The First Time (Surface song)

Last updated

"The First Time"
The First Time - Surface.jpg
Single by Surface
from the album 3 Deep
B-side Closer Than Friends"
ReleasedOctober 1990
Genre
Length4:16
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Surface
Surface singles chronology
"Can We Spend Some Time"
(1990)		"The First Time"
(1990)		"All I Want Is You"
(1991)

"The First Time" is a single by American R&B/pop music trio Surface that hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 for two weeks, the trio's only chart-topper. The song also spent one week at number one on the U.S. R&B chart [2] and two weeks atop the adult contemporary chart. [3]

Contents

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1990–1991)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [4] 103
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary [5] 1
Canada RPM Top Singles [6] 18
New Zealand Singles Chart [7] 7
UK Singles Chart60
US Billboard Hot 1001
US Billboard R&B Singles [2] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary [3] 1
US Cash Box Top 100 [8] 1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart (1991)Position
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [9] 9
US Cash Box [10] 21

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (November 3, 2021). "The Number Ones: Surface's "The First Time". Stereogum . Retrieved December 19, 2023. Consider the chorus of "The First Time," a tender R&B ballad that was the only #1 hit for the group known as Surface...and "The First Time" sounded like a relic of the smoothed-out quiet storm '80s.
  2. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 559.
  3. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 237.
  4. ↑ "Bubbling Down Under: Week commencing 11 February 1991" . Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. February 16, 1991. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. March 2, 1991. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ Charts.nz
  8. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 2, 1991
  9. ↑ "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. Nielsen Business Media Inc. December 21, 1991. p. YE-14.
  10. ↑ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1991". Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Surface – The First Time". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 7, 2025.


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