The Time of My Life (David Cook song)
Encyclopedia
"The Time of My Life" is the coronation song and the debut single for the winner of the seventh season
of American Idol
, David Cook
.
. It was released as Cook's first single exclusively on iTunes
on May 22, 2008. The next day, it was made available at all digital retailers. The song was sent to the radio stations following the end of the airing of American Idol finale in Hawaii
. As of November 2008, the single has sold 980,000 units. This song was also used for a Viennese Waltz
on So You Think You Can Dance
season 4, performed by Courtney G. and Mark.
On the 2008 ESPY
's the song was used. The song was also used at the end of 2008 Summer Olympics Games
opening ceremony
on August 8, 2008 by NBC
to recap the events that took place during the opening ceremonies. It has also been used throughout the Olympics to recap the days victories for the United States.
In June 2009, in the ABC
soap opera
One Life to Live
, the Llanview school chorus sung the song.
at number three with 236,000 copies sold in its first week of release. These figures give it the strongest first week sales of an Idol
coronation single since season 2
. The song debuted at #2 on the Canadian Hot 100
, blocked by Madonna
's "4 Minutes
". Due to low airplay in the U.S., the song was prevented from debuting at #1 by Lil Wayne
's "Lollipop
" featuring the late Static Major
and singer Leona Lewis
's "Bleeding Love
". In addition to its high opening week sales, "The Time of My Life" showed strong sales longevity, and has passed the million mark in digital sales. The song's sales and radio longevity allowed it to stay in the top 50 on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, before being removed from the chart after its 20th week per Billboards recurrent rules.
On June 1, 2008, the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 61. It also debuted in New Zealand
at #29.
As of the week ending September 13, the single has reached #1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
chart, #28 and Top 40 Mainstream It is only the second coronation single of an American Idol winner to reach the top 40 on U.S. Mainstream radio, following Kelly Clarkson
's "A Moment Like This." The song was particularly successful on U.S. Adult radio. The song reached number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
chart, breaking a 36 week streak of number one songs by female artists on the chart, and initially remained at the top spot for 11 weeks. During the Holiday 2008 season, Faith Hill
's "A Baby Changes Everything
" briefly overtook the #1 spot on the chart, but "The Time of My Life" returned to the top in January 2009, where it has spent an additional 3 weeks so far. This brings its total to 14 non-consecutive weeks at #1 to date. Cook is also the second American Idol winner to top the chart, and the fourth contestant from the show to top it. The song has also enjoyed one of the longest runs at #1 on the chart, placing in the top ten of longest running #1's by a male artist on the chart. It also reached the top ten on the Adult Top 40, peaking at #7.
The RIAA
certified "The Time of My Life" platinum on December 12, 2008 for selling over 1 million digital downloads, making it the third platinum-selling coronation song for an American Idol winner, after Kelly Clarkson
's "A Moment Like This" and Carrie Underwood
's "Inside Your Heaven
". It became the best selling coronation song by June 2009
has declared it "...one of the longest–running chart–toppers by a solo male artist in AC history." The hit single has joined the ranks of selected Nashville–penned songs that have achieved remarkable success at the #1 spot, including Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel
" in 1956. The song hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot AC chart 15 times, passing the 14 week mark that Whitney Houston
hit with Dolly Parton
's "I Will Always Love You
" in 1993.
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, David Cook
David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
.
Background
The song is the winner out of thousands of entries for the 2008 American Idol Songwriter's Competition, and was written by Regie HammRegie Hamm
Regie Hamm is an American singer-songwriter. He has multiple credits as a songwriter, producer, musician , and artist.-Early and personal life:...
. It was released as Cook's first single exclusively on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on May 22, 2008. The next day, it was made available at all digital retailers. The song was sent to the radio stations following the end of the airing of American Idol finale in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. As of November 2008, the single has sold 980,000 units. This song was also used for a Viennese Waltz
Viennese Waltz
Viennese Waltz is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called...
on So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
season 4, performed by Courtney G. and Mark.
On the 2008 ESPY
ESPY Awards
An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
's the song was used. The song was also used at the end of 2008 Summer Olympics Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
opening ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture...
on August 8, 2008 by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
to recap the events that took place during the opening ceremonies. It has also been used throughout the Olympics to recap the days victories for the United States.
In June 2009, in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, the Llanview school chorus sung the song.
Chart performance
In the U.S. the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
at number three with 236,000 copies sold in its first week of release. These figures give it the strongest first week sales of an Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
coronation single since season 2
American Idol (Season 2)
The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
. The song debuted at #2 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, blocked by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's "4 Minutes
4 Minutes (Madonna song)
"4 Minutes" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eleventh studio album Hard Candy. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 17, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records. The song's development was motivated by a sense of urgency to save the planet from destruction, and...
". Due to low airplay in the U.S., the song was prevented from debuting at #1 by Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
's "Lollipop
Lollipop (Lil Wayne song)
"Lollipop" is the first single from Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III. The track features the late R&B artist Static Major and is produced by Deezle and Jim Jonsin. The song was released digitally on March 13, 2008. The song is Lil Wayne's & Static Major's most successful to date,...
" featuring the late Static Major
Static Major
Stephen Ellis Garrett also known as Static Major, was a Grammy Award-Winning American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was a member of the R&B trio Playa. Static Major gained posthumous fame for appearing on Lil Wayne's 2008 album Tha Carter III on the...
and singer Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
's "Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
". In addition to its high opening week sales, "The Time of My Life" showed strong sales longevity, and has passed the million mark in digital sales. The song's sales and radio longevity allowed it to stay in the top 50 on the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, before being removed from the chart after its 20th week per Billboards recurrent rules.
On June 1, 2008, the single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 61. It also debuted in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at #29.
As of the week ending September 13, the single has reached #1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
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...
chart, #28 and Top 40 Mainstream It is only the second coronation single of an American Idol winner to reach the top 40 on U.S. Mainstream radio, following Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's "A Moment Like This." The song was particularly successful on U.S. Adult radio. The song reached number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
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...
chart, breaking a 36 week streak of number one songs by female artists on the chart, and initially remained at the top spot for 11 weeks. During the Holiday 2008 season, Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
's "A Baby Changes Everything
A Baby Changes Everything
"A Baby Changes Everything" is a song by American country singer Faith Hill. It was the first single released from her album Joy to the World...
" briefly overtook the #1 spot on the chart, but "The Time of My Life" returned to the top in January 2009, where it has spent an additional 3 weeks so far. This brings its total to 14 non-consecutive weeks at #1 to date. Cook is also the second American Idol winner to top the chart, and the fourth contestant from the show to top it. The song has also enjoyed one of the longest runs at #1 on the chart, placing in the top ten of longest running #1's by a male artist on the chart. It also reached the top ten on the Adult Top 40, peaking at #7.
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...
certified "The Time of My Life" platinum on December 12, 2008 for selling over 1 million digital downloads, making it the third platinum-selling coronation song for an American Idol winner, after Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
's "A Moment Like This" and Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
's "Inside Your Heaven
Inside Your Heaven
"Inside Your Heaven" is a song written by Andreas Carlsson, Pelle Nylén, Savan Kotecha and produced by Desmond Child. Two versions of the song were released as singles in 2005 : one by American Idol winner Carrie Underwood, and another by Idol runner-up Bo Bice.Underwood's recording of the song,...
". It became the best selling coronation song by June 2009
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
2 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 10 |
| 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... Singles Chart |
29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 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... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
7 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
61 |
| Year-end chart (2008) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
75 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
69 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 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... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 | 26 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of... |
65 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
79 |
| Year-end chart (2009) | Rank |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 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... |
9 |
- 2009 Billboard "Best of the Decade" Achievement: No. 23 Top Adult Contemporary Songs of the Decade
Acclaims
"Time of My Life" took Song of the Year honors at the Nashville Music Awards October 7, 2009. BillboardBillboard (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 declared it "...one of the longest–running chart–toppers by a solo male artist in AC history." The hit single has joined the ranks of selected Nashville–penned songs that have achieved remarkable success at the #1 spot, including Elvis' "Heartbreak Hotel
Heartbreak Hotel
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first...
" in 1956. The song hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot AC chart 15 times, passing the 14 week mark that 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...
hit with Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
's "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" in 1993.
See also
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 2008 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 2009 (U.S.)