Endless Love (song)
Encyclopedia
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie
and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and fellow soul
singer Diana Ross
. In this ballad
, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross
with R&B singer Mariah Carey
and also by country music
singer Kenny Rogers
. The song also was featured in the movies "Beethoven" and "Happy Gilmore
." Billboard
has named it the greatest song duet of all time.
starring Brooke Shields
. Produced by Richie and arranged by Gene Page
, it was released as a single from the film's soundtrack in 1981. While the film Endless Love was a success, the song became the second biggest-selling single of the year (first was "Physical
" by Olivia Newton-John
) in the U.S. and landed at number 1 on Billboard
s Hot 100
, where it stayed for nine weeks from August 9 to October 10, 1981. It also topped the Billboard R&B chart
and the Adult Contemporary chart
, and landed at number 7 in the UK.
The soulful composition became the biggest-selling single of Ross' career and her 18th career number-one single (including her work with The Supremes
), while it was one of several hits for Richie as the 1980s progressed. Ross recorded a solo version of the song for her first RCA Records
album, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, but the famous version was her last hit on Motown. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song
for Richie, and was the second song with which Ross was involved that was nominated for an Oscar. It also won a 1982 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.
The song was included in Adam Sandler
's movie Happy Gilmore
when Happy and his girlfriend Virginia are ice skating, and the song begins to play. Virginia says to Happy "I thought we were just going to be friends." To which he responds, "What? Friends listen to Endless Love in the dark."
In A Night at the Roxbury
, there was a wedding going on with the couple singing the song, and the Butabis were dancing.
The song was included as well in the third season of Friends
, in which Phoebe
walks into Chandler
and Joey
´s apartment, just to find Chandler singing the song and holding Lionel Richie's first album, even though the song is included in his fourth album, Back to Front and also in a special 1981 single.
On an episode of The Steve Harvey Show
, Steve and Regina perform the song at a janitor's urging (who thought they were Ross and Richie); at the end of the song, the janitor quips "no wonder you guys haven't had a hit in a while."
On an episode of Glee
Matthew Morrison
, the Glee Club instructor and Lea Michele
as one of his students (Rachel) sing the song as a duet in class with Lea Michele remarking in an interior monologue, "I never noticed before, but Mr. Shoe is really cute." This leads to a series of increasingly embarrassing High School crush scenes.
produced Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey's cover of the song for Vandross' Epic Records
-released album Songs
, and it is known for being Carey's first "high-profile" duet (an earlier duet, "I'll Be There," was with the then-unknown background singer Trey Lorenz
). At the 1995 Grammy Award
's, the song was nominated in the new category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, losing to "Funny How Time Slips Away" by Al Green and Lyle Lovett
. Columbia Records
later included the song on Carey's compilation album Greatest Hits
(2001) and then again on her next compilation album, The Ballads
(2008). It was released as the second single from Songs in 1994.
President Tommy Mottola
suggested that Vandross record Songs
, an album of cover versions. Featuring Vandross' versions of songs like Stephen Stills
' "Love the One You're With
," Heatwave
's "Always and Forever
," and Roberta Flack
's "Killing Me Softly
," the album was shaping up to be a major career accomplishment. To give the album a bigger boost, Mottola's wife, Mariah Carey, came up with the idea to remake "Endless Love" as a duet with her. Lionel Richie
and Diana Ross
had originally recorded "Endless Love" in 1981, and the song spent nine weeks at number 1. Although Luther's album was already set to contain one Lionel Richie composition, "Hello
," it was obvious that having the most-popular female singer on the Sony label singing on the album would be a benefit.
," which had missed the top ten. It was certified gold by the RIAA
.
The song was a success outside the U.S, reaching the top of the chart in New Zealand (for five weeks) and the top five in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. It also reached the top 20 in most of the countries. It was certified gold in Australia by ARIA
and in New Zealand by RIANZ
.
Total sales in the UK stand at 230,000.
. The latter performance is included on the Luther Vandross: From Luther with Love music video collection in DVD format.
Some versions of the song itself were released, in which Carey or Vandross sings solo.
It has been sung by John O'Connell.
The song was also covered by contestant Laura White
on UK singing competition The X Factor
, during a Mariah Carey themed week. Despite receiving high praise from Carey herself and most of the show's judges, Laura was eliminated, leading to huge controversy in the UK media.
The Sean Hannity Show
occasionally plays a mashup of this song with clips of various news outlets' coverage of President Barack Obama
to demonstrate what Hannity felt was overly positive coverage of Obama.
The song was covered in an episode of the Fox TV series Glee by Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison. The episode is entitled Ballad.
, by Rickey Smith, Chris Sligh
, and Danny Gokey
.
The song was also performed on Australian Idol
in 2007 by eventual winner Natalie Gauci
on the Final 7 Birth Year theme night.
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...
and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and fellow soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer 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...
. In this ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
with R&B singer 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...
and also by country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
. The song also was featured in the movies "Beethoven" and "Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds for Universal Studios. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a talent for golf. The screenplay was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy...
." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
has named it the greatest song duet of all time.
About the record
Ross and Richie recorded the song for Motown, and it was used as the theme for the film Endless LoveEndless Love (film)
Endless Love is a 1981 romantic drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer...
starring Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
. Produced by Richie and arranged by Gene Page
Gene Page
Eugene Edgar "Gene" Page, Jr. was an influential conductor, composer, arranger and record producer most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s....
, it was released as a single from the film's soundtrack in 1981. While the film Endless Love was a success, the song became the second biggest-selling single of the year (first was "Physical
Physical (Olivia Newton-John song)
"Physical" is a song by Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1981. The song was an immediate success, shipping 2 million copies in the United States, being certified Platinum, and spending 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately becoming Newton-John's...
" by Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
) in the U.S. and landed at number 1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s 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...
, where it stayed for nine weeks from August 9 to October 10, 1981. It also topped the Billboard R&B chart
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,...
and the Adult Contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
, and landed at number 7 in the UK.
The soulful composition became the biggest-selling single of Ross' career and her 18th career number-one single (including her work with The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
), while it was one of several hits for Richie as the 1980s progressed. Ross recorded a solo version of the song for her first RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
album, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, but the famous version was her last hit on Motown. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The 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...
for Richie, and was the second song with which Ross was involved that was nominated for an Oscar. It also won a 1982 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single.
The song was included in Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
's movie Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds for Universal Studios. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a talent for golf. The screenplay was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy...
when Happy and his girlfriend Virginia are ice skating, and the song begins to play. Virginia says to Happy "I thought we were just going to be friends." To which he responds, "What? Friends listen to Endless Love in the dark."
In A Night at the Roxbury
A Night at the Roxbury
A Night at the Roxbury is a 1998 comedy film based on a recurring skit on television's long-running Saturday Night Live called "The Roxbury Guys." Saturday Night Live regulars Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, and Colin Quinn star....
, there was a wedding going on with the couple singing the song, and the Butabis were dancing.
The song was included as well in the third season of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, in which Phoebe
Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom Friends , portrayed by Lisa Kudrow...
walks into Chandler
Chandler Bing
Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
and Joey
Joey Tribbiani
Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends and the title character in the spin-off, Joey , portrayed by Matt LeBlanc....
´s apartment, just to find Chandler singing the song and holding Lionel Richie's first album, even though the song is included in his fourth album, Back to Front and also in a special 1981 single.
On an episode of The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:...
, Steve and Regina perform the song at a janitor's urging (who thought they were Ross and Richie); at the end of the song, the janitor quips "no wonder you guys haven't had a hit in a while."
On an episode of Glee
Glee (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...
Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
, the Glee Club instructor and Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
as one of his students (Rachel) sing the song as a duet in class with Lea Michele remarking in an interior monologue, "I never noticed before, but Mr. Shoe is really cute." This leads to a series of increasingly embarrassing High School crush scenes.
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 10 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 6 |
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Black Singles | 1 |
Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey version
Walter AfanasieffWalter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
produced Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey's cover of the song for Vandross' Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
-released album Songs
Songs (Luther Vandross album)
-Charts:...
, and it is known for being Carey's first "high-profile" duet (an earlier duet, "I'll Be There," was with the then-unknown background singer Trey Lorenz
Trey Lorenz
Trey Lorenz is an African American singer and songwriter. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School.-Biography:...
). At the 1995 Grammy Award
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...
's, the song was nominated in the new category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, losing to "Funny How Time Slips Away" by Al Green and Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
. Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
later included the song on Carey's compilation album Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Mariah Carey album)
Greatest Hits is the eleventh album by American singer Mariah Carey, released in the United States on December 4, 2001 by Columbia Records. It is a greatest hits double album: CD 1 is primarily a collection of Carey's hits from 1990 to 1995, while CD 2 is primarily a collection of hits from 1996 to...
(2001) and then again on her next compilation album, The Ballads
The Ballads (Mariah Carey album)
The Ballads is a compilation album by American pop/R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The album features some of Carey's top selling ballads over the course of her career...
(2008). It was released as the second single from Songs in 1994.
Recording
Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
President Tommy Mottola
Tommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola is an American music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group. He is the ex-husband of Mariah Carey and is married to Mexican singer Thalía...
suggested that Vandross record Songs
Songs (Luther Vandross album)
-Charts:...
, an album of cover versions. Featuring Vandross' versions of songs like Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
' "Love the One You're With
Love the One You're With
"Love the One You're With" is a 1970 single by folk rocker Stephen Stills. The first release off his first solo album Stephen Stills, it rose to the top twenty of the pop singles chart, peaking at No. 14....
," Heatwave
Heatwave (band)
Heatwave was an international funk/disco musical band featuring Americans Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and Keith Wilder of Dayton, Ohio, Englishman Rod Temperton , Swiss Mario Mantese , Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger , Jamaican Eric Johns and Briton Roy Carter .They were known for their successful...
's "Always and Forever
Always and Forever (Heatwave song)
"Always and Forever" is a R&B song written by Rod Temperton and first recorded by the British-based multinational funk-disco band Heatwave in 1976...
," and Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
's "Killing Me Softly
Killing Me Softly with His Song
"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack whose version topped the U.S...
," the album was shaping up to be a major career accomplishment. To give the album a bigger boost, Mottola's wife, Mariah Carey, came up with the idea to remake "Endless Love" as a duet with her. 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...
and 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...
had originally recorded "Endless Love" in 1981, and the song spent nine weeks at number 1. Although Luther's album was already set to contain one Lionel Richie composition, "Hello
Hello (Lionel Richie song)
"Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one...
," it was obvious that having the most-popular female singer on the Sony label singing on the album would be a benefit.
Formats
- 7" Single
- "Endless Love" - 4:21
- "Endless Love" (Instrumental) - 4:22
- Japanese 3" CD Single
- "Endless Love" - 4:21
- "Endless Love" (Mariah Only) - 4:22
- "Endless Love" (Luther Only) - 4:22
- "Endless Love" (Instrumental) - 4:22
- UK & European CD Maxi Single
- "Endless Love" - 4:21
- "Endless Love" (Instrumental) - 4:22
- "Never Too Much (Live) - 5:00
- "Any Love" (Live) - 5:22
- "She Won't Talk To Me" (Live) - 5:14
Chart performance
"Endless Love" debuted on September 10, 1994 at 31 and peaked at number two. The song became Luther Vandross' biggest pop hit ever and gave Lionel Richie his first top ten as a songwriter in seven years. It became Vandross's fifth top ten single and Carey's twelfth. It remained in the top forty for thirteen weeks, and was ranked number 56 on the Hot 100 1994 year-end charts. It was also an improvement over Carey's previous single, "Anytime You Need a FriendAnytime You Need a Friend
"Anytime You Need a Friend" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, for her third studio album, Music Box . It was released on May 31, 1994 through Columbia Records, as the fourth and final single from the album. The...
," which had missed the top ten. It was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
The song was a success outside the U.S, reaching the top of the chart in New Zealand (for five weeks) and the top five in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. It also reached the top 20 in most of the countries. It was certified gold in Australia by ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
and in New Zealand by RIANZ
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
.
Total sales in the UK stand at 230,000.
Music video and other versions
Two music videos were released for the single; one features Carey and Vandross recording the song in a studio, and the other shows the two performing the song live at Royal Albert HallRoyal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. The latter performance is included on the Luther Vandross: From Luther with Love music video collection in DVD format.
Some versions of the song itself were released, in which Carey or Vandross sings solo.
It has been sung by John O'Connell.
The song was also covered by contestant Laura White
Laura White (singer)
Laura Jane Amanda White is an English singer from Atherton, Greater Manchester. She is best known for reaching the final twelve of the fifth UK series of television talent show The X Factor in 2008. White's debut single, "You Should Have Known" charted at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart...
on UK singing competition The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
, during a Mariah Carey themed week. Despite receiving high praise from Carey herself and most of the show's judges, Laura was eliminated, leading to huge controversy in the UK media.
The Sean Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show
The Sean Hannity Show is a talk radio show hosted by Sean Hannity on Citadel Media and Premiere Radio Networks. The program is broadcast live every weekday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m...
occasionally plays a mashup of this song with clips of various news outlets' coverage of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to demonstrate what Hannity felt was overly positive coverage of Obama.
The song was covered in an episode of the Fox TV series Glee by Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison. The episode is entitled Ballad.
Peak positions
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 13 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| European Singles Chart | 7 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 11 |
| French Singles Chart | 12 |
| German Singles Chart | 14 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 10 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 6 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 7 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
Sales and certifications
| Country (Provider) | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
Platinum |
| New Zealand (RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... ) |
Gold |
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Gold |
Other cover versions
- TaiwaneseTaiwanese peopleTaiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
singer Teresa TengTeresa TengTeresa Teng , was an immensely popular and influential Chinese pop singer from Taiwan. Teresa Teng's voice and songs are instantly recognized throughout East Asia and in areas with large Asian populations...
and Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
singer George LamGeorge LamGeorge Lam Chi Cheung, also known professionally by his surname Lam, is a Hong Kong-based veteran Cantopop singer and actor of Xinhui area origin. Lam studied at the Diocesan Boys' School in Kowloon, Hong Kong...
recorded a cover version of the song. - Country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Kenny RogersKenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
' cover of "Endless Love" was recorded for his album Vote for LoveVote for LoveVote for Love is a 1996 album by country superstar Kenny Rogers released exclusively for sale on QVC.- Disc 1 :# Have I Told You Lately That I Love You [4:55]#*...
(1996). It also appeared on Always and Forever (1996), which went on to sell over four million copies. His version was not released as a single. - The song was covered in 2006 by British glamour model Katie Price and her now estranged 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:...
. - It was performed on the 18 November 2009 episodeBallad (Glee)"Ballad" is the tenth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on November 18, 2009, and was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk. "Ballad" sees the glee club split into pairs to sing ballads to one another. Rachel is paired with club...
of 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...
by Lea MicheleLea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
and Matthew MorrisonMatthew MorrisonMatthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
. - A promotional single of Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel 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...
and Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
in 2007.
Live cover performances
The song has been performed three times on American IdolAmerican 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...
, by Rickey Smith, Chris Sligh
Chris Sligh
Charles Christopher Sligh is an American singer; songwriter and producer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol, finishing in tenth place.-Early years:...
, and Danny Gokey
Danny Gokey
Daniel Jay "Danny" Gokey is an American country music singer and church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the third place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol...
.
The song was also performed on Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
in 2007 by eventual winner Natalie Gauci
Natalie Gauci
Natalie Gauci is an Australian singer of Italian and Maltese descent. Gauci undertook music tuition at the Victorian College of the Arts, formed her own band that played gigs in Melbourne, while also working as a music teacher...
on the Final 7 Birth Year theme night.