Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)
Encyclopedia
"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records
as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall
, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs
. The song samples the hook from Tom Tom Club
's 1982 song Genius of Love
, and incorporates various other beats and grooves arranged by the former. The song's lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard
(O.D.B), something Carey arranged to assist in her transition into the hip-hop market.
The song was positively reviewed by contemporary music critics, many of whom complimented its clever use of the "Genius of Love" hook as well as Carey's vocal performance. "Fantasy" experienced strong success around the world, especially in the United States. It became the second song in Billboard
history and the first by a female, to debut atop the Hot 100
. Additionally, aside from topping the chart for eight consecutive weeks, the song achieved strong success outside the US, topping the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand and becoming a top-five hit in Belgium, Finland, France and the United Kingdom.
Carey performed "Fantasy" live on several television and award show appearances around the world. Carey performed the song at the 23rd annual
American Music Awards, held on January 29, 1996. Additionally, it was performed live on British music chart program Top of the Pops
and on French television. "Fantasy" was part of the set-lists on several of Carey's succeeding tours, making its debut during the album's accompanying set of concerts, the Daydream World Tour
and is featured on her compilation albums, Number 1's
(1998), Greatest Hits
(2001) and Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey
(2010).
The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel
. The cover for her album Daydream is a cropped version of the single cover. Carey directed the music video for "Fantasy", making it her directorial debut. Carey created the video's concept and chose the filming location. After being disappointed with the final result in many of her previous videos, Carey decided to single handedly direct the video. The video showed Carey's roller blading through an amusement park, singing and enjoying herself. Mid-way through the video, Ol' Dirty Bastard (O.D.B) makes a cameo appearance as a clown. The video concludes with Carey dancing atop the sunroof of a car, with many others present and enjoying the music and celebration.
and hip-hop
into her music, something very noticeable in "Fantasy". After Carey began writing songs for her new album Daydream, she decided to include the hook from the Tom Tom Club song "Genius of Love" into an up-tempo song. Afterwards, Carey and Hall began incorporating the sample into the lyrics and melody she had already produced. Carey described how the idea to sample the song became reality:
Carey recalled how the writers of the song were really intrigued by the idea of Carey sampling the song, and immediately signed over the rights. After Carey presented Hall with the sample, the chorus and beat, he developed a familiar groove that he felt would "highlight Carey's voice." After they completed the song, Carey's husband and CEO of Columbia, Tommy Mottola
listened to "Fantasy" and agreed to include it on the album. The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel
. A cropped version of the photograph was used as the album cover as well. Hall described his experience with writing the song with Carey:
song, which blends po
p music and contemporary R&B. The remix, which features rap
verses from O.D.B, also incorporates hip-hop into the bridge
. The song uses heavy bass and percussion
, as well as a sample from "Genius of Love". The song is set in the signature common time, and is written in the key
of G major. It features a basic chord progression
of A-F-1. Carey's vocal range in the song spans from the note of G3 to the high note of E6; the piano and guitar pieces range from D4 to E5 as well. The song contains choral lyrics written by Carey, who also developed the song's melody and original beat. Instrumentation and production was performed by Dave Hall, while co-arranging and producing the track as well. The members of the Tom Tom Club, Tina Weymouth
, Chris Frantz
, Steven Stanley
and Adrian Belew
are all credited as writers due to the inclusion of the music sample they wrote. While reviewing Daydream, Bill Lamb
from About.com
heavily praised the song's usage of the Tom Tom Club sample, writing "The bumping beat of Tom Tom Club's classic "Genius Of Love" underlying "Fantasy" is utterly irresistible. The upbeat songs here venture further into hip hop territory than on previous Mariah Carey albums. The result was massive R&B chart success."
from Allmusic also praised the song, saying "Carey continues to perfect her craft and that she has earned her status as an R&B/pop diva." Stephen Holden
from The New York Times
gave the song praise, writing "with 'Fantasy', Ms. Carey glides confidently into the territory where gospel-flavored pop-soul meets light hip-hop and recorded some of the most gorgeously spun choral music to be found on a contemporary album." Additionally, he claimed "Fantasy" held some of the album's best moments, writing "she continues to make pop music as deliciously enticing as the best moments of "Fantasy". Slant Magazine
ranked the song at number sixty on their "Best Singles of the '90s" list, writing it is "escapism perfected, [a] summer bubblegum gem with a sweet, flawless vocal line driven by a diva in her prime."
" by Michael Jackson
. It debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100
due to the strong sales, which were expected to exceed 229,000 copies. It spent eight weeks at the top of the chart, from September 24 to November 18, 1995, Carey's longest stay at the time alongside "Dreamlover" (1993). It replaced "Gangsta's Paradise
" by Coolio
, and was replaced by Whitney Houston
's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
". "Fantasy" spent 23 weeks in the top 40 and was successful on other Billboard
formats, including the R&B and dance charts. Its strong sales led it to be certified double-platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), Carey's first single to do so. "Fantasy" was the second best-selling single of 1995 in the US, with sales of over 1,500,000. It was ranked seventh on the Hot 100 year-end charts for 1995 and 49th on the 1996 year-end charts. "Fantasy" ranked at number fifteen on the Hot 100 decade-end chart for the 1990s.
In Australia, the song topped the chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA). In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart
at number ninety-five on the RPM issue dated October 2, 1995, and reached the top of the chart on November 20, 1995. It was present on the chart for a total of twenty weeks, and ranked eighteen on the RPM Year-end chart for 1995. "Fantasy" also reached the top ten in most countries across Europe, and the top 20 on the Oricon
chart in Japan. It peaked within the top-five in Belgium (Wallonia), Finland, France and the United Kingdom; and in the top-ten in Belgium (Flanders), The Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland. "Fantasy" was certified silver in France and the United Kingdom, by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
(SNEP) and British Phonographic Industry
(BPI), respectively. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 280,000 copies in United Kingdom. The song also topped the charts in New Zealand, where it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ).
to create the official remix, the Bad Boy
remix of "Fantasy". While Columbia allowed Carey more leniency with the music she recorded, they became hesitant when she featured Ol' Dirty Bastard
in the remix for "Fantasy". They feared the sudden change was completely left field for her music, and worried it would jeopardize the album's success. Finally, the Bad Boy remix used guest raps from O.D.B and background vocals by Puff Daddy. Some of the song's R&B elements were removed for the remix, while the bassline and "Genius of Love
" sample were emphasized & the bridge from the original version was used as the chorus. There is a version omitting Ol' Dirty Bastard's verses. The "Bad Boy Fantasy Remix", combines the chorus from the original version and the chorus of the Bad Boy Remix together, removing Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals from his 2nd verse. Carey re-recorded vocals for club remixes of the song by David Morales
, titled "Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)". The Bad Boy remix garnered positive reviews from music critics. Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly
praised the song, claiming its one of the few tracks where Carey "defines herself." Additionally, he complimented the song, writing "At her best, as she is on this clipped, spunky track, Carey is a disco diva for the '90s, a worthy successor to trailblazing women like Donna Summer
and Vicki Sue Robinson
, R&B singers with an affinity for the endless groove. Disco? No wonder most rock critics can't get behind her. Party on, Mariah."
". The video begins with Carey exploring the Playland
amusement park, located in Rye, New York, on roller blades and riding a wooden coaster. The video continues showing snippets of Carey at the park, until the end of the second verse. Afterwards, Carey proceeds to an outdoor celebration that involves people dancing atop their cars.
Following in their actions, Carey joins in the festivities and hops atop a car and begins singing and dancing to the strong bass and R&B beat playing from the stereos. The video also contains a scene involving a lovable young girl who tries to emulate Carey and whose character reappears in the video for Carey's single "Shake It Off
" (2005). The video shoot took place in mid-August 1995. In the official video for the song's remix, (O.D.B) makes a few cameo appearances as a clown
, as well as on the Boardwalk during additional scenes with Carey.
(BMI) "Pop Song of the Year" award in 1997, as well as the "Favorite Single" award at the annual "Archer Awards". The song also was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at the 38th Grammy Awards.
, where Carey won two of the top awards. For the performance, Carey wore a long black trench coat and matching boots, pants and blouse, and was backed by three background vocalists. Additionally, Carey sang "Fantasy" on the British music chart program Top of the Pops
, during a promotional stop in the United Kingdom on September 12, 1995. During its taping, she wore a blue blouse and black jumper. Two days later, Carey appeared on French television where she performed the song alongside several male and female dancers. Carey donned a mid-waist baring white blouse and black leather pants and matching heeled boots. Trey Lorenz
and two female back up vocalists were also featured on stage during the show's taping. Aside from live television appearances, the song was performed on several legs of Carey's tours.
"Fantasy" was performed at every show on her Daydream World Tour
(1996) set to the album version. The performance was tuned similarly to Carey's recital at the American Music Awards, featuring a similar outfit, dance routines and set up. The remix version was performed on her Butterfly World Tour
(1998), Rainbow World Tour
(2000), Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey
(2004), and The Adventures of Mimi
tour (2006), each of which featured a varying synopsis. In 1998, it became the first time Carey performed the remix version in concert, placing a large projection screen on to the stage, and featuring snippets and cuts of O.D.B throughout the video. Additionally, Carey was dressed in blue jeans and a white blouse, and danced several chair routines with several male dancers. During the Charmbracelet Tour and Rainbow Tour, the shows segment was similar to her previous tour. The song was featured on the select set-list on three of Carey's live taped shows, Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden
, The Adventures of Mimi, and Around the World.
commented in referencing to the song's remix, "It became standard for R&B/hip-hop stars like Missy Elliott
and Beyoncé, to combine melodies with rapped verses. And young white pop stars—including Britney Spears
, 'N Sync
, and Christina Aguilera
—have spent much of the past ten years making pop music that is unmistakably R&B." Moreover Jones concludes that "Her idea of pairing a female songbird with the leading male MCs of hip-hop changed R&B and, eventually, all of pop. Although now anyone is free to use this idea, the success of “Mimi” suggests that it still belongs to Carey."
John Norris
of MTV News has stated that the remix was "responsible for, I would argue, an entire wave of music that we've seen since and that is the R&B-hip-hop collaboration. You could argue that the 'Fantasy' remix was the single most important recording that she's ever made." Norris echoed the sentiments of TLC
's Lisa Lopes
, who told MTV that it's because of Mariah that we have "R&B." Judnick Mayard, writer of TheFader, wrote that in regarding of R&B and hip hop collaboration, "The champion of this movement is Mariah Carey." Mayard also expressed that "To this day ODB
and Mariah may still be the best and most random hip hop collaboration of all time", citing that due to the record "Fantasy", "R&B and Hip Hop were the best of step siblings."
U.K. #1/U.S. CD maxi-single
UK CD maxi-single #2
|-
! Country (Provider)
! Certification
|-
| Australia (ARIA
)
| Platinum
|-
| France (SNEP
)
| Silver
|-
| New Zealand (RIANZ
)
| Platinum
|-
| United Kingdom (BPI
)
| Silver
|-
| United States (RIAA
)
| 2× Platinum
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
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...
. It was released on September 12, 1995 by 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...
as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall
Dave Hall (record producer)
David "Dave" Hall is a record producer. He is famous for working on Mary J. Blige's debut album What's the 411? ; with Madonna, co-writing and co-producing several tracks from her 1994 album Bedtime Stories, including the single "Human Nature," for working with R&B harmony group Brownstone, and for...
, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
. The song samples the hook from Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
's 1982 song Genius of Love
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 song by Tom Tom Club from their eponymous debut album.-Song:"Genius of Love" was Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over a hundred thousand copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records's UK, at which point...
, and incorporates various other beats and grooves arranged by the former. The song's lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
(O.D.B), something Carey arranged to assist in her transition into the hip-hop market.
The song was positively reviewed by contemporary music critics, many of whom complimented its clever use of the "Genius of Love" hook as well as Carey's vocal performance. "Fantasy" experienced strong success around the world, especially in the United States. It became the second song in 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...
history and the first by a female, to debut atop the 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...
. Additionally, aside from topping the chart for eight consecutive weeks, the song achieved strong success outside the US, topping the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand and becoming a top-five hit in Belgium, Finland, France and the United Kingdom.
Carey performed "Fantasy" live on several television and award show appearances around the world. Carey performed the song at the 23rd annual
American Music Awards of 1996
The 23rd Annual American Music Awards were held on January 29, 1996.-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-Adult Contemporary Category:-Rap/Hip-Hop Category:-Alternative Category:-Heavy Metal Category:...
American Music Awards, held on January 29, 1996. Additionally, it was performed live on British music chart program Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and on French television. "Fantasy" was part of the set-lists on several of Carey's succeeding tours, making its debut during the album's accompanying set of concerts, the Daydream World Tour
Daydream World Tour
The Daydream World Tour is a series of concerts by American R&B singer Mariah Carey. The tour took place during early to mid-1996, and kicked-off at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, and ended at London, England's Wembley Arena.-History:...
and is featured on her compilation albums, Number 1's
Number 1's (Mariah Carey album)
#1's is the first compilation album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released by Columbia Records on November 17, 1998. The album contained Carey's thirteen number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as four new songs. In Japan, #1's also included her popular single "All I Want...
(1998), 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 Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey
Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey
Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey is a compilation album by American R&B singer Mariah Carey. The album features some of Carey's released and unreleased songs over the course of her career....
(2010).
The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel is an American photographer, who obtained popular acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vogue and his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book Sex...
. The cover for her album Daydream is a cropped version of the single cover. Carey directed the music video for "Fantasy", making it her directorial debut. Carey created the video's concept and chose the filming location. After being disappointed with the final result in many of her previous videos, Carey decided to single handedly direct the video. The video showed Carey's roller blading through an amusement park, singing and enjoying herself. Mid-way through the video, Ol' Dirty Bastard (O.D.B) makes a cameo appearance as a clown. The video concludes with Carey dancing atop the sunroof of a car, with many others present and enjoying the music and celebration.
Background
With Daydream, Carey began incorporating contemporary R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and hip-hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
into her music, something very noticeable in "Fantasy". After Carey began writing songs for her new album Daydream, she decided to include the hook from the Tom Tom Club song "Genius of Love" into an up-tempo song. Afterwards, Carey and Hall began incorporating the sample into the lyrics and melody she had already produced. Carey described how the idea to sample the song became reality:
I was listening to the radio and heard 'Genius of Love', and I hadn't heard it in a long time. It reminded me of growing up and listening to the radio and that feeling the song gave me seemed to go with the melody and basic idea I had for "Fantasy". I initially told Dave about the idea, and we did it. We called up the Tom Tom Club and they were really into it.
Carey recalled how the writers of the song were really intrigued by the idea of Carey sampling the song, and immediately signed over the rights. After Carey presented Hall with the sample, the chorus and beat, he developed a familiar groove that he felt would "highlight Carey's voice." After they completed the song, Carey's husband and CEO of Columbia, 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...
listened to "Fantasy" and agreed to include it on the album. The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel is an American photographer, who obtained popular acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vogue and his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book Sex...
. A cropped version of the photograph was used as the album cover as well. Hall described his experience with writing the song with Carey:
[It] was a fun song to do. Mariah brought me 'Genius of Love' and I laid some strings on it and put it into a groove I felt really fit and highlighted her voice. And that song didn't take us but a minute to do, because she really busted that out within two days. We did a rough copy and let Tommy Mottola hear it and he loved it, so all we had to do was bring it back in and mix it.
Composition
"Fantasy" is an up-tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
song, which blends po
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
p music and contemporary R&B. The remix, which features rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
verses from O.D.B, also incorporates hip-hop into the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
. The song uses heavy bass and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, as well as a sample from "Genius of Love". The song is set in the signature common time, and is written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of G major. It features a basic chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of A-F-1. Carey's vocal range in the song spans from the note of G3 to the high note of E6; the piano and guitar pieces range from D4 to E5 as well. The song contains choral lyrics written by Carey, who also developed the song's melody and original beat. Instrumentation and production was performed by Dave Hall, while co-arranging and producing the track as well. The members of the Tom Tom Club, Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth
Martina Michèle "Tina" Weymouth is an American musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the New Wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club .-Profile:Weymouth is of French heritage on her mother's side. Weymouth was a cheerleader in high school...
, Chris Frantz
Chris Frantz
Chris Frantz is an American musician and record producer. He was the drummer for both Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club.-Career:...
, Steven Stanley
Steven Stanley
Steven J. C. Stanley , is a Jamaican audio engineer, record producer and keyboardist who has worked in the reggae, dub and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and Black Uhuru....
and Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
are all credited as writers due to the inclusion of the music sample they wrote. While reviewing Daydream, Bill Lamb
Bill Lamb
The Hon. William Henry Lamb was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1938 until 1962 and, variously, a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Lang Labor Party...
from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
heavily praised the song's usage of the Tom Tom Club sample, writing "The bumping beat of Tom Tom Club's classic "Genius Of Love" underlying "Fantasy" is utterly irresistible. The upbeat songs here venture further into hip hop territory than on previous Mariah Carey albums. The result was massive R&B chart success."
Critical reception
"Fantasy" was very well received by contemporary music critics. Bill Lamb from About.com was very positive on the song, calling it "truly inspiring" and a "career high water mark" for Carey. Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
from Allmusic also praised the song, saying "Carey continues to perfect her craft and that she has earned her status as an R&B/pop diva." Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the song praise, writing "with 'Fantasy', Ms. Carey glides confidently into the territory where gospel-flavored pop-soul meets light hip-hop and recorded some of the most gorgeously spun choral music to be found on a contemporary album." Additionally, he claimed "Fantasy" held some of the album's best moments, writing "she continues to make pop music as deliciously enticing as the best moments of "Fantasy". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
ranked the song at number sixty on their "Best Singles of the '90s" list, writing it is "escapism perfected, [a] summer bubblegum gem with a sweet, flawless vocal line driven by a diva in her prime."
Chart performance
"Fantasy" achieved strong commercial success around the world. The song became Carey's ninth number one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became the first single by a female artist to debut atop the chart, and only the second single to do so after "You Are Not AloneYou Are Not Alone
"You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The R&B ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and...
" by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. It debuted at the top of 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...
due to the strong sales, which were expected to exceed 229,000 copies. It spent eight weeks at the top of the chart, from September 24 to November 18, 1995, Carey's longest stay at the time alongside "Dreamlover" (1993). It replaced "Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise (song)
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a rap song by Coolio featuring L.V.. The song was released on the Coolio album Gangsta's Paradise, as well as the Dangerous Minds soundtrack in 1995. Coolio was awarded a Grammy for the song/album...
" by Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
, and was replaced by 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 "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
"Exhale " is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records. The song was written and produced by Babyface...
". "Fantasy" spent 23 weeks in the top 40 and was successful on other 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...
formats, including the R&B and dance charts. Its strong sales led it to be certified double-platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
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...
(RIAA), Carey's first single to do so. "Fantasy" was the second best-selling single of 1995 in the US, with sales of over 1,500,000. It was ranked seventh on the Hot 100 year-end charts for 1995 and 49th on the 1996 year-end charts. "Fantasy" ranked at number fifteen on the Hot 100 decade-end chart for the 1990s.
In Australia, the song topped the chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
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...
(ARIA). In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
at number ninety-five on the RPM issue dated October 2, 1995, and reached the top of the chart on November 20, 1995. It was present on the chart for a total of twenty weeks, and ranked eighteen on the RPM Year-end chart for 1995. "Fantasy" also reached the top ten in most countries across Europe, and the top 20 on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
chart in Japan. It peaked within the top-five in Belgium (Wallonia), Finland, France and the United Kingdom; and in the top-ten in Belgium (Flanders), The Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland. "Fantasy" was certified silver in France and the United Kingdom, by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
(SNEP) and British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI), respectively. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 280,000 copies in United Kingdom. The song also topped the charts in New Zealand, where it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
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...
(RIANZ).
Remixes
Carey worked with producer Puff DaddySean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
to create the official remix, the Bad Boy
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
remix of "Fantasy". While Columbia allowed Carey more leniency with the music she recorded, they became hesitant when she featured Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
in the remix for "Fantasy". They feared the sudden change was completely left field for her music, and worried it would jeopardize the album's success. Finally, the Bad Boy remix used guest raps from O.D.B and background vocals by Puff Daddy. Some of the song's R&B elements were removed for the remix, while the bassline and "Genius of Love
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 song by Tom Tom Club from their eponymous debut album.-Song:"Genius of Love" was Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over a hundred thousand copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records's UK, at which point...
" sample were emphasized & the bridge from the original version was used as the chorus. There is a version omitting Ol' Dirty Bastard's verses. The "Bad Boy Fantasy Remix", combines the chorus from the original version and the chorus of the Bad Boy Remix together, removing Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals from his 2nd verse. Carey re-recorded vocals for club remixes of the song by David Morales
David Morales
David Morales is an internationally acclaimed Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is one of the most prolific remixers of all time, transforming many pop music songs into club-friendly dance tracks...
, titled "Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)". The Bad Boy remix garnered positive reviews from music critics. Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised the song, claiming its one of the few tracks where Carey "defines herself." Additionally, he complimented the song, writing "At her best, as she is on this clipped, spunky track, Carey is a disco diva for the '90s, a worthy successor to trailblazing women like Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
and Vicki Sue Robinson
Vicki Sue Robinson
Vicki Sue Robinson was an American theatre and film actress and singer, closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music; she is most famous for her 1976 hit, "Turn the Beat Around."-Early life and career:...
, R&B singers with an affinity for the endless groove. Disco? No wonder most rock critics can't get behind her. Party on, Mariah."
Music video
The single's music video was the first that Carey directed entirely on her own. Carey had been open about the fact that she had not been happy with some of her previous music videos. She therefore decided to single handedly direct the video, so the outcome would to to her exact choosing. Carey said her inspiration for the video was to give off a "free and open feeling," trying to portray the freedom she had finally achieved in being allowed to direct her first video. The video for "Fantasy" debuted on September 7, at the "MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
". The video begins with Carey exploring the Playland
Playland (New York)
Playland, often called Rye Playland and also known as Playland Amusement Park, is an amusement park located in Rye, New York. Run by Westchester County, it is the only government owned-and-operated amusement park in the United States.-History:...
amusement park, located in Rye, New York, on roller blades and riding a wooden coaster. The video continues showing snippets of Carey at the park, until the end of the second verse. Afterwards, Carey proceeds to an outdoor celebration that involves people dancing atop their cars.
I'd done a lot of videos and wasn't always a hundred percent thrilled. For the most part, I was never thrilled with the results, so I figured I would give directing a shot. It was a pretty simple concept. Most of the scenes were featured at the amusement park, at a late-night outdoor celebration. I was really happy to be able to include O.D.B in the remix video.
Following in their actions, Carey joins in the festivities and hops atop a car and begins singing and dancing to the strong bass and R&B beat playing from the stereos. The video also contains a scene involving a lovable young girl who tries to emulate Carey and whose character reappears in the video for Carey's single "Shake It Off
Shake It Off
"Shake It Off" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . It was written and produced by Carey along with Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Johntá Austin...
" (2005). The video shoot took place in mid-August 1995. In the official video for the song's remix, (O.D.B) makes a few cameo appearances as a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, as well as on the Boardwalk during additional scenes with Carey.
Awards and accolades
"Fantasy" won many prestigious awards throughout the music industry in 1995 and 1996. At the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, the song won the award for "Favorite Single". Additionally, the song was a warded the "Pop Award" honor at the 1996 annual American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Carey won the "Dance Record of the Year" award at the "National Dance Music Awards" in 1996. "Fantasy" won two awards at the 1996 "Winter Music Conference National Dance Music Awards", for "Favorite Single" and "Dance record of the Year". The song won a Broadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
(BMI) "Pop Song of the Year" award in 1997, as well as the "Favorite Single" award at the annual "Archer Awards". The song also was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at the 38th Grammy Awards.
Live performances
"Fantasy" was performed at the 23rd Annual American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards of 1996
The 23rd Annual American Music Awards were held on January 29, 1996.-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-Adult Contemporary Category:-Rap/Hip-Hop Category:-Alternative Category:-Heavy Metal Category:...
, where Carey won two of the top awards. For the performance, Carey wore a long black trench coat and matching boots, pants and blouse, and was backed by three background vocalists. Additionally, Carey sang "Fantasy" on the British music chart program Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, during a promotional stop in the United Kingdom on September 12, 1995. During its taping, she wore a blue blouse and black jumper. Two days later, Carey appeared on French television where she performed the song alongside several male and female dancers. Carey donned a mid-waist baring white blouse and black leather pants and matching heeled boots. 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:...
and two female back up vocalists were also featured on stage during the show's taping. Aside from live television appearances, the song was performed on several legs of Carey's tours.
"Fantasy" was performed at every show on her Daydream World Tour
Daydream World Tour
The Daydream World Tour is a series of concerts by American R&B singer Mariah Carey. The tour took place during early to mid-1996, and kicked-off at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, and ended at London, England's Wembley Arena.-History:...
(1996) set to the album version. The performance was tuned similarly to Carey's recital at the American Music Awards, featuring a similar outfit, dance routines and set up. The remix version was performed on her Butterfly World Tour
Butterfly World Tour
Butterfly World Tour is the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour promoted Carey's album at the time, Butterfly , and included songs from several of her previous albums. The tour visited Asia, Australia and the United States, with rehearsals taking place in...
(1998), Rainbow World Tour
Rainbow World Tour
The Rainbow World Tour was a worldwide arena concert tour in the year 2000 by American R&B artist Mariah Carey.-History:Carey had released her ninth album Rainbow in November 1999 and decided to go on tour to promote it. Unlike her previous outing, the Butterfly World Tour, marked Carey's first...
(2000), Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey
Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey
Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey is the name of Mariah Carey's 2003–04 worldwide concert tour. It takes its name from Carey's 2002 album Charmbracelet, which had been released six months earlier.-History:...
(2004), and The Adventures of Mimi
The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name...
tour (2006), each of which featured a varying synopsis. In 1998, it became the first time Carey performed the remix version in concert, placing a large projection screen on to the stage, and featuring snippets and cuts of O.D.B throughout the video. Additionally, Carey was dressed in blue jeans and a white blouse, and danced several chair routines with several male dancers. During the Charmbracelet Tour and Rainbow Tour, the shows segment was similar to her previous tour. The song was featured on the select set-list on three of Carey's live taped shows, Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden
Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden
Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden is Mariah Carey's fourth DVD/home video release. It presents Carey performing live at the Madison Square Garden on October 10, 1995...
, The Adventures of Mimi, and Around the World.
Legacy
Mariah's "Fantasy" remains one of the finest examples of reworking an extensive sample into a fully realized pop masterpiece. The song and its remix arguably remains as one of Carey's most important single to date. Due to the success and influence of the song, Carey is credited for introducing R&B and hip hop into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act through her post-1995 songs. Sasha Frere-Jones, editor of The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
commented in referencing to the song's remix, "It became standard for R&B/hip-hop stars like Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
and Beyoncé, to combine melodies with rapped verses. And young white pop stars—including Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, and Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
—have spent much of the past ten years making pop music that is unmistakably R&B." Moreover Jones concludes that "Her idea of pairing a female songbird with the leading male MCs of hip-hop changed R&B and, eventually, all of pop. Although now anyone is free to use this idea, the success of “Mimi” suggests that it still belongs to Carey."
John Norris
John Norris (MTV News reporter)
John Norris is a reporter who previously worked for MTV as a reporter and special correspondent for MTV News and the MTV Radio Network. He joined MTV as a writer in 1986 and became an on-air alternate for news anchor Kurt Loder in 1988...
of MTV News has stated that the remix was "responsible for, I would argue, an entire wave of music that we've seen since and that is the R&B-hip-hop collaboration. You could argue that the 'Fantasy' remix was the single most important recording that she's ever made." Norris echoed the sentiments of TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
's Lisa Lopes
Lisa Lopes
Lisa Nicole Lopes better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper, singer, dancer, actress, television host, and songwriter...
, who told MTV that it's because of Mariah that we have "R&B." Judnick Mayard, writer of TheFader, wrote that in regarding of R&B and hip hop collaboration, "The champion of this movement is Mariah Carey." Mayard also expressed that "To this day ODB
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
and Mariah may still be the best and most random hip hop collaboration of all time", citing that due to the record "Fantasy", "R&B and Hip Hop were the best of step siblings."
Formats and track listings
Worldwide CD single- "Fantasy" – 4:04
- "Fantasy" (Bad Boy) Featuring O.D.B. – 4:53
U.K. #1/U.S. CD maxi-single
- "Fantasy" (Album Version) – 4:06
- "Fantasy" (Bad Boy Fantasy) – 4:51
- "Fantasy" (Bad Boy) Featuring O.D.B. – 4:52
- "Fantasy" (Bad Boy Mix) – 4:14
- "Fantasy" (Def Club Mix) – 11:15
UK CD maxi-single #2
- "Fantasy" (MC Mix) – 6:29
- "Fantasy" (Puffy's Mix) – 4:53
- "Fantasy" (Puffy's Club Mix) – 4:49
- "Fantasy" (The Boss Dub) – 8:53
- "Fantasy" (Sweet Dub Mix) – 8:11
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the Daydream liner notes.- Mariah Carey – co-productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, songwriting, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Dave Hall – co-production, songwriting
- Tina Weymouth – songwriting
- Chris Frantz – songwriting
- Steven Stanley – songwriting
- Adrian Belew – songwriting
Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
13 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
9 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
3 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
1 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart 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... |
10 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles | 4 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 2 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
5 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
12 |
| 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... |
10 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
9 |
| Japanese Singles Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
18 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart 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... |
1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
10 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
13 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
10 |
| 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 ... |
4 |
| 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 Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 8 |
| US Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 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 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 18 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 41 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 20 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 77 |
| French Singles Chart | 24 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 86 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
| End of year chart (1996) | Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 49 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
Sales and certifications
{| class="wikitable"|-
! 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
|-
| France (SNEP
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
)
| Silver
|-
| 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...
)
| Platinum
|-
| United Kingdom (BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
)
| Silver
|-
| 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...
)
| 2× Platinum