RPM was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. Seventeen singles peaked atop the RPM Singles Chart in 1993. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston held the top position from 1992 into 1993, and Bryan Adams achieved the final number-one hit of the year with "Please Forgive Me". Six musical acts peaked at number one in Canada for the first time this year: Boy George, P.M. Dawn, Soul Asylum, Meat Loaf, Blind Melon, and Ace of Base. Whitney Houston was the only artist to peak at number one more than once.
The only Canadian to top the chart this year was Bryan Adams. Whitney Houston had the most successful single of the year with her cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You", which topped the chart for eight weeks in January and February 1993. Together with "I Have Nothing", Houston totalled eleven weeks at the summit. Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey both spent six weeks at number one with "That's the Way Love Goes" and "Dreamlover", respectively, while Duran Duran topped the RPM Singles Chart for five weeks with "Ordinary World". The other acts that spent at least three weeks at number one were Sting, Tina Turner, Soul Asylum, and Bryan Adams.
Indicates best-performing single of 1993 |
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, the country single was released in 1974. The song was a commercial success for Parton, twice reaching the top spot of Billboard Hot Country Songs: first in June 1974, then again in October 1982, with a re-recording for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack.
"I Have Nothing" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released on February 20, 1993 as the third single from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992) by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and Linda Thompson, and produced by Foster.
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" is a song written by Canadian musician Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and recorded by Adams for the 1995 film Don Juan DeMarco, starring Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway. The melody is used as a musical motif through the film, and the song is featured three times in the movie, twice performed by other artists in Spanish, and finally performed by Adams himself during the closing credits. The Adams version of the song, which features flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, is featured on the soundtrack album and also on the album 18 til I Die, which was released over a year later.
"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.
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the power ballad was the lead single for both the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Adams's sixth studio album, Waking Up the Neighbours (1991). The single was released on June 17, 1991.
"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan, released as her debut solo single from her first 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.
"Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, Back in the High Life (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. The female vocals on the song were performed by Chaka Khan, who also appeared in the music video.
"All for Love" is a song written by Bryan Adams, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, and Michael Kamen for the soundtrack The Three Musketeers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It is performed by Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting. The power ballad was released as a CD single in the United States on November 16, 1993. It was a worldwide hit, reaching number one across Europe, in Australia and in North America.
"Please Forgive Me" is a song by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams. It was released in October 1993 as the only single and bonus track from his greatest hits compilation album So Far So Good. The single reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It is his only Australian number-one single not written for a motion picture, and it also topped the charts of Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal.
"Cloud Number Nine" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released on May 3, 1999, as the third single from his eighth studio album, On a Day Like Today (1998). The single version is notable for being one of the few remixes Bryan Adams released with British musician Chicane. "Cloud Number Nine" reached number six on the UK Singles Chart, number seven in Canada, and number 13 in Austria.
"Let's Make a Night to Remember" is a song written by Canadian rock artist Bryan Adams, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange. It was recorded by Adams and released on August 12, 1996, as the second single from his seventh studio album, 18 til I Die (1996). The song's musical-style and production were heavily inspired by rock and pop music from the 1980s, and its lyrics chronicle a relationship.
"Run to You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from his fourth album, Reckless (1984). The track deals with the subject of infidelity, and is sung from the perspective of a man who declares that he will continue to "run to" his seductive mistress over his faithful partner; critic Ira Robbins for CMJ called it a "cheating classic". In the accompanying music video, however, Adams portrays his guitar as the object of desire.
"The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the US Hot Soul Singles chart that year, the first R&B chart top-ten hit for Arista Records. The song was written and recorded to be the main theme of the 1977 film The Greatest, a biopic of the boxer Muhammad Ali, and is performed during the opening credits.
American singer Whitney Houston released 57 singles as a lead artist, 4 as a featured artist and 18 promotional singles. Nicknamed ''The Voice", she has sold more physical singles in the United States than any other female solo artist in history, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. In the United States, Houston amassed 11 Billboard Hot 100 number one singles and remains the only artist to score seven consecutive number one singles.