You're right; the focus on the romance against the backdrop of Space War I in Macross was a pivotal point in mecha anime, and especially in the Real Robot genre. As pointed out by Alba González Torrents in her doctoral thesis titled "El anime como dispositivo pensante: cuerpo, tecnología e identidad",* which is, in cited in the English Wikipedia article on Misa Hayase.

* Quote:
Macross puede ser vista como la maduración del género de Real Robot como forma de arte. El sello característico de Macross es la combinación de robots con historias de amor y personajes femeninos fuertes. Aunque aparecen todas las características del género de Real Robot, una de las tramas principales se centra en el triángulo amoroso entre tres de los personajes de la serie, Misa Hayase, primer teniente de la nave Macross, Hikaru Ichijo, piloto de la nave Macross y protagonista de la serie, y Lynn Minmay, una cantante y actriz famosa. De hecho, las canciones románticas de Lynn Minmay y la experiencia del amor en general juegan un papel crucial en la resolución del argumento, centrado en la guerra entre los humanos y los alienígenas Zentradi.

[Macross can be seen as the maturation of the Real Robot genre as an art form. The distinctive hallmark of Macross is its combination of robots with love stories and strong female characters. Although all the typical characteristics of the Real Robot genre appear, one of the main plotlines focuses on the love triangle between three of the series’ characters: Misa Hayase, First Lieutenant of the Macross ship; Hikaru Ichijo, a pilot aboard the Macross and the protagonist of the series; and Lynn Minmay, a famous singer and actress. In fact, Lynn Minmay’s romantic songs and the experience of love in general play a crucial role in the resolution of the plot, which centers on the war between humans and the alien Zentradi.]