(I've Had) The Time of My Life
Encyclopedia
" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte
, John DeNicola
, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley
and Jennifer Warnes
, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
, by choreographer Kenny Ortega
and his assistant Miranda Garrison
(who also played Vivian in the film).
, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100
chart in November 1987 for one week and also reached number one on the Adult Contemporary for four weeks. In the United Kingdom the song had two chart outings: in November 1987, after the film's initial release, the song peaked at #6; in January 1991, after the film was shown on mainstream television, the song reached #8.
. The episode, "Faith Off
" (season eleven
, 2000) altered the chorus during a football game's half-time rendition, lending support to Homer Simpson
's alma mater, Springfield University. It sings: "I had the halftime of my life, and I owe it all to S.U."
In the Family Guy
episode "Blue Harvest
", Obi-Wan
(Herbert
) sang a cover version to Luke Skywalker
(Chris
) while stormtroopers and the other heroes cheered on and served as back-up dancers.
12" maxi and CD single
Cassette
Franke Previte
Franke Jon Previte is a composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.-Biography:He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the Knockouts were...
, John DeNicola
John DeNicola
John DeNicola is an American songwriter and producer who, in 1988, won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as receiving a Grammy nomination for co-writing the song " The Time of My Life", which became the signature theme in the soundtrack of the film Dirty Dancing...
, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley
Bill Medley
William Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
and Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, by choreographer Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
and his assistant Miranda Garrison
Miranda Garrison
Miranda Garrison is an American actress and choreographer, best known for choreographing dozens of films. She worked on Mulholland Falls, and was assistant choreographer in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, where she also played the part of Vivian Pressman. She was an actress–dancer in The Forbidden...
(who also played Vivian in the film).
Chart performance
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in November 1987 for one week and also reached number one on the Adult Contemporary for four weeks. In the United Kingdom the song had two chart outings: in November 1987, after the film's initial release, the song peaked at #6; in January 1991, after the film was shown on mainstream television, the song reached #8.
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, 1987 - Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, 1988
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
, 1988
Cover versions
- The song was covered in 2004 by Carmen & Piero and their version features on Best of Mundart and Duets.
- The song was covered in 2006 by British glamour model Katie Price and her then-husband, pop singer Peter AndrePeter AndréPeter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...
. The track is included on their 2006 album of duets A Whole New WorldA Whole New World (album)A Whole New World is the fifth studio album released by Australian singer-songwriter Peter Andre, in conjunction with his ex-wife Katie Price.-Background:...
. - The 2007 compilation Over The Rainbow featured a cover of the song by Jermaine JacksonJermaine JacksonJermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
and R&B/dance musicDance musicDance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
singer Jocelyn BrownJocelyn BrownJocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...
. - Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
covered the song on his 2008 album of cover songs, The Greatest Songs of the Eighties. - The song appeared on the FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
in the second season episode "Special Education". It was sung by Quinn (Dianna AgronDianna AgronDianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) & Sam (Chord OverstreetChord OverstreetChord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
) as the opening ballad at Sectionals. It is also featured on the soundtrack Glee: The Music, Volume 4Glee: The Music, Volume 4Glee: The Music, Volume 4 is the fifth soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It was released on November 26, 2010, by Columbia Records and features cover version performances from the first half of the second season...
. - Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga covered this song on the 2009 album Love Duets
- In 2010, The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
used the chorus in their song, "The Time (Dirty Bit)The Time (Dirty Bit)"The Time " is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas from their sixth studio album, The Beginning. The song was released as the album's lead single on November 5, 2010. The chorus of the song samples " The Time of My Life" from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing...
" (from the album The BeginningThe Beginning (The Black Eyed Peas album)The Beginning received generally mixedreviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 47, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews."Monica Herrera wrote for...
), with the line "Yes, I swear it's the truth" changed to, "And I swear this is true". - The song's original recording is a regular staple at live shows of the Norwegian electro rock band, DatarockDatarockDatarock, derived from the Norwegian word for computer – datamaskin and the word rock , is a Norwegian electro rock band. The band formed in 2000 as Fredrik Saroea, Ketil Mosnes and Kevin O'Brien and soon hired Tom Mæland. O'Brien and Mæland later left the band, but the duo of Saroea and Mosnes...
, and is frequently performed as a sing-along by band and audience. - In 2011, Kris LawrenceKris LawrenceKristofer Lawrence Cadevida , better known as simply Kris Lawrence, is a Filipino-American singer.-Early life:Lawrence was born in Los Angeles, California on Sept 1st 1982...
and KylaKylaMelanie Hernandez Calumpad Alvarez , better known by her stage name Kyla, is an R&B singer, songwriter, producer, TV host, and occasional actress from the Philippines....
record their version for the show Time of My Life as the show's theme song
Parodies
A parody was made in the animated comedy series The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. The episode, "Faith Off
Faith Off
"Faith Off" is the eleventh episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 16, 2000. In the episode, Bart believes he has the power to heal others through faith after removing a bucket glued to...
" (season eleven
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
, 2000) altered the chorus during a football game's half-time rendition, lending support to Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's alma mater, Springfield University. It sings: "I had the halftime of my life, and I owe it all to S.U."
In the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode "Blue Harvest
Blue Harvest (Family Guy)
"Blue Harvest" is the hour-long premiere to the sixth season of the FOX series Family Guy and the first part of the series' trilogy Laugh It Up, Fuzzball. It originally aired on September 23, 2007. The episode is a retelling and parody of the 1977 blockbuster film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New...
", Obi-Wan
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
(Herbert
Herbert (Family Guy)
Herbert is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by writer and voice actor Mike Henry, who created and designed the character...
) sang a cover version to Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
(Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
) while stormtroopers and the other heroes cheered on and served as back-up dancers.
Track listings
7" single- "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (4:47)
- "Love Is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia (2:52)
12" maxi and CD single
- "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (6:46)
- "In the Still of the Night" by The Five Satins (2:59)
- "Love Is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia (2:53)
- "Overload" by Zappacosta (3:39)
Cassette
- "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (4:47)
- "In the Still of the Night" by The Five Satins (2:59)
- "Love Is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia (2:53)
- "Overload" by Zappacosta (3:39)
Peak positions
| Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 12 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
8 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 5 |
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 48 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 28 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Gold | January 12, 1988 | 50,000 |
| Netherlands | Platinum | 1988 | 60,000 |
| U.S. | Gold | February 24, 1989 | 500,000 |
See also
- The Time (Dirty Bit)The Time (Dirty Bit)"The Time " is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas from their sixth studio album, The Beginning. The song was released as the album's lead single on November 5, 2010. The chorus of the song samples " The Time of My Life" from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing...
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1987 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1987 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
- List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1988