A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship. The term comes from the saying, "to carry a torch for someone", or to keep aflame the light of an unrequited love. Tommy Lyman started the use in his praise of "My Melancholy Baby."
Torch singing is more of a niche than a genre, and can stray from the traditional jazz-influenced style of singing, although the American tradition of the torch song typically relies upon the melodic structure of the blues. Some examples of torch songs are "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (1927), "Lili Marlene" (1938), "One for My Baby" (1943), "Cry Me a River" (1953), "The Man That Got Away" (1954), "Ne me quitte pas" and "Here's That Rainy Day" (1959), "Rhythm of the Rain" (1962), "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (1965), "One Less Bell to Answer" (1970), "Losing My Mind" (1971), "I Will Always Love You" (1974), "And I Am Telling You" (1982), "Kayleigh" (1985), "I Want You" (1986), "You're Beautiful" (2004), and "Same Old Love" (2015).
Torch singers
Female singers of the pop vocal tradition are referred to as torch singers when their repertoire consists predominantly of material of that nature. Though torch songs were usually previously associated with female singers, in recent years the term has also been applied to male singers, most notably Frank Sinatra.