A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. History Love songs have been around for centuries and can be found in the histories and cultures of most societies, though their ubiquity is a modern phenomenon. The oldest known love song is the love song of Shu-Sin, which was discovered in the library of Ashurbanipal in Mesopotamia. It's about both romantic and erotic love. Prior to the discovery of the love song of Shu-Sin, Solomon's Song of Songs from the Bible was considered the oldest love song. Early history There are several theories about the origin of music in a general sense. According to Charles Darwin, it has to do with the choice of partner between woman and man (women choose male partners based on musical performances), and so the first music would be love music. Herbert Spencer saw music develop from a passionate eloquence, and music arise as an expression of emotions. In Ancient Greece civilization music was certainly made at weddings, and there were certainly love songs, as Erato as a muse was the protector of the love song, but our knowledge is written on myths and on pictures (as on vases) and not on written music based. It was not until the ninth century that a musical notation was developed in the Eastern Roman Empire, the neume notation, and after the addition of lines the staff was created around the 11th century, with which music is only well documented from this period. Medieval music A highly controversial and startling explanation of the genesis of love songs can be found in Denis de Rougemont's "Love in the Western World". De Rougemont's thesis is that the love song grew out of the courtly love songs of the troubadours, and that those songs represented a rejection of the historical Christian notion of love. Mediaeval love songs are called "Minnelied" in Middle High German, chant d'amour courtois by troubadour (Langues d'oc) or trouvère (Langues d'oïl). The (unfulfilled, unattainable) courtly love in a noble environment is therefore central. The worship of the lady is a recurring theme. A number of personae also constantly return, such as the