Released in June 1985, Houston's version of "Saving All My Love for You" first entered the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart for the week of June 29, 1985 at number 84. [17] In its fourth week (July 20), it entered the top forty at number 30. [18] On the August 10th issue of Billboard, the song entered the top ten of the chart at number 6 in its seventh week. [19] Five weeks later, it became Houston's second consecutive number one single on the Hot Black Singles chart for the week of September 7, 1985, replacing Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love". [20] [21] [22] It would eventually spend a cumulative total of 21 weeks on the chart, including nine weeks in the top ten, and eventually ranked number 5 on Billboard Year-End Top Black Singles chart. [23]
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on August 17, 1985 at number 53, jumping to number 39 the following week (August 24), and reaching the Top 10 five weeks later. The single reached the number-one spot the week of October 26, 1985 replacing A-ha's "Take On Me" at the top spot, [24] and would become the first of seven record-setting consecutive number-one singles in the United States for Houston; a record that still holds. The single eventually spent fifteen weeks in the top forty and seven weeks in the top ten, out of a total of 22 weeks on the Hot 100 overall. It ranked number 23 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles chart.
It entered the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart on August 17 at number 31. [25] The following week, it vaulted to the top 20 and entered the top five for the week of September 14 in its fifth week. [26] Four weeks later, it topped the Hot Adult Contemporary chart for the week of October 5, 1985, replacing Kool & the Gang's "Cherish" at the top spot and staying at the top for three consecutive weeks, becoming Houston's first number one single on the chart. [27] It was Houston's first single to top three major Billboard charts and her first of four "triple-crown" Billboard number one singles.
In Canada, it became Houston's second consecutive top ten single, peaking at number eight for the week of November 9, 1985. [28]
The song also became a global hit, hitting number-one or the Top 10 in various countries around the world. In the United Kingdom, it entered the singles chart at number 60 on November 10, 1985. [29] The following week, it vaulted into the top forty at number 23, becoming Houston's first top 40 UK hit. [30] It then shot to the top ten at number 9 in its third week, earning her first top ten single in the UK. [31] Two weeks later, the song hit number-one on December 8, 1985, spending two weeks at the top. [32] The single went on to become one of the top 25 best-selling singles of 1985 in the UK, and has since sold 740,000 copies. [33] In 2012, Dan Lane of the Official Charts Company listed "Houston's Top 20 Biggest Selling Tracks in the UK to Date" and "Saving All My Love for You" was placed at number 3, only losing to "I Will Always Love You" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". [34]
In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 45, on November 3, 1985. It kept on climbing in the following two weeks, until it peaked at number 6, before dropping to number 8. However, on December 8, 1985, the song reached a new peak of number 5. [35] The song was also a success in Switzerland, peaking at number 5, while in France, the song charted two times in different years. Firstly, the song charted when it was originally released in 1986, debuting at number 50 and peaking at number 11, while in 2012 (after Houston's death), the song peaked at number 39. [36] The song also became Houston's first number one single in Luxembourg.
Accolades
"Saving All My Love for You" earned Houston her first Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1986; she also won the American Music Award for Favorite R&B/Soul Video for the song. [37] [38] It has subsequently entered lists of her best songs. While listing her "25 Best Songs", editors from Entertainment Weekly placed the song at number 21, writing that, "The stuff that's been piped into thousands of dentist offices, it was also her first No. 1 hit." [39] Rolling Stone ranked the song the fifth best Whitney Houston song ever among its readers. [40] In their list of 15 essential Whitney Houston songs, The A.V. Club ranked the song second place, writing that the song "established Houston as a unique vocal powerhouse, someone built for capturing the highest highs and lowest lows of emotion." [41] BET placed the song at number 7 on their "40 Best Whitney Houston Songs", writing that, "The song has it all: her breathy come-ons, her trademark epic high notes, her delicate runs." [42] Kelley L. Carter of MTV also listed the track on their "Whitney Houston's Top 10 Songs", complimenting the singer for "taking an already-recorded song and giving it new life." [43]
The New York Daily News ranked "Saving All My Love for You", at number 79 on its "The 100 Greatest Love Songs" list. [44] The song was also ranked by The Telegraph amongst "The 50 Best Love Songs of the 1980s", with the authors writing that, "The song that launched Houston, invented a newly minted variety of globe-storming soul diva", picking the line, "Though I try to resist, being last on your list/But no other man's gonna do/So I'm saving all my love for you," as "killer". [45] Woman's World ranked the song the thirteenth best love song of the 1980s. [46] Smooth Radio ranked it the eighth greatest love song of the 1980s. [47] In December 2016, Cleveland.com placed the ballad on its list of the 80 most important songs of the 1980s, stating that the song "forever raised the bar for future pop divas like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera." [48]
