"Possessive Love" is a song by American singer Marilyn Martin, released by Atlantic in February 1988 as the lead single from her second studio album, This Is Serious.

[2] In the US, "Possessive Love" was released in February 1988 and was a commercial disappointment, failing to enter the Billboard Hot 100 or the Cash Box Top 100 Singles charts, although it did generate radio airplay.

[9][10] Upon its release as a single, Billboard praised "Possessive Love" as a "strong pop item" that "may get Martin the solo attention she deserves" and "should once and for all break her out of the middle-of-the-road mold".

[11] Cash Box noted the single "allows Marilyn to venture further into the world of funk-pop" and believed that, following the success of "Separate Lives", her 1985 duet with Phil Collins, the "energetic and hooky tune should place her again at the top of the pops".

The reviewer noted that the "carefree bounciness and sparkle are not much of a surprise" due to Leonard and Verdick's involvement as producers and continued, "Contagious and radio friendly, that is for sure; but the composition itself falls a bit short.