Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and whether or not you think it’s a commercial holiday made to sell greeting cards and chocolates, your music-loving significant other deserves an audible reminder of your undying affection. Here are 14 romantic records on vinyl to help keep the spark alive this season.
A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
It’s no secret that jazz was made for lovers, and one of the greatest jazz albums of all time is the legendary John Coltrane’s 1965 masterpiece A Love Supreme. Coltrane recorded the album in just one day, a few years before his untimely death. A Love Supreme is an intense and ecstatic declaration of devotion. While that devotion is usually likened to religious fervor, who doesn’t want their partner to worship the ground they stand on? This year, Verve Records is offering a 60th-anniversary edition of the record pressed on diamond clear vinyl with a silver mirrored jacket.
The Divine Feminine by Mac Miller
Mac Miller’s fourth studio album is a vulnerable homage to romance and women. In The Divine Feminine, Miller explores the experience of love alongside dozens of collaborators, including Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar and then-girlfriend Ariana Grande. This 2016 record from the late alt-hip-hop legend will impress your sweetheart with its immortal and intimate lyricism. Order it on baby blue vinyl and seal the deal with a kiss of sentimentality.
Love Deluxe by Sade
Nothing says romance like the smooth and soulful vocals of Nigerian-British songstress Sade. Love Deluxe, released in 1992, is chock-full of tender ambiance, teetering between trip-hop, cool jazz and R&B. What could be more direct than sending a message to your loved one with a song like “I Couldn’t Love You More?” This album is not just soothing background music. It’s a tasteful record with jazz sensibilities that have withstood the test of time. Last year’s vinyl reissue is a faithful remaster of an ageless LP.
Bewitched by Laufey
Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey might be a new addition to your lover’s record shelf, but her compositions and timeless vocal color are reminiscent of classic jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughan or Billie Holiday. Her 2023 sophomore release Bewitched is not only technically brilliant but also effortlessly and relatably romantic. Somehow both a bildungsroman and a love letter, Bewitched is a new but nostalgic listen befitting of a shiny red bow for Valentine’s Day. Bewitched: The Goddess Edition is a double LP pressed on dark blue vinyl that even features a custom board game.
Let’s Stay Together by Al Green
The title track to Al Green’s 1972 record is unmistakable. It was his only number-one hit and continues to be one of the most iconic love songs in the soul genre. The rest of the album features a bunch of smooth yet sticky-sweet romantic serenades, from the love-struck “What Is This Feeling” to his heartfelt cover of the Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” The message you’d send to your lover by gifting them this classic LP is pretty clear: “I’m so in love with you, whatever you want to do is alright with me.”
Another One by Mac DeMarco
Canadian indie rocker Mac DeMarco not only croons on his many love songs, he also plays all the instruments on the recordings of his compositions. 2015’s Another One is a mini-LP, a little longer than an EP and a little shorter than a full studio album. With a cover designed by his longtime partner Kiera McNally, Another One’s lyrics are entirely focused on romance, but the songs are presented in DeMarco’s signature slacker soft rock style. It’s a casual listen for a not-so-casual love affair. New England’s Newbury Comics offers an exclusive blue vinyl pressing of the album that’ll make for a picturesque spin.
At Last! by Etta James
No list of romantic records would be complete without Etta James’ 1960 debut album, At Last!. The album is jam-packed with blues and jazz standards, like “My Dearest Darling,” “A Sunday Kind of Love” and of course, the iconic title track. There’s a good reason “At Last” makes it onto wedding playlists everywhere: it signifies the relief of finally finding your person. Your person will be enamored with Interscope’s limited release of the LP pressed on bright red vinyl.
X’s by Cigarettes After Sex
Just like its name implies, the dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex consistently releases extremely sultry albums. Last year’s X’s is perfect for some at-home slow-dancing — it effortlessly cultivates a sensual mood. Bandleader Greg Gonzalez wrote the album to reflect upon a four-year relationship that had ended, but he told DIY Magazine that he wanted to “relive it — in a good way” through his songwriting. There are three different picture disc versions of the record: Baby Blue Movie (Silhouette), Dark Vacay (Sunset) and one that features the artwork for the “Tejano Blue” single.
Avalon by Roxy Music
The eighth and final album by Roxy Music, Avalon, was released in 1982 and is the band’s most commercially-successful record. Bryan Ferry began working on the album while in coastal Ireland with his soon-to-be wife, Lucy Helmore. In fact, its cover art shows Helmore looking upon the Irish lake where Ferry stayed. Avalon was conceptualized around the mythical island of Avalon that King Arthur journeyed to in multiple legends, which he considered to be an enchanting and romantic place. The critically acclaimed LP was the first of its kind in the sophisti-pop genre. Now you can perfectly proclaim your love fantasies to that certain someone with the brand new half-speed remaster.
I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
In 2013 Father John Misty married Emma Elizabeth Garr, a woman he met in a parking lot in Laurel Canyon. Two years later, he released his magnum opus, I Love You, Honeybear, a record he described as a concept album about himself and his relationship with Garr. It opens with the title track, a straightforward indie rock love song about sticking together through tough times, and closes with “I Went to the Store One Day,” a soft ballad about that fateful day in Laurel Canyon. The interim consists of both tender and tongue-in-cheek moments reflecting on life and love. This Valentine’s Day, Misty is releasing the 10th anniversary “loser” edition of the record on red vinyl, now available on pre-order.
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder’s 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life is his best-selling record, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. Featuring smash hits like “Sir Duke” and “Isn’t She Lovely,” this album is full of joy and optimism, save for some socially conscious instances like “Village Ghetto Land” and “Black Man.” Songs in the Key of Life is an essential item for any record collection, and your sweetheart will appreciate both your love of them and the classics. Its original label, the legendary Motown (then Tamla), is shipping out a new reissue this month.
Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By by Lovage
The title of this record is quite direct and so is its content. 2001’s Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By is the sole studio album of Lovage, a short-lived project by record producer Dan the Automator. This downbeat trip-hop LP from one of electronica’s most accomplished producers (alongside many collaborators) is not only very seductive, but it’s also relatively obscure. The record teeters between satire and genuine passion, perfect to use to impress your Valentine with your esoteric music knowledge. East Coast record shop The Sound Garden offers it on clear vinyl with red and turquoise splatter.
Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye
When Charlie Puth sang “Let’s Marvin Gaye and get it on,” he referred to the sensuality of the late Marvin Gaye’s first foray into funk, a wildly successful album that solidified Gaye’s status as a sex icon. Let’s Get It On, released in 1973, is an overtly suggestive record brimming with soulful, erotic ballads. It doesn’t get more forward than this. The limited edition 50th anniversary reissue of the album is pressed on apple red vinyl.
69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields
If you’re looking to splurge a bit on your Valentine, look no further than the sixth studio album by indie pop outfit The Magnetic Fields. Their 1999 release 69 Love Songs is a three-part concept album featuring, you guessed it, 69 love songs. It runs for 172 minutes and has somehow been performed in its entirety seven times by the band, with tracks spanning a multitude of genres and styles. Both straight and queer relationships are explored throughout the critically-acclaimed record, which has made it onto multiple greatest-albums-of-all-time lists. Impress your loved one with the 25th-anniversary silver edition, which includes six 10-inch records on silver vinyl.
Honorable Mention: RR by Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro
While this gift guide has focused on full-length LPs to give to your lover, it would be incomplete without mentioning the multiple heart-shaped records available on the market. The unique shape makes it difficult to include more than a single and a B-side on the record. The now-defunct power couple Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro released their three-track heart-shaped EP RR together in March 2023, just four months before the very public dissolution of their engagement. Despite its unfortunate backstory, the three Spanish songs on RR (“Beso,” “Vampiros” and “Promesa”) are dedicated love songs presented in a darker reggaeton style. The red heart-shaped vinyl would be a perfect gift for someone who loves Spanish music or unique records.
