42 Anniversary Songs for Couples, From the First Year to the Fiftieth
Jordan Ellis · Music Producer & Vocal Director
Updated November 9, 2026 · 42 min read
The best anniversary songs for couples are "At Last" by Etta James for a love that took a long road, "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton for everyday devotion, "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain for a marriage that proved people wrong, "Remember When" by Alan Jackson for a 25th or 50th slideshow, and "Anniversary" by Tony! Toni! Toné! for a slow-jam night at home. The right one depends on the year and the room.
An anniversary song has a harder job than a wedding song. It has to hold years of ordinary Tuesdays and a couple of genuinely bad weeks, it has to sound like the two of you rather than every other first dance, and it often has to work in front of relatives. So the forty-two songs below are grouped by the moment you need them for: timeless slow-dance classics; songs for couples to dance to together, including the anniversary dance at a wedding; songs written for a husband or wife; milestone songs for a 25th, 40th or 50th, including the ones grown children choose for their parents; country love; soul and Motown; R&B; and modern picks for couples who married in the last decade or so. Every entry says who it suits, and when to skip it.
One thing we have learned from recording anniversary songs: the vocal that makes a partner of twenty years cry is almost never the big, belted chorus. It is the verse sung close to the microphone at half-voice, the way people talk across a kitchen table late at night. Belting is for weddings; the murmur is for year twenty. Listen for that when you choose from this list, because the borrowed song with the most intimate first verse usually beats the one with the biggest ending.
The timeless slow-dance classics
1.At Last — Etta James (1960)
"At Last" by Etta James is the song to play when your anniversary celebrates a love that took a long road to arrive. It is older than most people assume: Mack Gordon and Harry Warren wrote it for the 1942 Glenn Miller film Orchestra Wives, and James made it hers on her 1960 debut album of the same name, turning a big-band ballad into a slow-burning soul vocal wrapped in strings. That history suits an anniversary, because it is a song about waiting that itself waited almost two decades to become the standard it is now. Use it for the first dance you re-create at a milestone party, or for the moment in the evening when you want the whole room to go quiet and watch the two of you. It is the wrong pick if your story was easy and sunny from the first date, when the drama of a long-awaited arrival will feel borrowed; reach for "My Girl" by The Temptations instead.
2.Unchained Melody — The Righteous Brothers (1965)
"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers suits the couple who have spent real time apart, through deployments, long-distance years or night shifts that never lined up. Alex North and Hy Zaret wrote it for Unchained, a 1955 prison film, which explains why it aches the way it does: it was always a song about someone counting the days until they are home. The 1965 recording is effectively a Bobby Hatfield solo, and it climbed back up the charts in 1990 after the pottery-wheel scene in Ghost, so two generations at a family party will know it within two notes. Cue it for a slow dance that is meant to feel like a reunion, and let the famous climb near the end do the talking for you. It is the wrong pick for a couple who have barely spent a night apart, where the longing will ring false; reach for "Better Together" by Jack Johnson instead.
3.The Way You Look Tonight — Frank Sinatra (1964)
"The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra is the anniversary song for couples who like a little swing in their slow dance. Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields wrote it for the 1936 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film Swing Time, where Astaire sings it at the piano to a woman who has walked in with her hair full of shampoo, and it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Sinatra's 1964 recording, arranged by Nelson Riddle, gave it the easy bounce most couples know now. That origin is the secret of its charm: it is a song about seeing someone at their least glamorous and finding them lovely anyway, which is what a long marriage does every day. Play it for a dressed-up anniversary dinner or a kitchen sway after the dishes. It is the wrong pick if your partner wants a real tearjerker, since its mood is a smile rather than a lump in the throat; reach for "At Last" by Etta James instead.
4.God Only Knows — The Beach Boys (1966)
"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys is the anniversary song for a long-married pair who would rather not say the big things out loud. Brian Wilson wrote the music and Tony Asher the words for Pet Sounds in 1966, with Carl Wilson singing lead, and Paul McCartney has called it his favorite song. Its trick is a bright arrangement of French horn, sleigh bells and harpsichord wrapped around a confession that life without the other person would be unthinkable, so the feeling arrives sideways rather than head-on. That suits couples who show love through habits instead of speeches: put it on during the drive to dinner, or under a slideshow where the photos do the talking. The overlapping vocal round at the end also makes a natural fade for a video. It is the wrong pick for a slow dance, because its shifting rhythm is hard to sway to; reach for "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers instead.
5.Your Song — Elton John (1970)
"Your Song" by Elton John is the first-anniversary pick for a couple whose romance was never about grand gestures. The words came from a teenage Bernie Taupin and the melody from Elton John, and the 1970 single from his self-titled second album became his breakthrough hit, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number seven in the UK. The song sounds like someone slightly embarrassed to be offering a love song at all, and that shyness turns out to be the most generous thing about it, which is why it lands so well after a year of rent, takeout and a first shared apartment. Play it at home on a first anniversary with no reservation booked, or under a short video of the year in photos. It is the wrong pick for a big milestone party, where its shyness gets lost in a crowd; reach for "Still the One" by Orleans instead.
Anniversary songs for couples to dance to together
6.You're Still the One — Shania Twain (1998)
"You're Still the One" by Shania Twain is the anniversary song for a couple whose marriage other people doubted at the start. Twain wrote it with her then-husband and producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange as an answer to everyone who predicted their marriage would not last, and the 1998 single from Come On Over reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammys, Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. That backstory turns it into a quiet victory lap, which is why couples play it at a tenth or twentieth anniversary for the friends and relatives who remember the early skepticism. Its slow, steady sway is easy for two people who never took a dance lesson in their lives. It is the wrong pick if the doubters are in the room and still sore about it, since the song's point is a little pointed; reach for "Then" by Brad Paisley instead.
7.When I Said I Do — Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black (1999)
"When I Said I Do" by Clint Black with Lisa Hartman Black is the anniversary duet for a married couple who want both voices to say the vows again. Black wrote it, recorded it with his wife, and released it in August 1999 as the lead single from D'lectrified; it went to number one on Billboard's country chart that December and won the Academy of Country Music award for Vocal Event of the Year. Because the husband and wife on the record are married to each other, the song plays as a renewal rather than a performance, which makes it a natural soundtrack for a vow renewal or for couples who trade lines at their own party. It also suits an anniversary dance where each of you takes a verse and you meet on the chorus. It is the wrong pick if only one of you will be doing the singing or the listening; reach for "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton instead.
8.I Do (Cherish You) — 98 Degrees (1999)
"I Do (Cherish You)" by 98 Degrees is the anniversary song for couples who married around 2000 and want their reception back for four minutes. Keith Stegall and Dan Hill wrote it, Mark Wills took it into the country top ten in 1998, and the 98 Degrees version from 98 Degrees and Rising reached number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999. The song is a plain, earnest restatement of the wedding promise, which is exactly what an anniversary is, so it works for a vow renewal or a re-created first dance at the tenth or twentieth. Choose the version that matches your household: Wills for a country home, 98 Degrees for a pop one, and you have quietly told your partner you remember which radio station was on in the car back then. It is the wrong pick for a couple allergic to big boy-band harmonies; reach for "Better Together" by Jack Johnson instead.
9.Tennessee Whiskey — Chris Stapleton (2015)
"Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton is the anniversary slow dance for couples who want something soulful and a little smoky rather than sweet. Its writers were Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove; David Allan Coe cut the earliest version in 1981, a 1983 George Jones recording climbed as high as number two in country, and Stapleton's slow-blues reading on his 2015 debut Traveller took off after he sang it with Justin Timberlake at the CMA Awards that November; it is now certified Diamond. Its patient, slow-burn mood suits couples whose love grew steadily rather than in a fairy-tale rush, and its loping sway is one of the easiest rhythms to dance to, even for a partner who swears they cannot. Play it for the anniversary dance at a party, or late at night at home with the volume low. It is the wrong pick if drinking is a sore subject in your family; reach for "Speechless" by Dan + Shay instead.
10.Perfect — Ed Sheeran (2017)
"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran is the anniversary song for younger couples who want a modern ballad with a dance built in. Sheeran wrote it about Cherry Seaborn, whom he had known since school and reconnected with in 2015 before marrying her, and it appeared on ÷ in 2017; the Perfect Duet version with Beyoncé took it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 that December. Its slow, swaying ballad tempo is easy for nervous dancers to follow, and it has become a standard for couples who married in the last decade. Use it to re-create your first dance at a fifth or tenth anniversary, or as the moment you invite every married couple onto the floor at a family party. If you used "Thinking Out Loud" at the wedding, this is the natural sequel. It is the wrong pick if you want something few other couples have already claimed; reach for "Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban instead.
11.September — Earth, Wind & Fire (1978)
"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire is the anniversary song for getting every couple in the room onto the dance floor at once. Maurice White, Al McKay and Allee Willis wrote it, and the 1978 single, one of two new tracks on The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, climbed to number eight on the Hot 100 while topping Billboard's R&B list. It is not a love song in the strict sense; it is pure nostalgic celebration, which is exactly the mood of a party marking years together. Use it right after the couple's slow dance, when the toasts should give way to a celebration, or for an anniversary that falls in the fall. Grandparents, parents and teenagers all know it, so nobody sits it out. It is the wrong pick for the couple's own dance, since nothing in it is aimed at one person; reach for "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain instead.
Written for a husband, wife, or the one who stayed
12.Wonderful Tonight — Eric Clapton (1977)
"Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton is the husband-to-wife anniversary song for a love built on ordinary evenings rather than grand ones. The song came out of an evening in 1976 when Clapton sat downstairs while Pattie Boyd took her time choosing an outfit before a party, and it was released on Slowhand in 1977; the whole song is a man noticing his partner in a moment most people would have spent checking the clock. That is why it holds up after years together: it praises the version of your partner you see every day, not the one in the wedding album. Play it while they are getting ready for your anniversary dinner, or lay it under a slideshow of candid, unposed pictures from the kitchen and the car. It is the wrong pick if your partner would rather be celebrated for what they do than for how they look, since the song is almost entirely about appearance; reach for "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne instead.
13.Just the Way You Are — Billy Joel (1977)
"Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel is the anniversary song for a couple who have both changed and stayed anyway. Joel wrote it for his then-wife Elizabeth Weber, and it appeared on The Stranger in 1977, became his first top-ten hit at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and took home the 1979 Grammys for Record and Song of the Year. Its argument is that you should not try to improve the person you married, which reads very differently at year fifteen than it did at the reception, after both of you have tried and learned better. Phil Ramone's soft-rock production, with warm electric piano and a saxophone solo, keeps it relaxed enough to play under dinner. It works in either direction, husband to wife or wife to husband. It is the wrong pick if knowing that the singer's own marriage ended a few years later will nag at you; reach for "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers instead.
14.You Are the Best Thing — Ray LaMontagne (2008)
"You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne is the anniversary song for couples who would rather dance around the living room than dab their eyes. It opens Gossip in the Grain, his 2008 album, and trades his usual hushed folk for a horn section and a Stax-style soul strut, so it sounds like a celebration from the first bar. The song is pure gratitude for a partner who arrived and made everything better, with no heartbreak subplot, which makes it a rare romantic song that works at full volume. Use it as the walk-in for an anniversary party, the first song once the dinner plates are cleared, or the soundtrack to a fast-cut video of the year's best moments. It is also a strong wife-to-husband pick for a partner who rolls their eyes at ballads. It is the wrong pick for a candlelit, just-the-two-of-you evening, where the brass will feel too loud; reach for "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones instead.
15.Everything — Michael Bublé (2007)
"Everything" by Michael Bublé is the safe crowd-pleaser for an anniversary party where the whole family is in the room. Bublé wrote it with Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies, Bob Rock produced it, and it was released in April 2007 as the lead single from Call Me Irresponsible. The song celebrates a partner as the whole of an ordinary day rather than a once-in-a-lifetime event, and its easy, hummable bounce keeps the mood smiling instead of tearful. That makes it a good choice for the moment after the toasts when you want grandparents and teenagers on the floor at the same time, or for a lighthearted slideshow of vacations and birthdays. It is short and clean enough for a video post, too. It is the wrong pick for a private, intimate evening, where its showbiz polish can feel like a wedding band set up at your kitchen table; reach for "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison instead.
16.Die a Happy Man — Thomas Rhett (2015)
For a partner who is, plainly, enough, "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett is the country anniversary song to play. Its subject is Lauren Akins, the childhood friend Rhett married, and he co-wrote it with Sean Douglas and Joe Spargur; and the 2015 single spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The song's point is gratitude without conditions: no bucket list, no bigger house, nothing left to prove. That contentment lands hardest a few years into a marriage, when life has gotten busy and it is worth saying out loud that the busy life is the good one. Play it in the car on the way to dinner, or as the last song of the night once the dishes are done. It is the wrong pick if the year was rough and the honest mood is repair rather than contentment; reach for "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz instead.
Milestone songs for a 25th, 40th or 50th (and for your parents' anniversary)
17.Remember When — Alan Jackson (2003)
"Remember When" by Alan Jackson is the song for a 25th, 40th or 50th anniversary slideshow, because it is built like one. Jackson wrote it on his own about his marriage to Denise, whom he met as a teenager at a Dairy Queen in Newnan, Georgia, and the verses walk through a whole shared life: young love, a rough stretch, children, and the two of them getting older. Released in late 2003, it spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard country chart in early 2004. Because the song moves in order, it pairs naturally with photos laid out year by year, from the wedding to the grandchildren, which is why grown children planning their parents' party reach for it. It is the wrong pick if the marriage had a rupture nobody wants replayed in front of relatives, since the song openly acknowledges hurt; reach for "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers instead.
18.Through the Years — Kenny Rogers (1981)
"Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers sounds like a thank-you from one spouse to the other after a lifetime, which makes it a natural choice when the children are the ones planning the party. Steve Dorff and Marty Panzer wrote it, and Rogers' recording, released at the end of 1981, reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the adult contemporary chart in 1982. The song is gentle, unhurried and completely unironic, which suits a 40th or 50th where the guests of honor are in their seventies and want to dance to something slow and familiar. Cue it for the couple's dance after dinner, with the grandchildren crowding the edge of the floor. It also works as the music under a family toast. It is the wrong pick for a couple five years in, whose story cannot yet carry the weight of the lyric; reach for "Better Together" by Jack Johnson instead.
19.Still the One — Orleans (1976)
"Still the One" by Orleans is the upbeat anniversary song for a couple who want to celebrate staying together without getting misty. It was written by John Hall and Johanna Hall, who were married at the time, and the story goes that Johanna drafted the lyric after a friend wondered why nobody wrote songs about staying together instead of breaking up. Released in 1976, it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. That origin makes it a small manifesto for long marriage: it is not a love-at-first-sight song, it is a still-here song. Play it as the couple walks into their own anniversary party, or as the moment the dance floor opens after the toasts, when you want the whole room on its feet. It is the wrong pick if you want a slow dance, since its tempo is built for smiling rather than swaying; reach for "Grow Old With Me" by John Lennon instead.
20.Grow Old With Me — John Lennon (1984)
"Grow Old With Me" by John Lennon is the milestone song for a 25th or 50th, when growing old together has stopped being a plan and become the story. Lennon taped it as a home piano demo in 1980, not long before his death, and it came out on the posthumous Milk and Honey album in 1984; he wrote it as a companion to a Yoko Ono song, the pair inspired by the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Mary Chapin Carpenter's 1995 cover carried it into a new wave of anniversary parties and vow renewals. Because the original is a rough demo, it feels private, like overhearing a promise not meant for an audience. Play it at the end of a family toast, or for the two of you alone after everyone leaves. It is the wrong pick at a first anniversary, where the old-age promise can feel like a costume; reach for "Lover" by Taylor Swift instead.
21.Look at Us — Vince Gill (1991)
"Look at Us" by Vince Gill is the country anniversary song for a couple whose friends have watched other marriages come and go. Gill wrote it with Max D. Barnes, and it was released in September 1991 as a single from Pocket Full of Gold, reaching number four on the Billboard country chart. The song looks at a long marriage from the inside, with a kind of proud disbelief that the two of you made it this far and still reach for each other's hand. That quiet pride is exactly the tone of a 25th or 30th anniversary toast, which is why it works played low underneath one while a son or daughter speaks. It also makes a lovely walk-in for a vow renewal. It is the wrong pick for couples who have no patience for slow country ballads or who want a bigger, louder moment; reach for "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers instead.
22.Anniversary Song — Al Jolson (1946)
"Anniversary Song" by Al Jolson is the one to know if you are throwing a party for grandparents or great-grandparents, because for many couples of that generation it is simply the song that gets played at anniversaries. Jolson and Saul Chaplin set words to Ion Ivanovici's 1880 waltz "Waves of the Danube" for the 1946 film The Jolson Story, and the record peaked at number two early in 1947. It is a true waltz, counted in three, so older guests who learned to dance properly finally get to show off, and the younger crowd usually ends up watching from the edge of the floor. Play it for a 50th or 60th, ideally right after the toast. It is the wrong pick for anyone under fifty unless there is a family story attached, since it will come across as a period piece; reach for "Remember When" by Alan Jackson instead.
Country love that goes the distance
23.Amazed — Lonestar (1999)
"Amazed" by Lonestar is the anniversary song for couples who married around the turn of the millennium, when it was the first-dance song of the moment. Written by Marv Green, Chris Lindsey and Aimee Mayo, it topped the Billboard country chart in 1999 and then the Hot 100 in 2000, one of the rare country ballads to do both. The song describes being newly astonished by someone every day, which is exactly the claim a long marriage gets to make with evidence behind it. If it was your first dance, play it again at your 20th or 25th and dance to it in the same corner of the room you remember; the callback does half the emotional work for you. It is the wrong pick for a couple who never had country in their lives, when it will sound like somebody else's wedding; reach for "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran instead.
24.Making Memories of Us — Keith Urban (2005)
"Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban is the anniversary song for couples taking stock of the life they have already built while promising to keep adding to it. Rodney Crowell wrote it, Tracy Byrd recorded it first in 2003, and Urban's version from Be Here was released as a single in March 2005 and spent five weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Urban's gentle, unhurried vocal over acoustic guitar makes it feel like a vow said at home rather than at an altar, which is why it fits a milestone dinner better than a reception. Play it while you hand over a photo book of the year, or as the final slow dance once the guests have gone home. It works at any milestone from the fifth to the fortieth. It is the wrong pick if you want something with a beat for the dance floor; reach for "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis instead.
25.Then — Brad Paisley (2009)
"Then" by Brad Paisley is the anniversary song for couples who feel their best years keep arriving later than expected. Paisley wrote it with Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley, and it was the lead single from American Saturday Night in 2009, reaching number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart that June as his tenth straight chart-topper. The song moves forward through a relationship stage by stage, each time discovering that the earlier feeling was only the start, which makes it almost purpose-built for a slideshow that runs from the first date to last summer. It suits anniversaries from the tenth onward, when there is enough history for that structure to pay off. Cue it under the photos or for a slow dance before dessert. It is the wrong pick for a first anniversary, where there is not enough past yet to make the comparison land; reach for "Lover" by Taylor Swift instead.
26.Forever and Ever, Amen — Randy Travis (1987)
"Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis is the country anniversary song with a grin in it, for couples whose love is steady and a little bit funny. Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz wrote it, and in 1987 it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard country chart before winning the songwriters the Grammy for Best Country Song. The song promises to keep loving someone long after their hair has gone gray or gone altogether, which gives a 30th or 40th anniversary party permission to laugh at the years instead of tearing up over them. It is a great dance-floor pick at a family celebration, where the older guests sing along and the grandchildren pick up the chorus by the second time around. It is the wrong pick for a private, tender moment, where its bounce will break the spell; reach for "Remember When" by Alan Jackson instead.
27.Speechless — Dan + Shay (2018)
"Speechless" by Dan + Shay is the modern country anniversary song for a vow renewal or a milestone where the feeling is bigger than anything you planned to say. Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney wrote it with Laura Veltz and Jordan Reynolds after both were married in 2017, Smyers to Abby Law and Mooney to Hannah Billingsley, and in December 2018 it gave the duo their first chart-topper on Billboard's Hot Country Songs list. Because it grew out of two real weddings, it carries the specific feeling of watching your partner walk toward you, which is exactly what a renewal re-creates. Use it for the walk down the aisle at a vow renewal, or for the moment you play the wedding video at a tenth anniversary. Its big chorus suits a room full of guests better than a quiet dinner for two. It is the wrong pick for an older couple who never warmed to modern country production; reach for "Look at Us" by Vince Gill instead.
Soul and Motown forever
28.My Girl — The Temptations (1964)
"My Girl" by The Temptations is the anniversary song for a couple whose love has always felt easy and bright. Two Miracles, Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, gave the Temptations this song with David Ruffin out front, and in March 1965 it handed the group its first Hot 100 chart-topper. That bass-and-guitar opening is one of the most recognizable intros in pop, so the whole room knows what is coming within two seconds, which is a gift at a mixed-generation party. Use it for the couple's entrance, the first song once the dance floor opens, or a husband-to-wife dedication from a man who does not usually say these things out loud. It also suits a cheerful anniversary video. It is the wrong pick when the year was hard and the honest feeling is endurance rather than sunshine; reach for "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green instead.
29.Let's Stay Together — Al Green (1971)
"Let's Stay Together" by Al Green is the soul anniversary song about the promise that matters most after the wedding: staying. Its credits go to Green, his producer Willie Mitchell and the Memphis drummer Al Jackson Jr., and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1972, carried by a relaxed Memphis groove and a falsetto that never pushes. It is a commitment song more than a romance song, which makes it right for couples who have been through a hard season, a move, a layoff, a new baby, and came out the other side still choosing each other. Put it on for a slow, loose-limbed dance in the kitchen, or as the opener of an anniversary dinner playlist while the food is still cooking. It is the wrong pick for a first anniversary that has been all sunshine, where the vow to hold on can feel premature; reach for "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones instead.
30.L-O-V-E — Nat King Cole (1965)
"L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole is the anniversary song for couples who like old-fashioned romance without the heaviness. Bert Kaempfert wrote the music and Milt Gabler the words, and Cole recorded it in 1964 for the album L-O-V-E, among the last records he made before his death in February 1965. The song spells out its subject letter by letter over bright big-band brass, so it is playful and elegant at once, and at around two and a half minutes it keeps a dance or a video tight. It fits a dressed-up anniversary dinner, a callback for couples who used it at their wedding, or a toast where you want the room smiling rather than misty. It also makes a cheerful walk-in for the guests of honor at a 40th or 50th. It is the wrong pick for a tender private moment, where its swing will break the spell; reach for "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison instead.
31.Have I Told You Lately — Van Morrison (1989)
"Have I Told You Lately" by Van Morrison is the anniversary song for saying the thing you assume your partner already knows. Morrison released it on Avalon Sunset in 1989, and it is often read as a prayer as much as a love song; Rod Stewart's live 1993 version from Unplugged...and Seated reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five weeks at number one on the adult contemporary chart, and that is the reading most wedding bands play. Choosing between them is a small statement in itself: Morrison's is hushed and devotional, Stewart's warmer and more sentimental. Use it under a spoken toast, or play it for your partner right before you hand over a card that actually says the words. It is the wrong pick for a couple who prefer to tease rather than gush, since it stays sincere from first line to last; reach for "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis instead.
32.Crazy Love — Van Morrison (1970)
"Crazy Love" by Van Morrison is the anniversary song for a private moment, when it is only the two of you in the kitchen. It appeared on Moondance in 1970, and Morrison sings it almost entirely in a soft falsetto over gospel-tinged backing vocals, which gives it the feel of a confession rather than a performance. The song is about the steadying kind of love that gets someone through an ordinary day, not fireworks, so it rewards couples whose marriage runs on small kindnesses: the coffee made first, the car warmed up in winter. Put it on after dinner with the lights low, or use it as the quiet second song in a pair, after a louder crowd-pleaser has emptied the room. At well under three minutes it also suits a short video message. It is the wrong pick for a large party, where its hushed vocal will disappear under conversation; reach for "Still the One" by Orleans instead.
R&B anniversary songs and slow jams
33.Anniversary — Tony! Toni! Toné! (1993)
"Anniversary" by Tony! Toni! Toné! is the R&B slow jam that is literally named for the occasion, and it is still the one people ask the DJ for at anniversary parties three decades on. Group member Raphael Wiggins, later known as Raphael Saadiq, wrote it with keyboardist Carl Wheeler, and the 1993 single from Sons of Soul reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the R&B chart, going gold. The song is patient and unhurried, built around a couple marking another year together, which makes it the right way to close an anniversary dinner at home with the lights down. It suits couples who came of age with nineties R&B and want their own soundtrack rather than their parents'. It is the wrong pick for a mixed-generation family party where the grandparents want something they recognize; reach for "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green instead.
34.Spend My Life with You — Eric Benét feat. Tamia (1999)
"Spend My Life with You" by Eric Benét featuring Tamia is the R&B duet for couples who want both voices in the room. Released in June 1999 from Benét's album A Day in the Life, it spent three weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reached number 21 on the Hot 100 and was certified gold. Because it plays out as a conversation, one singer asking and the other answering, it works beautifully for a vow renewal where each of you says something, or for a couple who sing, even badly, and want to trade the verses at their own party. The two voices also give a slideshow a natural shape, one half of the photos for each of you. It is the wrong pick for a surprise played to one person, since the duet makes more sense sung to each other than aimed at someone; reach for "Adorn" by Miguel instead.
35.Love — Musiq Soulchild (2000)
"Love" by Musiq Soulchild is the neo-soul anniversary pick for a partner who likes their romance quiet and a little philosophical. The single, from his debut album Aijuswanaseing, climbed to number two on Billboard's R&B chart and number 24 on the Hot 100 in 2001, and stayed on the R&B chart for thirty-eight weeks. The song is a meditation on love itself rather than a portrait of one person, which is its strength here: it can sit underneath a letter you read aloud, or behind a slideshow, without competing with your own words. Put it on at the start of a quiet anniversary dinner at home, before anyone has said anything important. It is the wrong pick if you want your partner to feel named and described, since the song never gets specific about anybody; reach for "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, or a song written from your own story, instead.
36.Adorn — Miguel (2012)
"Adorn" by Miguel is the modern R&B anniversary song for a couple whose romance still runs warm. Miguel wrote it himself, and the 2012 single from Kaleidoscope Dream reached number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart and number 17 on the Hot 100 before winning the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 2013. It is sensual without being explicit, and its gliding, falsetto-led groove makes it a natural close to an anniversary dinner out, or the first song on once you are home and the sitter has gone. For couples who married in the last decade, it often sounds like the reception, which gives it a built-in memory. It is the wrong pick for the family party, where grandparents and kids are in the room and the mood should be sweet rather than sultry; reach for "My Girl" by The Temptations instead.
Modern anniversary picks
37.Come Away With Me — Norah Jones (2002)
"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones is the first-anniversary song for an evening that feels like a secret the two of you are keeping. Jones wrote it on her own, and it is the title track of her 2002 debut, the record that won Album of the Year at the 2003 Grammys. Its slow, brushed-drum hush and late-night piano make it ideal under a quiet anniversary dinner at home, or for a slow dance in a dim kitchen with the phones put away. Because the song is an invitation rather than a declaration, it works best when the gift itself is time together, a weekend away or a night with no kids, and you want the music to announce the plan before you do. It is the wrong pick for a party, where its softness will vanish under the chatter; reach for "Everything" by Michael Bublé instead.
38.Better Together — Jack Johnson (2005)
"Better Together" by Jack Johnson is the anniversary song for laid-back couples who want gratitude without drama. It opens In Between Dreams, his 2005 album, and runs on a relaxed acoustic groove with no grand climax, just the simple point that life is better with the other person around. That plainness is its strength around year five, when the house is loud, sleep is scarce, and the honest feeling is that the mess is worth it because it is shared. Play it for a barefoot anniversary at home, a beach weekend, or a backyard dinner where nobody dresses up. It also works as background for an anniversary video, because it never competes with the pictures. It is the wrong pick for a formal milestone party, where its shrug-and-smile mood can read as too casual for a 40th; reach for "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers instead.
39.I Won't Give Up — Jason Mraz (2012)
"I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz is the anniversary song for a couple who earned this year the hard way. Mraz wrote it with Michael Natter, and it was released on January 3, 2012, as the lead single from Love Is a Four Letter Word, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about choosing someone again through a rough patch, distance, illness or a season of not liking each other much, rather than celebrating a love that came easily. That is why it suits an anniversary after a hard year, a reconciliation or a recovery, played privately where the meaning can land without explanation. Pair it with a handwritten note about what you got through together. It is the wrong pick for a sunny first anniversary or a family party, where its undertone of struggle will raise questions you do not want to answer in front of relatives; reach for "Better Together" by Jack Johnson instead.
40.Thinking Out Loud — Ed Sheeran (2014)
"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran is the modern anniversary pick for couples who used it as their first dance and want to feel those vows land again. Sheeran wrote it with Amy Wadge, and it won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2016; its whole premise is a love that outlasts looks, memory and the dance moves of your twenties. That long view is exactly what an anniversary celebrates, which is why the song often reads better at year ten than it did at the reception. The tempo sits at an easy sway, slow enough for a partner who swore they would never dance in public again to follow along. For a real callback, re-create the choreography you learned for the wedding, however badly it has aged. It is the wrong pick if half the couples you know used it too and you want something that feels only yours; reach for "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones instead.
41.Lover — Taylor Swift (2019)
"Lover" by Taylor Swift is the anniversary song for younger couples who want a slow dance that feels current rather than nostalgic. Swift wrote it on her own and produced it with Jack Antonoff, and it was released in August 2019 as the title track of her seventh album. It moves in waltz time with a hazy, vintage-sounding production, so it sits comfortably between a first dance and a living-room sway, and its intimate, domestic mood suits couples marking their first year in a place of their own. Play it on a first or second anniversary, or as a callback if it was your wedding song. It also makes a lovely backing for a short video of the year. It is the wrong pick for a 40th or 50th where the guests of honor will not know it from any other ballad; reach for "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers instead.
42.Adore You — Harry Styles (2019)
"Adore You" by Harry Styles is the anniversary song for a couple who still light up when the other walks into the room. Styles wrote it with Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Amy Allen, and it was released in December 2019 from Fine Line, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Its bright, funk-tinged pop production makes it celebratory rather than tearful, better suited to dancing than to a candlelit hush. Use it as the opener of an anniversary party playlist, the soundtrack to a fast-cut video, or the song you turn up in the car on the way to dinner. It suits couples who married in the last few years and want something that sounds like them rather than like their parents' wedding. It is the wrong pick for a slow dance, since its tempo and falsetto hooks are built for bouncing, not swaying; reach for "Lover" by Taylor Swift instead.
Choosing your anniversary song by story, room and year
Your shared history should choose the song before the calendar does. If you met on a dance floor, a swing standard like "The Way You Look Tonight" or "L-O-V-E" will mean more than any modern ballad; if your love has been steady and unglamorous, "Wonderful Tonight" or "Then" will hit harder than the big power ballads. If you were raised on Motown, three bars of "My Girl" will do more than a five-minute epic, and if your early dates had a nineties R&B soundtrack, "Anniversary" or "Spend My Life with You" is already half-written into your history. Country households have their own deep bench, and our list of country love songs goes further than the five here.
It also helps to know exactly what you're using it for. A slow dance wants a comfortable tempo you can actually sway to; a party wants something the whole room can sing; a quiet dinner just wants one song on repeat that neither of you talks over. And check that the story actually fits. "At Last" is about the wait finally ending, "I Won't Give Up" is about surviving the rough stretches, and "Remember When" admits there were hard years, so borrow their weight only where it's true to the two of you. If the song is really a gift from one of you to the other, the picks in songs written about husbands lean more personal than the couple standards on this page.
And here's the honest limit of every song on this list: they were written about someone else's love story. The name in the chorus, the specific memories, the little in-jokes belong to another couple. If you want a song where the chorus says your partner's name and the verses remember your actual years together, real songwriters can write one about yours, with real vocals, ready in 24 hours. And if you'd rather put pen to paper yourself, our guide to writing an anniversary song of your own walks you from the first memory to a finished chorus.
- For a first anniversary: "Come Away With Me" or "Lover" for something new and intimate.
- For a slow dance at home: "At Last," "Unchained Melody" or "Anniversary."
- For a 25th or 50th, or your parents' party: "Remember When," "Through the Years" or "Grow Old With Me."
- For the couple whose story nobody's written yet: a custom song with your partner's name in it.
Anniversary songs by year: the first, the tenth, the 25th and the 50th
The year on the card changes what a song needs to do. A first anniversary is still close enough to the wedding that the natural move is a callback: the first-dance song, or something new and intimate like "Come Away With Me" or "Lover" that marks the start of your own traditions. Around the fifth year, when there may be small children and very little sleep, the best picks are the grateful ones, "Die a Happy Man" or "Better Together," because the honest feeling is relief that the chaos is shared.
By the tenth, a couple has usually earned a song about staying, which is where "Let's Stay Together" and "I Won't Give Up" come in, and it is also the year many people start looking for a bigger gesture; our ideas for a 10-year anniversary gift pair well with a song chosen this carefully. The 25th is the first anniversary where a slideshow really works, since there are enough photos to tell a story, and "Remember When" or "Look at Us" will carry it; if you are planning around silver, see our 25th anniversary gift ideas.
The 40th and 50th are usually organized by the children rather than the couple, and the song choice shifts accordingly: pick something the guests of honor danced to when they were young, like "Anniversary Song" or "Through the Years," and let them have the floor. A song from the kids to their parents is its own kind of thank-you, and our recent walkthrough on turning gratitude into lyrics shows how to write one. If the siblings are pooling for something to sit alongside the music, there are presents for Mom and Dad's big year worth a look.
- First year: re-create the first dance, or start a new tradition with "Lover."
- Fifth to tenth: grateful songs and staying songs, "Die a Happy Man" and "Let's Stay Together."
- 25th: build the slideshow around "Remember When" or "Look at Us."
- 40th and 50th: let the couple dance to their era, "Anniversary Song" or "Through the Years."
Songs for a couple: the anniversary dance, a dedication and a post
Most searches for anniversary songs for couples are really about one of three moments, and each needs a different kind of song. The first is the anniversary dance at a wedding, where the DJ invites every married couple onto the floor and then asks pairs to sit down in stages, under five years, under ten, under twenty, until the longest-married couple is dancing alone. That dance needs a song of four minutes or more with a steady, easy tempo, because it has to outlast the eliminations; "Tennessee Whiskey," "Perfect" and "Amazed" all hold up, and the couple left standing should get the last chorus to themselves. If you are the ones getting married and want the faster end of the night planned too, our upbeat first dance picks pick up where the slow songs stop.
The second is a dedication: a song you send to parents, grandparents or friends on their anniversary rather than one you dance to yourself. The most personal choice is a hit from the year they married, sent with one sentence about why it made you think of them; the next best is a song about staying, such as "Still the One" or "You're Still the One." If the dedication is from a wife to her husband, a few lines of her own beat any playlist, and the step-by-step method for writing him a song takes an evening at the kitchen table.
The third is the post: a 15- to 30-second clip under an anniversary photo or story. Pick the section where the hook lands, usually the first chorus rather than the opening bars, and start the clip a beat before it so the photo and the line arrive together. In the studio, the moment that carries a short clip is almost always the first entrance of the full band after a quiet verse, because that lift does the emotional work in three seconds, while a slow fade-in wastes half the clip. Leave the lyric out of the caption and write one line in your own words instead, so the post reads as yours rather than borrowed.
- Anniversary dance at a wedding: four minutes or more, steady tempo, "Tennessee Whiskey" or "Perfect."
- Dedication to parents or friends: a hit from their wedding year, plus one sentence of your own.
- Anniversary post or story: 15 to 30 seconds, starting just before the first chorus.
- A duet for the two of you: "When I Said I Do" or "Spend My Life with You."
How to use these songs on your anniversary
A song only becomes a gift when you stage it, so plan the moment as carefully as you'd plan the dinner. The most reliable move is a slow dance: clear a little floor space in the living room, dim the lights, and press play on the one song that has always been yours, even if it's the middle of a Tuesday. If you have old footage or photos, a short slideshow set to the right track, years of trips, kids and ordinary mornings, is almost unfairly effective, especially at a milestone anniversary with the whole family in the room.
You can also build the whole evening around it. Cook the meal you ate on your first date, put the album on low underneath dinner, and re-create your first dance at the end, right down to where you each put your hands. If your partner would rather cry in private than perform in front of relatives, do the opposite and play it for them alone in the car or the kitchen, where the moment belongs to just the two of you. However you do it, choosing the song in advance and letting it land at the right second is what turns a good anniversary into one you'll both bring up for years.
- Re-create your first dance to the exact song from your wedding.
- Set a photo slideshow of your years together to one meaningful track.
- Play the album low under a home-cooked version of your first-date meal.
- For a private moment, save it for the car or the kitchen, just the two of you.
Make it personal: a song that's only yours
All forty-two of these songs were written for somebody else's marriage. A borrowed anniversary song can set the mood of your years together, yet it will never mention the apartment with the broken radiator, the name of your first dog, or the nickname nobody else is allowed to use. Details like those are what make a partner stop mid-sentence and ask who told you that.
A custom anniversary song closes that gap. A five-minute questionnaire collects the facts only you know, from the night you met to the year that nearly broke you, plus the style you both love, whether acoustic, soul, country or gospel. Real songwriters build an original song around those answers, sung with real vocals and your partner's name in the chorus. Delivery is within 24 hours, or as fast as one hour with express, on a private song page to play, download and send to the kids; revisions are unlimited, and a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee stands behind it. If it is a wife choosing for her husband and the borrowed options feel thin, our love songs for him are sorted by the kind of man he is. For a husband writing to his wife, there is a song written just for her; for a 25th, 40th or 50th, a milestone song that names the years can be the centerpiece of the party.