The term romance (Spanish: romance/romanza, Italian: romanza, German: Romanze, French: romance, Russian: романс, Portuguese: romance, Romanian: romanţă) has a centuries-long history. Applied to narrative ballads in Spain, it came to be used by the 18th century for simple lyrical pieces not only for voice, but also for instruments alone. The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that "generally it implies a specially personal or tender quality".

Typically, a Classical piece or movement called a "Romance" is in three, meaning three beats in the bar

Mozart subtitled the second movement of his piano concerto no. 20 in D minor (K.466) "Romanze" and the second movement of his third horn concerto "Romance".

Franz Liszt wrote a Romance in E minor in 1842 in Moscow.^{[citation needed]}

Robert Schumann was particularly fond of the title for lyrical piano pieces.

Georges Bizet's "Je crois entendre encore" from The Pearl Fishers (1863) is labelled a romance in the score.

Giuseppe Verdi's "Celeste Aida" from Aida (1871) is labelled romanza.

Franz Lehar's "Wie einen Rosenknospe" from "The Merry Widow" is labelled "Romance".