It’s hard enough to be a mom in good times. These songs are dedicated to the mothers who brought their families through the tough times.

1. Anything Jay-Z; Vol.3-Life & Times Of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella/IDJMG)
2. Coat Of Many Colors Dolly Parton; Super Hits (Columbia)
3. Dear Mama 2Pac; Me Against The World (Interscope)
4. One’s On The Way (Here In Topeka) Loretta Lynn; Greatest Hits Live (MCA)
5. Rock And Roll Lullaby B.J. Thomas; Greatest Hits (Rhino)
6. Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp O.C. Smith; Me And You (Columbia Spec. Prod.)
7. Strong One, The Clint Black; Single-The Strong One (Equity)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Holidays: Mother’s Day, Holidays: Mother’s Day for Non-Traditional Families, and Family: Mothers.

Hard to choose just a few songs about love, because that’s what songwriters love to write about! But here’s a short list for Valentines Day.

1. Any Time At All Beatles; Something New (Capitol)
2. Feels Like Tonight Daughtry; Daughtry (RCA/RMG)
3. Hey, Soul Sister Train; Save Me, San Francisco (Columbia)
4. High James Blunt; Back To Bedlam (Atlantic)
5. OMG Usher featuring Will.I.Am; Raymond v Raymond (LaFace/JLG)
6. Share My Life Kem; Intimacy (Universal Motown/UMRG)
7. You Belong With Me Taylor Swift; Fearless (Big Machine)

Looking for more? GreenBookofSongs.com® has dozens of Love categories!

Getting ready to celebrate Mom? Here are a few songs for your playlist:

1. Another Side Of You Joe Nichols; Real Things (Universal South)
2. I’ll Always Love My Mama Intruders; Best Of The Intruders-Cowboys To Girls (Legacy/Epic)
3. In My Arms Plumb; Blink (Curb) Mama’s Song Urban Mystic; Ghetto Revelations (Warner Bros.)
4. No One Loves You Any Better Than Your M-O-Double-M-Y John Lithgow; Singin’ In The Bathtub (Sony Wonder)
5. You Were Always There Donna Fargo; The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. (Universal)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookOfSongs.com® categories Holidays: Mother’s Day and Holidays: Mother’s Day for Non-Traditional Families.

Here are songs about love you can believe in! Happy Valentine’s Day.

1. As Stevie Wonder; Songs In The Key Of Life (Motown)
2. Breathe In Breathe Out Mat Kearney; Nothing Left To Lose (Aware/Columbia)
3. I Keep On Loving You Reba McEntire; Keep On Loving You (Starstruck/Valory)
4. I’m In Keith Urban; Defying Gravity (Capitol Nashville) Little Green Apples O.C. Smith; Pop Classics Of The ’60s (Columbia)
5. Share My Life Kem; Intimacy (Universal Motown/UMRG)
6. Trust Keyshia Cole duet with Monica; A Different Me (Amaru/Imani/Geffen/Interscope)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookOfSongs.com® category Love: Devotion.

Here are a few musical ways to let Dad know you love him!

1. Always Be Your Baby Natalie Grant; Deeper Love (Curb)
2. Daddy Beyonce; ST/Daddy’s Little Girls (Atlantic)
3. Father’s Love, A (The Only Way He Knew How) Bucky Covington; I’m Alright (Lyric Street)
4. Father’s Way, A Seal; A Father’s Way (Warner Bros.)
5. Forty Again John Berry; Faces (Capitol)
6. Song For Dad Keith Urban; Golden Road (Capitol)

Hear audio clips of these songs at GreenBookofSongs.com®. And for more songs on this topic, see our category Holidays: Father’s Day.

Seriously, we love our mothers! But let’s be a little less serious for a moment. Here’s a playlist of more playful songs about Mom.

1. ’Fore She Was Mama Clay Walker; Fall (Asylum/Curb)
2. And Her Mother Came Too Bobby Short; 40 By Bobby Short (Atlantic)
3. Harper Valley P.T.A. Jeannie C. Riley; Harper Valley P.T.A. (Plantation)
4. Mama Pushed Me Out Brave Combo; Holidays! (Rounder)
5. No One Loves You Any Better Than Your M-O-Double-M-Y John Lithgow; Singin’ In The Bathtub (Sony Wonder)
6. Queen Of Las Vegas B-52’s; Whammy! (Warner Bros.)
7. Use A Napkin (Not Your Mom) Kathy Kallick; Mother, Queen Of My Heart-A Collection Of Songs Inspired By Mom-C (Sugar Hill)

Find more songs for Mother’s Day in the GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Family: Mothers and Holidays: Mother’s Day.

In a different economy, maybe we’d do what the commercials suggest, and buy our sweethearts expensive gifts for Valentine’s Day. Diamonds, vacations, dozens of roses — they all sound great. But is it necessary to spend a lot, just to let that special person know how you feel?

GreenBookofSongs.com® has another idea. Play your Valentine one of the following songs, selected from 254 in our category Love: Love & Money. They all express a common theme: Valentine’s Day is about love and devotion, tenderness and togetherness.

So hug your honey, and remember: It’s not about the gift. Happy Valentine’s Day!

• Alright Ledisi
• Can’t Buy Me Love Beatles
• Cool Anthony Hamilton featuring David Banner
• Give Me You Mary J. Blige
• It’s Good To Be Us Bucky Covington
• Livin’ On A Prayer Bon Jovi
• She’s Funny That Way Frank Sinatra
• Try A Little Tenderness Otis Redding

In the wake of the dispute between music celebrities Rihanna and Chris Brown, there has been increased attention to the problem of domestic abuse and violence between partners. This important issue has been the subject of many popular songs from a variety of genres; here’s a sample.

1. Black Eyes, Blue Tears Shania Twain; Come On Over (Mercury)
2. Down With The Sickness Disturbed; The Sickness (Giant)
3. Face Down Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; Don’t You Fake It (Virgin)
4. Football Tonite (WTOP) Rugburns; Morning Wood (Manifesto)
5. I Think About You Collin Raye; I Think About You (Epic)
6. Maria’s Lament Chuck Brodsky; Fingerprinter’s Murals (Waterbug)
7. Stupid Boy Keith Urban; Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing (Capitol)
8. U.N.I.T.Y. Queen Latifah; Black Reign (Motown)

For more songs on this topic, see the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Domestic Abuse.

GreenBookofSongs.com® includes more than 30 categories about various aspects of love. You’ll find everything from “Attracted To You” to “Get Lost”! In 2008, more hit songs fell into Love:  Choose Me than any other love category. Accordingly, we selected songs from that category in honor of Valentine’s Day.

1. All I Ever Wanted Chuck Wicks; Starting Now (RCA)
2. Diary Of Jane Breaking Benjamin; Phobia (Hollywood)
3. Heaven Sent Keyshia Cole; Just Like You (Imani/Geffen)
4. In The Colors Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals; Lifeline (Virgin)
5. Realize Colbia Caillat; Coco (Universal Republic)
6. Staying With Me Los Lonely Boys; Forgiven (Epic)

As Christmas approaches, we’re thinking of soldiers separated from their families. Here’s a playlist for those far from home this holiday season.

1. Bring Him Home Santa Music Trust; Single-Bring Him Home Santa (Stroudavarious)
2. Christmas In The Desert Paul Parr; Single-Christmas In The Desert (Myspace)
3. I’ll Be Home For Christmas Vince Gill; Let There Be Peace On Earth (MCA)
4. Love’s In Our Hearts On Christmas Day ’N Sync; Home For Christmas (RCA)
5. Merry Christmas, Darling Carpenters; From The Top (A&M)
6. Sailing Home For Christmas Doug Stone; First Christmas (Epic)
7. Santa Will Find You Mindy Smith; My Holiday (Vanguard)
8. When You Trim Your Christmas Tree Bing Crosby; Christmas Album (PSM)

For more songs on this topic, visit GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Christmas: Love, Love: Love & War and Love: Separation.