Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1993, 13 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Adult Contemporary. The chart was compiled based on playlists submitted by radio stations through the issue of Billboard dated July 10, after which a new methodology was introduced which used airplay data compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, which provided a more accurate reflection of the spins which songs were actually receiving. [1]
At the start of the year, Whitney Houston was at number one with "I Will Always Love You", [2] from the soundtrack of the film The Bodyguard , in which she starred. [3] In the issue of Billboard dated January 23, the track was displaced from the top spot by another song from a film soundtrack, as "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" by Peabo Bryson featuring Regina Belle, from the animated film Aladdin , [4] reached number one. Both songs also topped the magazine's all-genre chart, the Hot 100. [5] [6] Houston returned to the top of the chart with another song from The Bodyguard in May, spending two weeks at number one "I Have Nothing". [3] In addition to Houston, two other artists had two number ones in 1993. Jazz saxophonist Kenny G spent two weeks at number one with "Forever in Love" and a similar length of time in the top spot with "By the Time This Night Is Over". The latter track featured Peabo Bryson on vocals, making him another two-time chart-topper.
Following the change in the chart's methodology, songs began to experience longer runs at number one, beginning with "I Don't Wanna Fight" by Tina Turner, which spent seven consecutive weeks atop the chart. In the issue of Billboard dated September 11, Billy Joel replaced Turner at number one with his song "The River of Dreams", which went on to spend 12 consecutive weeks at number one, breaking the record for the longest run atop the AC chart which had been held by Paul Mauriat's "Love is Blue" since 1968. [7] Joel's song was replaced at number one by Michael Bolton's "Said I Loved You...But I Lied", which spent the final four weeks of the year in the top spot. It would remain atop the chart for a further eight weeks in 1994, immediately tying the record set by Joel's song which had preceded it at number one. [7]
Indicates best-performing AC song of 1993 [8] |
The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album is a soundtrack album from the film of the same name, released on November 17, 1992, by Arista Records. The album's first side features songs recorded by American singer Whitney Houston, who starred in the film, while side two features the work of various artists. Houston and Clive Davis were co-executive producers of the record.
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Her country version of the track was released in 1974 as a single and was written as a farewell to her former business partner and mentor of seven years, Porter Wagoner, following Parton's decision to leave The Porter Wagoner Show and pursue a solo career.
"A Whole New World" is a song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the singing voices of the main characters Aladdin and Jasmine, the ballad serves as both the film's love and theme song. Lyrically, "A Whole New World" describes Aladdin showing the confined princess a life of freedom and the pair's acknowledgment of their love for each other while riding on a magic carpet. The song garnered an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 65th Academy Awards. "A Whole New World" also won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards, the first and so far only Disney song to win in the category. In the same year, the version sung by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle was also nominated for Record of the Year. Zayn Malik and Zhavia Ward did their version of the song for the live action version of Aladdin. The music video featuring Zayn Malik and Zhavia Ward was directed by Philip Andelman, photographed by David Devlin and supported the successful release of the 2019 live action feature film Aladdin directed by Guy Richie.
The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to Billboard by stations that are members of the Adult Contemporary radio panel. The chart debuted in Billboard magazine on July 17, 1961. Over the years, the chart has gone under a series of name changes, being called Easy Listening(1961–1962; 1965–1979), Middle-Road Singles(1962–1964), Pop-Standard Singles(1964–1965), Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks(1979–1982) and Adult Contemporary(1983–present).
"I Have Nothing" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston, released as the third single from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992) on February 20, 1993, by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and Linda Thompson, and produced by Foster.
"Run to You" is a song performed by American singer Whitney Houston and is the fourth single released from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album. The song was released on June 21, 1993 by Arista Records. It was written by Jud Friedman and Allan Rich, and produced by David Foster. Originally intended to be a break-up song, it was approved by the production and stars. However, a month later, the director of The Bodyguard called, saying he liked the song so much, but he'd rather have it to be a love song so the entire song was rewritten, except for the title.
"I'm Every Woman" is the debut solo single by American singer Chaka Khan from her debut solo studio album Chaka (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album Masterjam was released in late 1979.
"Can You Stop the Rain" is a song by American singer Peabo Bryson, taken from his fifteenth studio album of the same name (1991). It was written by John Bettis and Walter Afanasieff, while production was helmed by the latter. Released as the album's lead single, the song spent two weeks at number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" is a romantic ballad written by lyricist Gerry Goffin with Michael Masser and recorded by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack for their 1983 album of duets, Born to Love, issued as the lead single. The track—produced by Masser—became a million-selling international hit.
"If Ever You're in My Arms Again" is a 1984 song recorded by American R&B singer Peabo Bryson. Released as a single from his album Straight from the Heart, the single peaked at #6 on the R&B chart and was Bryson's first Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #10 during the summer of 1984. It also spent four weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary chart.
"By the Time This Night Is Over" is a song by Kenny G and Peabo Bryson, released as a single from his album Breathless, in 1993 and on Bryson's studio album Through the Fire, in 1994. The song peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the summer of 1993, spending seven weeks in the top 40. On the R&B chart, the song reached number 37. On the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, "By the Time This Night Is Over" spent two weeks at number one, becoming the third chart-topper on this chart for both men. In Canada, the song reached number six on the RPM Top Singles chart and number one on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for a week.
D.C. Cab: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1983 film D.C. Cab. The producers selected artists for the album who were popular with a young, black audience, and the popularity of one of the film's stars, Mr. T, prompted the film's distributor to release the film four months earlier than planned. D.C. Cab performed poorly at the box office, and the soundtrack peaked at number 181 on the album chart in Billboard magazine.