We Found Love, Song by Song

The Stories Behind 100 Romantic Hits

Contributors

By Annie Zaleski

Illustrated by Darling Clementine

Formats and Prices

Price

$26.00

Price

$34.00 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. Hardcover $26.00 $34.00 CAD
  2. ebook $14.99 $19.99 CAD

Love songs are for everybody and so is this book. In We Found Love, Song by Song, award-winning author and music journalist Annie Zaleski delivers a beautifully illustrated keepsake that tells the fascinating history and behind-the-scenes stories of the 100 most popular and cherished love songs of all time.

Pop the champagne, get the roses ready, and settle down in your favorite armchair. Love is universal to the human experience and love songs bring us joy and remind us of happy moments from our life. We all want it and we all crave it but it’s not always easy to find. In this beautifully illustrated volume, We Found Love, Song by Song tells the fascinating history and behind-the-scenes stories of the 100 most popular and cherished love songs of all time and their everlasting impact. From artists such as Fred Astaire and Nat King Cole all the way up to Whitney Houston and Harry Styles, this all-encompassing collection of love songs is sure to ignite the flame and inspire a new favorite playlist.

What moving song did Paul McCartney pen as a love letter to his wife and record in one day? What iconic tune about cheating and piña coladas ends with a relationship being saved? What popular ballad was written from the perspective of Juliet and led to hundreds of in-concert proposals? Spanning musical genres and decades of classics and modern hits, featured songs include:​
 
  • Etta James, “At Last”
  • Elvis Presley, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
  • Sonny and Cher, “I Got You Babe”
  • Queen, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
  • Foreigner, “I Want to Know What Love Is”
  • Marvin Gaye, “Sexual Healing”
  • Tina Turner, “The Best”
  • Elton John, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”
  • Shania Twain, “You’re Still the One”
  • Rihanna, “We Found Love” 
  • John Legend, “All of Me”
  • Taylor Swift, “Love Story”

And many more!

Including full-color illustrations throughout, this gorgeously packaged companion is the perfect gift for you and your loved ones to cherish any time of year. 

  • "An attractive embellished compendium of 100 romantic songs. . . . Conversational and enlightening without being overly analytical, this compilation of the history and anecdotes behind selected English-language popular songs, arranged chronologically and by vocalist, spans from Fred Astaire’s rendering of 1936’s “The Way You Look Tonight” to Harry Styles’s 2019 song “Adore You” and ranges in tone from hopeful to exuberant to heartrending. Each entry (always crediting the songwriters in addition to the performers) is restricted to a manageable few paragraphs, plus partial song lyrics. Topics include romantic affection, friendship, and even human-animal companionship. A bonus to the regular entries is eight “top 10” boxes scattered throughout the text listing the best tunes about romantic power, bad partners, breakup, heartbreak, unrequited love, revenge, and being misunderstood, plus the best songs for a first dance at a wedding. VERDICT These reminders of popular culture melodies covering nearly 100 years will foster wistful reflection."
    Library Journal
  • "In We Found Love, Song by Song (Running Press, $26, 9780762487004), Annie Zaleski takes a chronological journey through 100 cherished love songs, such as the soulful “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole and the ruminative “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie, often accompanied by delightful illustrations by Darling Clementine. The selections are interspersed with snappily themed top 10 playlists ranging from romantic power ballads to misunderstood love songs. This nostalgic book will make you want to cuddle up."
     
    BookPage

On Sale
Dec 3, 2024
Page Count
224 pages
Publisher
Running Press
ISBN-13
9780762487004

Playlist: This is Christmas, Song by Song

Also in this series

Annie Zaleski

About the Author

Annie Zaleski is an award-winning writer and editor who’s contributed to NPR Music, Salon, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian. She’s also the author of multiple books, including an extensive look at Duran Duran’s Rio for Bloomsbury’s prestigious 33 1/3 series, and biographies of pop stars Lady Gaga and P!nk. She interviewed Cher ahead of her 2016 Las Vegas residency and praised the icon in a career-spanning 2021 Salon piece; additionally, she wrote about the intriguing backstory of Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” in Running Press’s forthcoming book We Found Love, Song by Song.

Learn more about this author