Relationships are hard. When the goings get tough and you and your partner are faced with hard times, it can feel easy to just give up and move on. However, sometimes, you may feel that you want to fight for your love and get through these hard times, no matter what.
If you’re in this type of situation, this playlist of songs is for you. These 20 songs below are all dedicated to relationships staying together and sticking it out through the hard times. These songs are full of raw emotions and deal with themes such as heartbreak, forgiveness, loyalty, and perseverance!
1. “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” by Otis Redding
“I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” by Otis Redding, released in 1968, follows the singer as he expresses his heartbreak over seeing his partner with another man. If you’re looking for a song that deals with staying together after cheating, look no further.
Even though Redding saw his woman with another man, and even though he’s completely heartbroken over it, he still wants to stay together. After all, he loves her.
He ends up singing, “I still want you to stay / I still love you anyway / I don’t want you to ever leave.”
2. “Stay Together” by Ludacris
Ludacris’ 2008 song “Stay Together” is about staying together forever and fighting the odds. In this song, Ludacris talks about all the people who have broken up over the years, name-dropping many celebrity couples in the process. He explains that everybody breaks up.
However, he also says that he doesn’t want to break up with his partner. Instead, he thinks that they should stay together forever!
3. “Let’s Stay Together” by Pat Benatar
In “Let’s Stay Together”, Pat Benatar explains that we all do so much better when we’re not alone. She discusses various relationships, such as a child’s relationship with their parents. However, she also sings about romantic relationships and says that she wants to stay with her partner, even through rough times.
She sings, “Let’s stay together / Life’s too hard to make it all alone / An’ peace and harmony don’t come in packages with bows.”
4. “Hard Times Are Over” by Yoko Ono & John Lennon
Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s 1980 song “Hard Times Are Over” opens with the lyrics, “It’s been very hard / But it’s getting easier now / Hard times are over, over for a while.” In this song, Ono expresses how the couple had some hard times when it truly looked like their relationship wouldn’t last.
However, they both stuck together, as they didn’t want to split. They tried their best to make their relationship work. This song shows that they were successful, as now all of their hard times are officially over!
5. “Hard Times” by Ringo Starr
“Hard Times” by Ringo Starr, first released in 1978, is all about struggling relationships. Starr sings about how much he likes one woman. He wants to be with her, of that he’s sure. However, she makes things rather difficult for him in many different ways.
As a result, he ends up singing, “But when she loves me, she loves me / She gives me hard times.”
6. “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
Al Green’s 1971 hit song “Let’s Stay Together” follows the singer as he expresses his love for his special someone. Green sings about how much he loves his partner in this R&B song. He wants to stay with her forever. He doesn’t care about the issues they may have in the future, as he knows that they’ll always manage to get through these tough times together.
Therefore, he ends up singing the memorable lyrics, “Let’s, we ought to stay together / Lovin’ you whether / Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad.”
7. “Stay Together” by Jennifer Lopez
“Stay Together” by Jennifer Lopez, which appears on her 2007 album Brave, explores the happiness Lopez feels in her relationship. She sees that so many people easily break up when hard times appear. However, she and her partner never seem to have this issue, as they always make it through these difficult moments.
She sings, “Heartbreaks are overrated / Stay together, that’s the new trend.”
8. “Hard Times For Lovers” by Neil Diamond
In “Hard Times For Lovers”, Neil Diamond sings about making it through hard times. He admits that those wanting romantic relationships likely are having a tough go at it. As a result, he talks about various situations that prove what a hard time it is for lovers.
However, he also says that he doesn’t think love and romance are supposed to be easy. To find a real relationship that stands the test of time and all the problems that are thrown its way is what everyone wants! So, he sings, “It isn’t easy, you can take it from me / But maybe easy ain’t the way / It’s supposed to be / Hard times for lovers.”
9. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran follows a romance that begins to struggle thanks to old age. At the beginning of the song, Sheeran sings the lyrics, “When your legs don’t work like they used to before / And I can’t sweep you off of your feet / Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?”
However, he goes on to say that he’ll always love his partner. Though they may be young now, he’ll be there for her when she’s old and needs his help.
10. “Fight For This Love” by Cheryl
“Fight For This Love” by Cheryl follows the singer as she talks about fighting for someone you love. She sings about how much she loves her partner, even though they have had their fair share of issues in the past. Regardless, she knows that this love is worth fighting for.
Therefore, she sings, “If it’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for.”
11. “Hoax” by Taylor Swift
“Hoax” by Taylor Swift, which appears on her 2020 album folklore, is one of the sadder songs on this list. Swift sings about the pain she’s gone through in a relationship. She sings that the one she loves has hurt her more than anyone else has in her life — and she’s been through a lot.
However, even though her partner has caused her such pain, she still wants to be with him and loves him. She sings the lyrics, “Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in / Don’t want no other shade of blue but you / No other sadness in the world would do.”
12. “I’d Rather” by Luther Vandross
In “I’d Rather”, Luther Vandross sings to the partner he left when things became tough. However, now that he’s left her, he realizes that she’s the one for him. After being alone and even trying to move on with someone else, he’s finally realized that he cannot move on from her. Therefore, this is one of the best songs about fixing relationships!
Vandross sings, “I’d rather have bad times with you than good times with someone else.”
13. “I Never Wanna Live Without You” by Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige’s 1994 song “I Never Wanna Live Without You” follows the singer as she explains how much she loves her partner. She wished that she would find someone like them. Now that she has them, she doesn’t want to let them go. Instead, she wants to stay with them forever!
She also explains that she knows they’ll make it through any hard times they may have. She sings, “I don’t wanna be alone / So baby, let’s stay together / Through any kind of weather.”
14. “This Love” by Taylor Swift
In “This Love”, Taylor Swift sings about a relationship that seems to always come back to her. The love she experiences isn’t just good, as it also has some bad moments. However, she cannot seem to let this person go and instead may want to stick together through these hard times.
In the chorus, she sings the lyrics, “This love is good, this love is bad / This love is alive back from the dead / These hands had to let it go free, and / This love came back to me.”
15. “Love Will Always Win” by Faith Hill
Now, it’s time for a country song! Faith Hill’s 1998 song “Love Will Always Win” also talks about staying together through hard times. Hill sings about her romance and how some may now want her relationship to succeed. However, regardless of what life throws her way, Hill believes in her relationship.
She sings, “And the world tries to break us down / But the world will bend / And the fight will end / Love will always win.”
16. “Hard Times” by James Taylor
“Hard Times” by James Taylor, which appears on his 1981 album Dad Loves His Work, explores how hard it can be to continue on in a relationship. Taylor recognizes how difficult romantic relationships are. He sees this in his own.
However, he believes that he and his partner should stick together and try to make it. He sings, “Hard times, hard times, holding it together ain’t always easy / Angry man, hungry woman, driving each other crazy / We’ve got to hold on, got to hold on.”
17. “Don’t Matter” by Akon
Feel as if everyone hates your relationship? “Don’t Matter” by Akon is the song for you. In this song, Akon sings about how much he loves his partner. However, so many people don’t want their relationship to work out in the end. But Akon doesn’t care!
He sings, “Nobody wanna see us together, but it don’t matter, no / ‘Cause I got you, babe.”
18. “Promise Me” by Luther Vandross
“Promise Me” by Luther Vandross, first released in 1982, explores Vandross’ relationship, which is struggling. Vandross sings about how his partner may want to leave him. Something is wrong in their relationship. Vandross, however, doesn’t want this relationship to end and feels that they should fight for their love!
He sings the lyrics, “We can work at our love / And make it all brand-new / If we stay together / There’s nothing we can’t do.”
19. “In Private” by Dusty Springfield
1989’s “In Private” by Dusty Springfield details a complicated relationship. Springfield wants to work out her problematic relationship. She feels that her partner also wants to — but she also knows that he’s likely saying different things to her in private than what he’s saying to others in public.
Regardless, she thinks they should stay together. She sings, “We should stay together / If we can.”
20. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys
Finally, we have the last song on our list! “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys, first released in 1966 on the album Pet Sounds, is one of the best songs about staying together in a relationship!
In this iconic song, the band sings about how so many young people feel when they’re in relationships, especially if they’ve found themselves in relationships that may have a few problems or stumbles along the way!
The band sings, “You know it’s gonna make it that much better / When we can say goodnight and stay together.”