"Love Songs" is a compilation album by English musician Elton John, released on November 6, 1995, by his label The Rocket Record Company in conjunction with Mercury Records, and by MCA Records in North America on September 24, 1996. The album was a commercial success, topping the charts in three countries and achieving platinum certification in eleven countries, with multi-platinum certifications in seven. In the United States, it went on to become triple platinum by August 2000. The album also led to a music video compilation, which was released on LaserDisc, VHS, and VCD.
This Love Songs album is not the first of its kind. Elton John had released a similar compilation in 1982, also titled Love Songs, but the two collections differ in their content. The 1982 version primarily focused on John's music from 1976 to 1982, a period during which he and his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin took a break from working together, and John worked with other lyricists like Gary Osborne and Tim Rice. For the 1995 compilation, only two songs from the 1982 album—"Blue Eyes" and "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"—were included.
The 1995 Love Songs album differs between the US and UK versions in both tracklisting and sequence. In the US, ten of the fifteen tracks had been released since the Greatest Hits Volume 3 collection and included material from his second tenure with MCA, as well as two songs from his 1995 album Made in England. This version also featured live renditions of older classics such as "Candle in the Wind" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," along with two new tracks: "You Can Make History (Young Again)" and "No Valentines," both written specifically for this release.
The UK version had a different track order and included hits such as "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues," "Nikita," "True Love" (a duet with Kiki Dee), "Please," and "Song for Guy." Notably, it included the original version of "Candle in the Wind" rather than the live version. Additionally, the track "Blessed" was included in its single edit form. Unlike the US version, the UK release did not feature the two new songs "You Can Make History (Young Again)" and "No Valentines," as those were recorded after the UK version's release.
Love Songs showcases the emotional depth and range of Elton John's ballads, featuring his classic collaborations with Bernie Taupin as well as more recent work, making it a comprehensive collection of his most beloved songs.
