Wasn't It Good (Tina Arena song)

"Wasn't It Good"
Single by Tina Arena
from the album Don't Ask
Released	18 September 1995 (1995-9-18) [1]
Length	5:14 (album version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Tina Arena Heather Field Robert Parde
Producer(s)	David Tyson
Tina Arena singles chronology
"Heaven Help My Heart" (1995) "Wasn't It Good" (1995) "Show Me Heaven" (1995)
Music video
"Wasn't It Good" on YouTube

"Wasn't It Good" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Tina Arena from her third studio album, Don't Ask (1994). Arena co-wrote the song along with Heather Field and Robert Parde, and it was produced by David Tyson. The song peaked at number 11 in Australia and received four nominations at the ARIA Awards in 1996. Upon release as a single in September 1995 by Columbia Records, the title was rendered with an ellipsis ("Wasn't It Good...").

Arena has performed the song on most tours, including her 2004 Greatest Hits tour and 2012 Australian tour. It is track four on her 2004 Greatest Hits compilation. ^[2]

Musical and lyrical content

"Wasn't It Good" was composed in the key of G, while the lyrics lament a past friendship that did not turn into a romantic relationship. ^[3]

Critical reception

In their review of Don't Ask , Music & Media wrote, "To send the shivers down the spines of the general public, she can also induce a Celine Dion sentiment for the ballad 'Wasn't It Good'." ^[4]

Award nominations

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). "Wasn't It Good" was nominated in four categories, including Single of the Year. It did not win any awards.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1996 [5]	"Wasn't It Good"	Best Female Artist	Nominated
	"Wasn't It Good"	Best Pop Release	Nominated
	"Wasn't It Good"	Single of the Year	Nominated
	"Wasn't It Good"	Song of the Year	Nominated

APRA Awards

The Australasian Performing Right Association have presented the APRA Awards annually from 1982; "Wasn't It Good" was nominated in 1996 and won the Song of the Year.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1996 [6]	"Wasn't It Good"	Song of the Year	Won

Track listing

A five-track single was released through Columbia Records; it contains both the single edit and original album version of "Wasn't It Good", as well as live versions of three other tracks from Don't Ask.

Australian CD single ^[7]

1. "Wasn't It Good" (single version)
2. "Greatest Gift" (live)
3. "Love Is the Answer" (live)
4. "Message" (live)
5. "Wasn't It Good" (album version)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [8] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position Australia (ARIA) [9] 66

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [10]	Gold	35,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. The ARIA Report. Vol. 292. ARIA. 17 September 1995. p. 21.
2. "Buy Greatest Hits 1994-2004 Tina Arena, Rock/Pop, CD". Sanity . Retrieved 10 January 2014.
3. "Wasn't It Good chords by Tina Arena". e-chords.com. Petaxxon. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
4. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 12, no. 7. 18 February 1995. p. 10. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
5. "Winners By Year". ARIA. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
6. "APRA|AMCOS : Nominations - 1996". APRA . Retrieved 10 January 2014.
7. Wasn't It Good... (Australian CD single liner notes). Tina Arena. Columbia Records. 1995. 661022.2.
8. "Tina Arena – Wasn't It Good...". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
9. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1995". ARIA. Retrieved 14 March 2023– via Imgur.
10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 18.