It’s Valentine’s Day and if you’re planning on serenading that special someone with a song (either through musical talent or the art of CD burning), try not to resort to clichés like Secondhand Serenade’s ‘Fall for You’ and Extreme’s ‘More Than Words’ – you’re not exactly making that person feel special through a song that’s been played to death. Luckily for you though, we’re here to help. Whether you plan on just creating a special V-Day mix CD or actually going through with serenading, these tracks are worth a go to prevent excessive cheese.

Muse – Starlight
For those of you who have marked them off as being solely political, this song will shut you up. ‘My life, you electrify my life/Let’s conspire to reignite/All the souls that would die just to feel alive...’ It's gold.



Nirvana – Drain You
Seeing as how ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ is definitely not about a box of Valentine’s chocolates, you shouldn’t let song titles fool you when it comes to Nirvana. ‘Drain You’ is actually a simple song about a simple, common subject – love.  Just think of it as what happens when love and grunge collide.



Oasis – Slide Away
Forget ‘Wonderwall’. This hidden gem from ‘Definitely Maybe’ is reminiscent of young love. It makes you want to be a teenager forever.



Alanis Morissette – Head Over Feet
Her ‘Jagged Little Pill’ days were 95 percent angst – this single was the five percent happiness. ‘Head Over Feet’ is one of those songs for people who find it hard to admit that they have feelings for someone, which makes it perfect for this list.



Dashboard Confessional – Hands Down
Now you’re probably thinking, ‘But isn’t Dashboard mushy gushy like Secondhand Serenade?’ There is a difference between the two you know, one being that the former has better songs (frontman Chris Carrabba disguises heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics with better melodies).



Rooney – I Can’t Get Enough
If you’re looking for sunshine and good ol’ poppy melodies, look no further than this Rooney single taken off their latest album 'Eureka'. When you’re done, check out their first and second albums too.



Third Eye Blind – I Want You
Taken off their self-titled debut album, ‘I Want You’ goes deeper than what the title implies. Much like an addiction: ‘...here I am and I wanna take a hit of your scent because it gets so deep into my soul...’ For more 3eb love songs, see ‘Bonfire’, ‘Blinded’, ‘Deep Inside You’ and ‘Never Let You Go’.



Estrella – Stay
Here’s a dash of some local flavour. Estrella may not be around anymore, but this track stays (get it?). We’re not one for begging, but ‘Stay’ is refreshingly good that we’ll make an exception.



The Cure – Friday I’m in Love
It's a happy song. If you get rejected, you can always listen to ‘Boys Don’t Cry’. For girls, there's always Adele.



Wilco – You and I
Here's a song that's sweet but realistic. You won't get any of that 'I'll catch a grenade for you' crap. Instead it's more along the lines of, 'So we fight a lot and I don't know if we're gonna be together forever but I still want to try to make it work.'

And there’s three more....

Jason Mraz – After an Afternoon
That non-album track he used to sing at live shows that drove everyone wild.

The Kinks – You Really Got Me
For a punky edge. Also good if you can’t help being a guyish guy.

Placebo – I Do
Nice if you’re into gothic love: ‘I wanna wear my face like you/Shiseido, MAC and Maybelline...’ Still a good track though.