too much. Fortunately, that was resolved by just adding more names to its songwriting credits.
#6 – When I Was Your Man
“When I Was Your Man” would be the second single that came out between “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Treasure.” It isn’t as cheerful and uplifting as much of Mars’ music. Instead, it sees the singer regretting the mistakes he made in a now broken-up relationship. With that said, “When I Was Your Man” is still surprisingly wholesome. The singer is sad but capable of self-reflection while wishing his former lover well. Not everyone is mature enough to do that, particularly when they see their ex happy with someone new as stated by the lyrics.
#5 – It Will Rain
Since it came out in 2011, chances are good interested individuals can guess “It Will Rain” was also written by the Smeezingtons. Specifically, they did so for the fourth movie in The Twilight Saga. How people interpret “It Will Rain” will depend on their tolerance for outpourings of emotion because what seems moving and impactful for one person can seem melodramatic to another. Of course, Bruno Mars consistently excellent vocals can excuse much, as shown by the people who enjoyed this song going into detail about the singer’s potential devastation if bereft of his lover even though they leaned towards the second camp.
#4 – Today My Life Begins
“Today My Life Begins” seems to come from Bruno Mars’ early career. It isn’t clear when it was released. Indeed, some sources say it never received an official release, which would make sense considering it was already available when his debut album was just coming out. The song holds up well compared with the rest of Bruno Mars’ early material, though that is perhaps unsurprising when it featured the same singer and songwriters. In any case, “Today My Life Begins” is a love song, even though it isn’t as obvious about it as its counterparts on this list. There is mention of the singer having had his heart hurt before. Therefore, it is easy to interpret the emphasis on new beginnings as a celebration of a new romantic relationship.
#3 – Marry You
Bruno Mars has several songs perfect for weddings and wedding-related matters. “Today My Life Begins” is one of them. Unsurprisingly, “Marry You” from his debut album is another. The song managed to break into the Billboard Hot 100 even though it was never an official single in the United States. It seems safe to say the song’s widespread use for marriage proposals played a role in that popularity.
#2 – Rest of My Life
“Rest of My Life” is another unreleased song from Bruno Mars’ early career. Once again, it was written by the team-up between Bruno Mars, Lawrence, and Levine. Its lyrics paint the picture of a man who continues to feel a heady mix of joy, gratitude, and near-disbelief years into his relationship with his significant other. Moreover, “Rest of My Life” is named thus because he is determined to continue loving her.
#1 – Just the Way You Are
“Just the Way You Are” was always going to wind up at the top of this list. After all, it did more to make Bruno Mars an international superstar than any of his other songs because it was his debut single that became the best-selling digital single of 2011 with more than 12.5 million sales. The subject of the song isn’t particularly novel. Essentially, the singer says his significant other is more beautiful than she believes herself to be because she gets dragged down by her doubts. Still, the fact that the song managed to stand out so brightly amidst a sea of similar narratives is proof of its exceptional nature. A lot of work went into “Just the Way You Are.” Naturally, the Smeezingtons were involved. Besides them, there were also Saint Cassius and Needlz.
Top 10 Bruno Mars Love Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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