It isn’t really a song, per se (instrumental), but Faith No More’s version of the theme from Midnight Cowboy is simply gorgeous.
I think I’ll second Sigmundex and say that Lovefool by Cardigans is really pretty.
Also in league with it are:
Where the wild roses grow - by Nick Cave
Perfect Day - by Lou Reed
Having only heard Nightswimming more than once of all the songs listed above, I feel unqualified to answer, but…
Under the Bridge, by Red Hot Chili Peppers. The one most people call City of Angels.
So many of my faves have already been named, but I’ll add Fields of Gold by Sting and The Weakness In Me by Joan Armitrading.
Verdi Cries by 10,000 Maniacs makes me weep.
King of May by Natalie Merchant is gloriously beautiful.
Moonlight Sonata Beethoven
“Dear Mr. Jesus” by “The Power Station,” featuring Sharon Batts on lead vocals.
Jeez, I thought the band at least would be mentioned, they’ve done so many pretty songs…but the best, IMO, is The Traveller (Days are Numbers) by the Alan Parsons Project.
The first time ever I saw your face
Wendell Wagner has the dope.
I meant the Roberta Flack version. I knew Ewan MacColl wrote it but I’ve never heard the ‘original’ only the ‘hit’. The more recent version had a #@%*ing dance beat and changed the harmony(!). Don’t you hate it when a current chart act covers a song and stomps all over it.
Going for complete obscurity…
Queen of Eyes by the Soft Boys.
Rhapsody In Blue, G. Gershwin
Wind Beneath My Wings, L. Henely/J. Silbar
Just got to add
“Forever Autumn” From Rick Wakeman’s “War of the Worlds” Album
Yesterday The Beatles.
She’s Leaving Home The Beatles.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World Israel Ka’amakawiwo Ole.
Voi che sapete from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the prettiest aria in an opera overflowing with beautiful music.
Russian chant is notable for having a number of very pretty melodies, but the most beautiful, I think, is the Carpatho-Rusyn melody for “Bogorodice Devo” (“Hail Mary”), especially when harmonized and sung by a women’s choir. The Valaam melody for “The Angel Cried” is also very nice, though.
h.sapiens: Speaking of Marriage of Figaro, what’s the piece at the very end that starts out something like “Pace, Pace, Mio Tesoro” (pardon my phonetic spelling)? That’s way too gorgous for words.
I’ve always thought Heaven Knows on Robert Plant’s album Now & Zen was really pretty. Although it’s been a long time since I listened to it. I was younger then I’m older than that now ( 
) and tastes change, you know.
My votes:
Sanvean, by Dead Can Dance
Bylar, by Dead Can Dance
The Dark Night of the Soul, by Loreena Mckennitt
Adagio for Strings, by Samuel Barber
My nominee is “Wonderful Baby” by Don Maclean. I think it’s a lullaby he wrote for one of his children. I can’t remember the title of this piece, but I’d love it if a Doper could interpret these maddening clues for me. It’s by Andrea Bocelli, an Italian blind male opera singer of a couple of years ago. Is the title similar to “Time to Say goodbye”? I think he sang it as a duet with a female opera singer at the Academy awards a couple of years ago.
Here’s a few of my picks…
Seven Bridges Road - The Eagles
Wasted Time (reprise) - The Eagles
Jessica’s Theme - soundtrack from The Man From Snowy River
Moviola - John Barry (who also wrote We Have All The Time in the World guy_from_wpa)
Courtyard Lullaby - Loreena McKennitt
Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella - traditional - as played by Emile Pandolfi
Night In That Land - Nightnoise
The first part of Ignacio by Vangelis (it’s featured on the Cosmos series but is originally from the film Etends-Tu Les Chiens Aboyer?)
Heaven & Hell, Pt. 1 - also by Vangelis (also featured on Cosmos)
Massenet’s Meditation de Thais - played by Joshua Bell
Vincent - by Don McLean and sung either by him or Josh Groban
Mysteries of Love - composed by Angelo Badalamenti and sung by Julee Cruise - from the soundtrack of Blue Velvet
Medstar - it was Time to Say Goodbye which Bocelli sung with Sarah Brightman.
Norwegian Wood , and a second vote for Pink Moon, Waterloo Sunset and Vibrate.
There’s an instrumental by Moby with a long title, God Moving Over the Face of the Waters , I think. Anyway, very pretty stuff.
Osbie says:
Thanks, Osbie. That was such a beautiful song, sung by two people who could do it justice.