End of the Road
Encyclopedia
"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award
-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men
for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons
. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross
and Lionel Richie
's "Endless Love
" as Motown's most successful single. It was the last Motown single to reach #1 on the UK singles chart
. The song is listed at #43 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.
motion picture Boomerang, the song (themed about a breakup where the man really doesn't want the woman to go) topped the charts from August 15 through November 7, 1992, setting a record for most weeks at number one with 13 weeks, beating Elvis Presley
's 11-week hold with "Hound Dog
" / "Don't Be Cruel
". Presley's record had stood 36 years.
However, two weeks after "End of the Road" left the top spot, Whitney Houston
's "I Will Always Love You
" reached number one, and remained there 14 weeks, one week longer than "End of the Road". Boyz II Men's new record stood only 17 weeks. The group's next single ("I'll Make Love to You
"), however, would tie Houston's record, and 1995's Boyz II Men/Mariah Carey
collaboration "One Sweet Day
" would break it, logging 16 consecutive weeks.
on their album Take a Break, We Are Scientists
in concert, Gladys Knight
on the live medley from her album Just for You, and the Backstreet Boys
during their concerts. It was also performed by guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. on his 1993 album A River In The Desert.
An a cappella
version was re-recorded for Boyz II Men's 2007 album, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
. Urban jazz
bassist Michael Manson covered the song from his 2008 album "Up Front". Marcela Morelo
recorded a Spanish version of the song in her 2009 album "Otro plan". South Korean boy group U-KISS
did an a cappella version of the hit song. Westlife
covered this on a cappella. In addition, Boyz II Men included a Spanish-language version ("Al final del camino") on their Spanish-language compilation Evolución.
During the series finale of the sitcom A Different World
, Whitley led everyone in singing "End of the Road" at hers and Dwayne's farewell party as they prepared to leave for Tokyo.
American Idol
season ten
contestant Stefano Langone
performed the song during Idol Goes to the Movies week.
official channel (Promotional version) (Japanese version) (Spanish version) (2008 single in UK)
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons
Daryl Simmons
Daryl Simmons is an American Grammy Award winning R&B songwriter, musician and record producer who is best known for his association with the LaFace Records production duo of Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds....
. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
's "Endless Love
Endless Love
Endless Love may refer to:*Endless Love, a novel by Scott Spencer*Endless Love , released in 1981 and starring Brooke Shields, based on the novel**Endless Love...
" as Motown's most successful single. It was the last Motown single to reach #1 on the 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 ...
. The song is listed at #43 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.
Chart performances
Originally recorded as a soundtrack song for the Eddie MurphyEddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
motion picture Boomerang, the song (themed about a breakup where the man really doesn't want the woman to go) topped the charts from August 15 through November 7, 1992, setting a record for most weeks at number one with 13 weeks, beating Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's 11-week hold with "Hound Dog
Hound Dog (song)
"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known...
" / "Don't Be Cruel
Don't Be Cruel
-Legacy:"Don't Be Cruel" went on to become Presley's biggest selling single recorded in 1956, with sales over six million by 1961. It became a regular feature of his live sets until his death in 1977, and was often coupled with "Jailhouse Rock" or "Teddy Bear" during performances from 1969.Many...
". Presley's record had stood 36 years.
However, two weeks after "End of the Road" left the top spot, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" reached number one, and remained there 14 weeks, one week longer than "End of the Road". Boyz II Men's new record stood only 17 weeks. The group's next single ("I'll Make Love to You
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a 1994 number-one hit single by R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. The song, which was written by Babyface, was the lead single from their second album II. It was at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, from August 27 to November 26, 1994...
"), however, would tie Houston's record, and 1995's Boyz II Men/Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
collaboration "One Sweet Day
One Sweet Day
"One Sweet Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and R&B group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Carey, Walter Afanasieff and the members of Boyz II Men: Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary. "One Sweet Day" was produced by Carey and Afanasieff for...
" would break it, logging 16 consecutive weeks.
Track listings
- CD maxi
- "End of the Road" (pop edit) — 3:39
- "End of the Road" (radio edit w/acappella end) — 4:13
- "End of the Road" (LP version) — 5:50
- "End of the Road" (instrumental version) — 5:16
- 7" single
- "End of the Road" (pop edit) — 3:39
- "End of the Road" (instrumental version) — 5:16
Cover versions
The song was covered by several artists, including Me First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
on their album Take a Break, We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York-based indie rock band that formed in Berkeley, California in 2000. Originally formed of Keith Murray on drums, Chris Cain playing bass guitar and Scott Lamb providing vocals and guitar, before Michael Tapper became drummer and Keith became vocalist and guitarist...
in concert, Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
on the live medley from her album Just for You, and the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
during their concerts. It was also performed by guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. on his 1993 album A River In The Desert.
An a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version was re-recorded for Boyz II Men's 2007 album, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA is a Grammy nominated album by Boyz II Men that was released on November 13, 2007 by Decca Records. The album was produced by American Idols Randy Jackson and Boyz II Men. David Simone and Winston Simone were Executive Producers for the album...
. Urban jazz
Urban jazz
Urban jazz is the fusion of smooth jazz and R&B/hip-hop music. Urban jazz usually contains strong R&B percussion and bass lines. A few of the better known urban jazz artists are Boney James, Ronny Jordan, Nick Colionne, Wayman Tisdale, Najee, and Paul Jackson, Jr.Some of the more successful...
bassist Michael Manson covered the song from his 2008 album "Up Front". Marcela Morelo
Marcela Morelo
Marcela Morelo , also known as La Morelo, is an Argentine singer-songwriter. She has released seven critically acclaimed studio albums, which all earned either Gold of Platinum record...
recorded a Spanish version of the song in her 2009 album "Otro plan". South Korean boy group U-KISS
U-Kiss
U-KISS is a South Korean boy band formed by NH Media in 2008. The members of the group are Soohyun, Eli, Kevin, Dongho, Kiseop, Hoon and AJ . Alexander and Kibum became former members, when their contracts were terminated in early 2011,The group has released two full-length albums, five extended...
did an a cappella version of the hit song. Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
covered this on a cappella. In addition, Boyz II Men included a Spanish-language version ("Al final del camino") on their Spanish-language compilation Evolución.
During the series finale of the sitcom A Different World
A Different World
A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC . It was a spin-off series from The Cosby Show originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional historically black college in the state of Virginia...
, Whitley led everyone in singing "End of the Road" at hers and Dwayne's farewell party as they prepared to leave for Tokyo.
American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
season ten
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
contestant Stefano Langone
Stefano Langone
Stefano Langone is an American singer from Kent, Washington. Langone placed seventh on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
performed the song during Idol Goes to the Movies week.
Awards & nominations
1993 Grammy AwardsGrammy Awards of 1993
The 35th Grammy Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Eric Clapton was the night's big winner, winning 6 awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
- Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal – Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
– "End of the Road" (winner) - Best R&B Song – Babyface, Daryl Simmons, L.A. Reid – "End of the Road" (winner)
Peak positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 3 |
| 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 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 7 |
| German Singles Chart | 6 |
| 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... |
1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 7 |
| 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 ... |
1 |
| U.S. 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 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 9 |
| UK Singles Chart | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990-1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Gold | November 1, 1992 | 400,000 |
| U.S. | Platinum | December 9, 1992 | 1,000,000+ |
Chart successions
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1992 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B singles of 1992 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles in 1992 (New Zealand)
- List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)
- List of European number-one hits of 1992
- Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 1992Dutch Top 40 number-one hits of 1992This is a list of the Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1992....
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
External links
/ VEVOVevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
official channel (Promotional version) (Japanese version) (Spanish version) (2008 single in UK)