Best of My Love (The Emotions song)

Last updated
"Best of My Love"
Best of My Love - The Emotions.jpg
Single by the Emotions
from the album Rejoice
B-side "A Feeling Is"
ReleasedJune 9, 1977 (1977-6-9)
Genre
Length3:42
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Emotions singles chronology
"I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love"
(1976)		"Best of My Love"
(1977)		"Don't Ask My Neighbors"
(1977)
Music video
"Best of My Love" on YouTube

"Best of My Love" is a song by American band The Emotions from their fourth studio album Rejoice (1977). 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 five in the UK and Canada, the top 10 in New Zealand, and the top 20 in Australia.

Contents

"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; The tune also won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single. [3] [4]

Background

This tune was composed by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire, also produced by White and Clarence McDonald. n [5]

"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). [6]

Commercial performance

The single achieved huge success, remaining on top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for five non-consecutive weeks. [7] On the disco chart, "Best of My Love" peaked at number 11. [8] The song was ranked at number 87 on "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs". [9] As well this was 1977's third biggest pop hit and fifth biggest R&B hit. [10] [11] "Best of My Love" has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA and Gold in the UK by the BPI. [12] [13]

Critical reception

Craig Lytle of AllMusic said of "Best of My Love", "This spirited cut is seasoned with a fierce arrangement, in particular the horns, and incomparable vocals". [14] Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described the tune as "one of the year's most delightful singles". [15]

Billboard ranked the song at number one on their 2015 list of the Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [16] Billboard also ranked the track at number 10 on their 2017 list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. [17] 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. [18]

Covers and samples

"Best of My Love" has been covered by Mary J. Blige, Ella Eyre, Sheena Easton, Unchain and Samantha Jade. [19] It has been sampled by De La Soul, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Girl Talk, Kylie Minogue, C+C Music Factory, Keyshia Cole, Mariah Carey and Tamia. [19] Most recently, it appeared in Paul Russell's "Lil Boo Thang". [20]

Appearances In Other Media

Best of My Love appeared on the soundtrack of the 1997 feature film Boogie Nights. [21]

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Best of My Love"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [39]
Physical release 		Silver250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [40]
Digital release 		Gold400,000‡
United States (RIAA) [41] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

C. J. Lewis version

"Best of My Love"
Single by C. J. Lewis
from the album Dollars
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1994
Recorded1994
Genre Reggae fusion
Length3:47
Label Black Market International, MCA
Songwriter(s) Maurice White, Al McKay
Producer(s) C. J. Lewis, Phillip Leo
C. J. Lewis singles chronology
"Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
(1994)		"Best of My Love"
(1994)		"Dollars"
(1994)

British reggae singer C. J. Lewis covered "Best of My Love" and released it as a single on September 26, 1994. [42] His version reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, and peaked at number 11 in New Zealand. [43] [44]

Track listings

7" Single

  1. Best Of My Love (Phil's New Mix) 3:47
  2. Two Timer (Album Version) 3:54

Charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [45] 28
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [46] 11
UK Singles (OCC) [47] 13

References

  1. ↑ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (July 17, 2000). "Bar Wars: Disco". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 2. ISBN   978-0-312-19821-3.
  2. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (November 18, 2019). "The Number Ones: The Emotions' "Best Of My Love"". Stereogum . Retrieved July 4, 2023. "Best Of My Love," like so many soul songs before it, is really just a gospel song.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "Emotions win Soul Single - AMA 1978". American Music Awards. November 18, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2025– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ The Emotions: Best of My Love. Columbia Records. 1977.
  6. ↑ "The Emotions - Best of My Love". musicnotes.com. 25 March 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Best of My Love - The Emotions". AllMusic . Retrieved April 13, 2008.
  8. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 89. ISBN   978-0898201567.
  9. ↑ "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (90-81)". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2008.
  10. ↑ "The Billboard Hot 100 of 1977". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of 1977". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA . Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  13. ↑ "The Emotions: Best of My Love". BPI . Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  14. ↑ Lytle, Craig. "The Emotions: Rejoice". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
  15. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (October 2, 1977). "International Disk Derby: Emphasis on Rock 'n' Roll". Los Angeles Times . p. 82.
  16. ↑ "Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard . March 2, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  17. ↑ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  18. ↑ Ryan, Sean (24 September 2018). "Top 51 Best Love Songs: The Heavy Power List". Heavy.com . Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  19. 1 2 "Best of My Love: The Emotions". Genius.com .
  20. ↑ Zellner, Xander (September 26, 2023). "Hot 100 First-Timers: Paul Russell's 'Lil Boo Thang' Gets Bigger With Debut". Billboard . Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen, Boogie Nights: Music From the Original Motion Picture (Various Artists), Allmusic , retrieved 2025-04-02
  22. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  23. ↑ "Emotions – Best of My Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Emotions – Best of My Love" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5417a." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Emotions – Best of My Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Emotions – Best of My Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  28. ↑ "UK Official Singles Chart". UK Official Charts Company. September 10, 1977. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Hot 100 Chart - Billboard". Billboard . Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart - Billboard", Billboard, retrieved January 6, 2018
  31. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 89. ISBN   978-0898201567.
  32. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 3, 1977". Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Top 100 Músicas Mais Tocadas em 1977" [Top 100 Most Played Songs of 1977]. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  34. ↑ "Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 14, December 31 1977". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  35. ↑ 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.
  36. ↑ "Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart - 1977". Music Outfitters. 1977. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  37. ↑ "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.
  38. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  39. ↑ "British single certifications – Emotions – Best of My Love". British Phonographic Industry.
  40. ↑ "British single certifications – Emotions – Best of My Love". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  41. ↑ "American single certifications – Emotions – Best of My Love". Recording Industry Association of America.
  42. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week . September 24, 1994. p. 25.
  43. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. October 4, 1994. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  44. ↑ "CJ Lewis – Best of My Love". charts.nz. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  45. ↑ Zealand singles charts
  46. ↑ "CJ Lewis – Best of My Love". charts.nz. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  47. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. October 4, 1994. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
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