Best of My Love (The Emotions song)
"Best of My Love" is a song by American band The Emotions from their fourth studio album Rejoice (1977). It was composed by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire, and produced by White and Clarence McDonald.
"Best of My Love" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by The Emotions | ||||
from the album Rejoice | ||||
B-side | "A Feeling Is" | |||
Released | June 9, 1977 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:42 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
The Emotions singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Best of My Love" on YouTube |
Released as the album's lead single on June 9, 1977, the song topped both the US Billboard Hot 100 and US Billboard R&B charts. It also reached the Top 5 in the UK and Canada, the Top 10 in New Zealand, and the Top 20 in Australia.
"Best of My Love" won a Grammy at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards (1977) for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; it also won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.[1][2]
Overview
The song was ranked at number 87 on "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs".[3] It was also the third biggest pop song of 1977 and the fifth biggest R&B song of 1977.[4][5] "Best of My Love" has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA and silver in the UK by the BPI.[6]
Recent reviews have been largely positive, and the song continues to appear on "Best of the '70s" lists.[7][8] In 2015, Billboard ranked the song at number one on their list of the Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[9] Billboard also ranked the track at number 10 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[10] In 2018, "Best of My Love" was ranked at number six on Heavy's list of Top 51 Best Love Songs: The Heavy Power List.[11]
Song description
The song has an upbeat vibe, with a prominent bass line and horns accenting the drums between the verses and chorus.
Composition
"Best of My Love" was originally published in the key of C major in common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. The vocals span from C4 to A5 (although in the outro of the song, one of the Emotions hits a C6).[12]
Critical reception
Craig Lytle of AllMusic called "Best of My Love" a "rapidly paced" song. Lytle added "This spirited cut is seasoned with a fierce arrangement, in particular the horns, and incomparable vocals."[13] Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described the tune as "one of the year's most delightful singles".[14]
Commercial performance
The single achieved huge success, remaining on top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for five non-consecutive weeks and reaching number one on the R&B Singles Chart.[15] On the disco chart, "Best of My Love" peaked at number 11.[16] Eventually, the single received a Platinum certification from (RIAA), becoming the Emotions' biggest hit to date and their only single to receive a certification.
Personnel
- Clarence McDonald – piano, clavinet
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Al McKay – guitar
- Larry Dunn – synthesizer
- Verdine White – bass
- Fred White – drums
- Tom Tom 84 (Thomas Washington) – string and horn arrangements
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Uses in other media
The song is featured in the opening scene of the 1997 feature film, Boogie Nights.
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Physical Release |
Silver | 250,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Digital Release |
Silver | 250,000![]() |
United States (RIAA)[28] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals - The 20th Annual Grammy Awards (1977)". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- "American Music Award: Favourite Soul/R&B Single". Rock on the Net. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
- "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (90-81)". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
- "The Billboard Hot 100 of 1977". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of 1977". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- "Top 500 Songs of the 1970s". Bradboard. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
- "The Top 100 Seventies Singles". Super Seventies. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
- "Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. March 2, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- Ryan, Sean (24 September 2018). "Top 51 Best Love Songs: The Heavy Power List". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- "The Emotions - Best of My Love". musicnotes.com. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- Lytle, Craig. "The Emotions: Rejoice". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
- Hilburn, Robert (October 2, 1977). "International Disk Derby: Emphasis on Rock 'n' Roll". Los Angeles Times. p. 82 – via newspapers.com.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - "Best of My Love - The Emotions". AllMusic. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 89. ISBN 978-0898201567.
- UK Official Singles Chart, UK Official Charts Company, September 10, 1977, retrieved February 18, 2019
- "Best of My Love - The Emotions". AllMusic. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
- "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart - Billboard", Billboard, retrieved January 6, 2018
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 89. ISBN 978-0898201567.
- "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 3, 1977". Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 14, December 31 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- Hunter, Nigel; Scaping, Peter, eds. (1978). "Top 100 Singles in 1977". BPI Year Book 1978 (3rd ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 216–17. ISBN 0-906154-01-4.
- "Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart - 1977". Music Outfitters. 1977. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. December 31, 1977. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
- "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- "British single certifications – Emotions – Best of My Love". British Phonographic Industry.
- "American single certifications – Emotions – Best of My Love". Recording Industry Association of America.