Anniversary

So, how long has it been now? A month, a few fast years, the golden span of a lifetime? And still you two go together like, well, like Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald as they mingle pipes and personalities for a sweet and sassy "Our Love Is Here to Stay." It's a wonderful thing, and the celebration of the day you two joined forces deserves music as beautiful as the kind you make together, from the Carpenters' bright-days classic "We've Only Just Begun," to Heat Wave's sweet soul promise "Always and Forever," to Tim McGraw & Faith Hill's simple statement of fact, "It's Your Love."

The years go on, and so does our Anniversary Essentials, in Next Steps.

Everybody has his or her idea of the perfect anniversary — Little River Band wants to say "Happy Anniversary" with a '70s-style pop-rock party; meanwhile Ray, Goodman & Brown use the exact same words to promise a romantic, slow-jam evening of love. Jazz-powered vocalist Al Jarreau is feeling all light and breezy when he sings "We're In This Love Together," and even eternally languid alterna-rockers Cowboy Junkies perk up at the thought of a simple cup of coffee with a loved one and a cheery "Anniversary Song."

For anniversary songs that run as deep as your love, hit Deep Cuts.

Harry Nilsson may have been a pop eccentric, but (just like your better half does with you) he knew what made the world and the heart tick when he recorded a lush and lovely "As Time Goes By." Each of our Anniversary Deep Cuts offers a special sort of tribute to the one who's made for you and you alone, whether it's piano man Billy Joel's ode to heart and hearth "You're My Home," or Frank Sinatra's musical proof that the perfect partner is "what life is for," "To Love and Be Loved."

So, you're getting ready to head home after a long day at the office when your eye falls on the calendar and your heart seizes — uh-huh, it's your anniversary. Hey, it's still not too late to surprise the special someone in your life — y'know, the light of your life, the one who's got a special dinner all laid out, anticipating a shower of love, attention, and gifts upon your return. Bubbly is easy enough to score, but what's really gonna make an impression is an entire playlist of anniversary songs suited perfectly to the momentous occasion, from the heartbeat soul of Alicia Keys and "No One," to Van Morrison's fail-safe romantic smoothie "Have I Told You Lately?," to an R&B reminder from Gladys Knight & The Pips of why you're there in the first place, "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me."