The King’s Can’t Help Falling in Love ballad from 1961 movie Blue Hawaii was number one in the chart, ahead of modern hits including Sheeran’s multi-platinum selling Thinking Out Loud, Adele’s Make You Feel My Love and Legend’s All of Me.
All but one track in the list’s top five were sentimental 1960s’ classics regularly rolled out as newlyweds’ sway together after saying “I do”.
Frankie Valli’s version of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was second, Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight was third and The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody came in at number five.
The research of 2,000 adults also revealed Legend’s All Of Me was in fourth place – followed by Sir Elton John’s Your Song, released in 1970.
Gordon Harrison, chief audiologist at Specsavers, which commissioned the research to highlight the importance of hearing when it comes to our relationship with music, said: “It’s apparent that music plays a huge part in our lives and is something we associate with key moments and memories.
“This is why it is absolutely essential we’re doing all we can to protect our hearing, so we can keep enjoying this passion of ours for years to come.”
The study asked people to vote for their dream playlists to accompany some of life’s most major milestones, including a painful break-up, falling in love, moving away from home for the first time and landing a job.
The break-up playlist was topped by R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts – with Adele’s Someone Like You and Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2U in second and third place respectively.
Respondents said Walking on Sunshine was the ultimate feel-good track to accompany falling in love.
Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way was rated the best tune to play when celebrating moving away from home for the first time – and Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen was the number one choice to mark getting a job.
Such is the emotional impact of music on people’s lives that seven in 10 are transported back to key moments when they hear a particular song.
And 79 per cent admit it has the power to change their mood at a moment’s notice, according to the findings via OnePoll.
While more than three quarters associate particular songs with key milestones in their lives, 78 per cent would expect to feel devastated if their ability to listen to the music was stolen away from them.
Despite this, more than half admit they listen to music at a volume they expect could damage their hearing, while nearly a third ignore the volume warning when listening through headphones on their phone.
What’s more, 58 per cent say they have never had a hearing test.
Musician Gareth Malone, who is working with Specsavers to encourage people to protect their hearing so they can continue to enjoy their relationship with music, said: “After being diagnosed with tinnitus I have been fastidious with wearing hearing protection. There’s the perception that louder equals better, but that isn’t the case.
“We all have our own thresholds and if you are perceiving something to be loud then it probably is, and you need to consider how long you want your hearing for.”
Gordon added: “While many enjoy the benefits of hearing when it comes to music, it’s apparent that many aren’t taking the necessary measures to look after it and could be causing irreversible damage that cannot be restored.
“It’s so important to protect your ears if you are exposed to high levels of noise. Not only can loud noise cause pain, tinnitus and a temporary loss of hearing, long-term exposure to noise can cause permanent, irreparable nerve damage, that may not show up for a number of years.
“This research has highlighted to us the true importance of music as a whole – and the need to encourage people to listen appropriately and get their hearing tested to ensure they avoid losing such enjoyment.”
THE UK’S TOP 35 WEDDING FIRST DANCE SONGS
1. Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
2. Can’t Take My Eyes off You – Frankie Valli
3. The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
4. All of Me – John Legend
5. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
6. Your Song – Elton John
7. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
8. Make You Feel My Love – Adele
9. Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
10. At Last – Etta James
11. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
12. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
13. You Are – Lionel Richie
14. Happy – Pharrell
15. Kiss Me – Ed Sheeran
16. Never Let Me Go – Florence + The Machine
17. Perfect Duet – Ed Sheeran & Beyoncé
18. Hold Me – Stevie Wonder
19. Have You Ever Been In Love – Céline Dion
20. Marry Me – Train
21. Give Me Love – Ed Sheeran
22. You & I (Nobody in The World) – John Legend
23. Amazed – Lonestar
24. Better Together – Jack Johnson
25. First Day of My Life – Bright Eyes
26. This Kiss – Faith Hill
27. That’s When I Knew – Alicia Keys
28. Falling Like the Stars – James Arthur
29. I Won't Give Up – Jason Mraz
30. There Will Be Time – Mumford & Sons Feat. Baaba Maal
31. Come Rain or Come Shine – Ray Charles
32. Teenage Dream – Boyce Avenue
33. 500 Miles – Sleeping at Last
34. Latch – Sam Smith
35. Escapade – Janet Jackson
