Smooth (Santana song)

"Smooth"
Single by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
from the album Supernatural
B-side	"El farol"
Released	June 15, 1999 (1999-06-15)
Studio	Fantasy (Berkeley, California)
Genre	Latin rock [1] alternative rock [2]
Length	4:55 (album version) 3:55 (radio edit)
Label	Arista BMG
Composer(s)	Itaal Shur Rob Thomas
Lyricist(s)	Rob Thomas
Producer(s)	Matt Serletic
Santana singles chronology
"Say It Again" (1985) "Smooth" (1999) "Put Your Lights On" (1999)
Rob Thomas singles chronology
"Smooth" (1999) "A New York Christmas" (2003)

US CD and cassette single [11] [12] "Smooth" – 3:55 "El farol" – 4:59 UK 1999 CD single [13] "Smooth" – 3:55 "Smooth" (instrumental) – 4:55 "El farol" – 4:59 UK 2000 CD and cassette single [14] [15] "Smooth" (radio edit) – 3:55 "Smooth" (dance radio mix) – 4:55 "Smooth" (instrumental) – 4:55

European CD single [16] "Smooth" (radio edit) – 3:55 "Smooth" (album version) – 4:55 Australian CD single [17] "Smooth" (radio edit) – 3:55 "Smooth" (album version) – 4:55 "Smooth" (instrumental) – 4:55

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Supernatural album booklet. ^[18]

Studios

• Recorded at Fantasy Studios (Berkeley, California)
• Mixed at the Record Plant (New York City)
• Mastered at A&M Mastering Studios (Los Angeles, California)

Personnel

• Itaal Shur – music, lyrics
• Rob Thomas – lyrics, lead vocals
• Carlos Santana – lead guitar
• Benny Rietveld – bass
• Chester Thompson – keyboards
• Rodney Holmes – drums
• Raul Rekow – congas
• Karl Perazzo – percussion
• Jeff Cressman – trombone
• José Abel Figueroa – trombone
• Javier Melendez – trumpet
• William Ortiz – trumpet
• Matt Serletic – production
• David Thoener – recording, mixing
• Steve Fontano – recording assistance
• Andy Haller – mixing assistance
• Mark Dobson – programming and digital editing
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [19] 4 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [20] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [21] 30 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [22] 1 Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) [23] 1 Canada Rock/Alternative ( RPM ) [24] 1 Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS) [25] 3 Croatia (HRT) [26] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [27] 10 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [28] 12 France (SNEP) [29] 15 Germany (GfK) [30] 21 Greece (IFPI) [31] 2 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [32] 31 Ireland (IRMA) [33] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [34] 37 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [35] 40 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [36] 18 Portugal (AFP) [37] 5 Scotland (OCC) [38] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [39] 18 UK Singles (OCC) [40] 3 US Billboard Hot 100 [6] 1 US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [41] 1 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [42] 11 US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [43] 1 US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [44] 24 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [45] 10 US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [46] 1 US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [47] 23 Chart (2019) Peak position Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) [48] 100

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Australia (ARIA) [49] 11 Canada Top Singles (RPM) [50] 9 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) [51] 50 Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM) [52] 8 New Zealand (RIANZ) [53] 36 US Billboard Hot 100 [54] 19 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) [55] 16 US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) [56] 35 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) [57] 24 US Triple-A (Billboard) [58] 4 Chart (2000) Position Brazil (Crowley) [59] 3 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [60] 68 France (SNEP) [61] 90 Ireland (IRMA) [62] 34 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [63] 95 UK Singles (OCC) [64] 75 US Billboard Hot 100 [65] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) [66] 12 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) [67] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) [68] 12 US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard) [69] 98 US Triple-A (Billboard) [70] 48 Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [71] 41 Chart (2000–2009) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [72] 33 All-time charts Chart Position US Billboard Hot 100 [73] 3

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [74]	2× Platinum	140,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [75]	Platinum	600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [76] (physical)	Platinum	1,200,000 [77]
United States (RIAA) [76] (digital)	Gold	500,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	June 15, 1999	Contemporary hit radio	Arista	[78]
	August 3, 1999	CD cassette		[79]
United Kingdom	October 11, 1999	CD	Arista BMG	[80]
United Kingdom (re-release)	March 20, 2000	CD cassette		[81]

Cover versions

• A cover version of the song is included in the 2008 Wii version of Samba de Amigo .
• Post-hardcore group Escape the Fate also recorded a cover version of the song for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop 2 , released on March 10, 2009.
• Junior Lima from Brazilian pop duo Sandy & Junior sung a cover version of the song for the duo's live album/DVD As Quatro Estações - O Show, released in 2000.
• The song was featured on two tracks, "Melt Everyone" and "Smooth Flow", from Neil Cicierega's 2014 mash-up album Mouth Sounds , and on two tracks, "Smooth" and "Shit", from the 2017 follow-up album Mouth Moods .
• An acoustic version of the song was released by indie-folk artist Kimberly June on album Covers from Another, recorded at Round Hill Studios in Nashville in 2021.
• The song "Albi Ekhatark (قلبي اختارك)" by Egyptian singer Amr Diab from the 2000 album Tamally Maak is loosely based on "Smooth". ^[82]

In popular culture

• In February 2013, The Onion published a satirical video joking that "Smooth" had swept the Grammy Awards for 13 years in a row. ^[83]
• Singer Miley Cyrus, as her television alter ego Hannah Montana from the series of the same name, made reference to "Smooth" and Carlos Santana in her song with Iyaz, "Gonna Get This" from her 2010 album Hannah Montana Forever . ^[84]
• Funny or Die released a police drama parody trailer with Rob Thomas that recited the song's lyrics. ^[85]
• In 2019, comedian JP Leonard released a bit inspired by the song which puts Rob Thomas in various jobs. The track, "Man, It's a Hot One", appears on the comedy album NO Show Comedy: A Louisiana Album Recording. ^[86]
• In 2025, this song was used in season 2 of Sausage Party: Foodtopia , most notably in the third episode of said season.

See also

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1999
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2000
• List of RPM number-one singles of 1999
• List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)

References

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External links

• "Smooth" on AllMusic