Vision of Love
Encyclopedia
"Vision of Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
. It served as Carey's debut single, the first from her self-titled debut
album. Written by Carey and Ben Margulies
, "Vision of Love" was released on May 15, 1990 by Columbia Records
. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for Columbia, the song was re-sung and produced by Rhett Lawrence
and Narada Michael Walden
. "Vision of Love" features a slow-dance theme tempo, backing vocals sung by Carey herself, and introduces her usage of the whistle register
. Lyrically, the song describes a past and present relationship with a lover. Carey describes the 'vision of love' she dreamed of, as well as the present love she feels for him.
The song's music video was filmed in April 1990. It features Carey in a large cathedral, where she meditates and sings by a large carved window. "Vision of Love" was performed on several television and award show ceremonies, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show
, The Arsenio Hall Show
and the 33rd Annual Grammy Award
s. It has been performed on almost every one of Carey's concerts and tours, and is featured on Carey's live album MTV Unplugged (1992) and on many of her compilation albums, Number 1's
(1998), Greatest Hits
(2001) and The Ballads
(2008).
"Vision of Love" was lauded by contemporary music critics. It has been credited with bringing the use of melisma
to modern music and for inspiring several artists to pursue a career in music. The New Yorker
named "Vision of Love" the "Magna Carta
of melisma" for it and Carey's influence on pop and R&B singers and American Idol
contestants. Additionally, Rolling Stone
said that "the fluttering strings of notes that decorate songs like "Vision of Love", inspired the entire American Idol vocal school, for better or worse, and virtually every other female R&B singer since the nineties." The song topped the singles charts in Canada, New Zealand and the United States, where it spent four weeks atop the chart.
. After initially meeting and becoming friends, the pair began spending time in his father's old studio, writing material and composing new songs. Together, the first song they compiled was titled "Here We Go Around Again". Although the song was Carey's first composition, it was never recorded due to Carey's sudden signing to Columbia. As the year wore on, they had composed seven songs for Carey's demo tape; of them was the rough and unfinished version of "Vision of Love". In an interview with Fred Bronson
, Carey described how she met and came to work with Margulies.
After meeting Brenda K. Starr
and being introduced to Tommy Mottola
, the future head of Sony Music Entertainment
, the song was re-done in a professional studio, with the assistance of two producers. Carey flew to Los Angeles to work with Rhett Lawrence
, one of the album's main producers. After hearing the original version of the song, Lawrence described it as having a "50s sort of shuffle." After Carey agreed to alter the song, Lawrence contemporized its tempo. "Vision of Love" was recorded at the Skyline Studios in New York, and featured Lawrence behind the keyboard, Margulies on the drums, bassist Marcus Miller, drum programmer Ren Klyce and guitarist Jimmy Ripp
. Lawrence took Carey's vocals from the original demo version, and used them as background vocals for the song's final version. After adding different instrumentation to the song, Lawrence and Narada Michael Walden
produced "Vision of Love".
and R&B
influences. It incorporates heavy backup vocals during the song's bridge
and features usage of Carey's whistle register
and melisma
. Author Chris Nickson described the song and its vocals:
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, "Vision of Love" is set in common time
and in the key
of C major
. Carey's vocal range spans from the low note of Eb3 to the high whistle note of C7. The song's lyrics and melody were written and composed by Carey, with Margulies, Miller, Klyce and Rip on the instrumentals. Lawrence and Walden produced the song, which heavily deviated from its original version on Carey's demo. Michael Slezak from Entertainment Weekly
wrote regarding the song's instrumentation and vocals "From those opening sci-fi-esque synths to that signature dog-whistle high note, Mariah's very first single is inspired: Even folks who object to her trademark vocal excesses are hard-pressed to fault this rousing, gospel-tinged song about finding 'the one that I needed.'"
in 1991, Carey spoke of the song's lyrics and success.
According to Nickson, Carey chose to express her innermost feelings in her songs rather than becoming depressed and bitter throughout the hardships in her life. "You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, `I'm proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself."
. In a retrospective review on the album in 2005, Entertainment Weekly
called the song "inspired" and complimented Carey's use of the whistle register
in the song. In 2006, Sasha Frere-Jones
from The New Yorker
named the song "the Magna Carta
of melisma" for it and Carey's influence on pop and R&B singers and American Idol
contestants. Additionally, Rolling Stone
said that "the fluttering strings of notes that decorate songs like "Vision of Love", inspired the entire American Idol vocal school, for better or worse, and virtually every other female R&B singer since the nineties." Slant Magazine
critic Rich Juzwiak, wrote "I think ["Vision of Love"] was a vision of the future world of American Idol." In a separate review from Slant, RJ wrote "The last half of "Vision Of Love" (starting with the belted bridge) is a series of crescendos that get so intense that another Mariah has to step in to keep up the momentum." Additionally, RJ complimented the usage of the whistle register
in the song "And then there's the whistle note. And then there's the final vocal run that's more like a roller-coaster track. If you think these aren't climaxes, she proves you wrong with her denouement, the way the last word, "be," sort of wanes into an "mm hmm hmm." Bill Lamb from About.com
said that "'Vision of Love' is one of the best songs of Mariah's recording career [...] It is simply one of the most stunning debut releases ever by a pop recording artist."
s at the 33rd annual ceremony, held on February 20, 1991: Record of the Year
, Song of the Year
and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
, winning the latter. Additionally, the song received the Soul Train Music Award
for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female
and a Song of the Year Award at the BMI
Pop Awards. Devon Powers from Popmatters
has stated during the release of Carey's Greatest Hits
album that "Mariah’s Greatest Hits moves chronologically through that remarkable career, beginning with “Vision of Love”, the 1990 single that introduced the singer to instant stardom. Still, after so many years and songs, it’s by far among her best, if not the best—a simple testament to the incredible pipes that gave her a permanent place in pop cultural memory. Powers added that "From its first moments, the song demands to be legendary—a gong crash smolders low as Mariah’s gospel-inspired vocals hum confidently, grandly."
VH1
named "Vision of Love" the 14th greatest song of the 1990s. About.com ranked it fourth on its top ten pop hits of 1990 list and 28th on its top 100 pop songs of the 1990s list. Entertainment Weekly included it on their "10 Great (and 10 Grating) Karaoke Songs" list as a grating karaoke song, saying: "You cannot do this song. Seriously. Tackling this lung-crusher might seem like a fun challenge, but three minutes, five octaves, and one 10-second note later, you will realize that you did not conquer 'Vision of Love.' 'Vision of Love' conquered you." USA Today
critic Elysa Gardner picked "Vision of Love" as one of the most intriguing tracks, saying that it is still Mariah's best song. T. Field and a research team discovered that "Vision of Love" is one of the songs that has physiological and biochemical effects on depressed female adolescents. R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles
said that she began doing vocal "runs" after listening to "Vision of Love" for the first time. Similarly, pop singer Christina Aguilera
cited the song and Carey as big influences in her career as singer. In an interview throughout the early stages of her career, Aguilera said "I've totally looked up to Mariah since 'Vision of Love' came out."
at number 73 during the week of June 2, 1990, and reached the chart's summit nine weeks later. The song remained atop the chart for four consecutive weeks, and was ranked sixth on the Hot 100 year-end chart. It also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
for two weeks and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks for three weeks. In August 1990, the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) certified the song gold
, denoting shipments of over 500,000 units. In Canada, "Vision of Love" entered the Canadian RPM Singles Chart
at number 75, during the week of July 7, 1990. In its eighth week on the chart, the song reached number one and remained on the chart a total of 17 weeks. "Vision of Love" finished eighth on the Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990. "Vision of Love" entered the Australian Singles Chart
at number 45 during the week of August 12, 1990. It peaked at number nine, and spent a total of 15 weeks fluctuating in the chart before dropping out on November 25. The Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) certified the song gold, denoting shipments of over 35,000 units.
In the Netherlands, the song entered the singles chart at number 99, during the week of July 14. It spent a total of 17 weeks in the chart, spending two weeks at its peak position of number eight. "Vision of Love" entered the French Singles Chart
at number 39 on November 11, 1990. It peaked at number 25, spending two weeks at the position and a total of 14 on the chart. In Ireland, the song peaked at number ten, and spent six weeks in the singles chart. "Vision of Love" topped the chart in New Zealand, spending two consecutive weeks atop the singles chart. After fluctuating for 24 weeks in the chart, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ), denoting shipments of over 7,500 units. In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 74, during the week of August 4, 1990. "Vision of Love" peaked at number nine in its seventh week, and spent a total of 12 weeks in the chart. According to MTV
, sales in the UK are estimated at over 170,000 units.
to direct the song's music video. After filming the video's first version, record label executives felt the result was sub-par in comparison to the quality of the music. They scrapped the first video and re-filmed it, changing the plot, scenery and imagery. After word got out of the two videos, a Sony employee spoke to the press about Carey, saying how "the special treatment really upset" him. He felt they treated Carey differently than they would another artist under the label, and that they viewed her as a higher priority. He also claimed that Carey was the reason they re-filmed, "they spend $200,000 on a video and Mariah doesn't like it. No big deal." Another employee estimated the figure of both videos at over $450,000. After the reports were made, Don Ienner
, the president of Sony, refuted the claims, calling them "total bullshit" although admitting, "If we're going to take the time and effort that we did with Mariah, on every level, then we're going to image her the right way. If it costs a few extra dollars to make a splash in terms of the right imaging, you go ahead and do it."
Serving as her debut single, Carey performed "Vision of Love" on several live television and award show appearances, both stateside and throughout Europe. Carey's first live performance of the song was on The Arsenio Hall Show
, where she was joined on stage by the Billie T. Scott Ensemble, a trio of male background vocalists. Additionally, she sang it during a televised appearance at New York City's TATU Club, where she also gave a live rendition of Ben E. King
's "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
". As part of a live segment and interview, Carey appeared on Good Morning America
in September 1990, where she gave a live performance of the song. In the further months, Carey performed the song live on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
and the 33rd Anuual Grammy Award
s. In Europe, Carey performed "Vision of Love" on Wogan
in the United Kingdom, and Avis de Recherche and Le Monde Est A Vous in France. In July 1993, Carey recorded a live concert performance at Proctor's Theatre which included "Vision of Love". It was taped and released as Here Is Mariah Carey
in December 1993. Additionally, the song was part of a four song set-list on BET
's Blueprint, where Carey performed in July 2005.
"Vision of Love" was performed on several of Carey's tours and concert shows. It was first featured on her Music Box Tour
, her first full length stateside tour. For the song's performances, Carey donned a large black trench coat, with matching pants and leather boots. She featured her signature curly locks, and was joined by Trey Lorenz
, Melonie Daniels and Kelly Price
. On her 1996 Daydream World Tour
, Carey once again included the song on the tour's set-list. During her shows at the Tokyo Dome
in Tokyo, Japan, Carey donned a long black gown, with teased up straightened hair and a matching head-band. For the European leg on the tour, Carey wore a long white gown, and was joined by additional background vocalists. Carey included the song on her set-list for her Butterfly World Tour
(1998), where she once again featured the same trio of supporting singers. For the show's performances, she donned a sheer and beige mini-dress, with long and wavy golden hair. Additionally, she wore a cream colored long sleeve sheer sweater with matching high-heeled sandals. "Vision of Love" was included on Carey's Rainbow World Tour
in 2000, as well as the Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey
(2002–03). During The Adventures of Mimi Tour
in 2006, Carey performed the song at select shows. For the performances of the song, she donned a long yellow cocktail gown and black Christian Louboutin
pumps. Once again Lorenz was featured on stage, however with the addition of two different female back-up singers, MaryAnn and Sherry Tatum.
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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 served as Carey's debut single, the first from her self-titled debut
Mariah Carey (album)
Mariah Carey is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 12, 1990 by Columbia Records. The album contains a range of contemporary genres, and the songs are a mix of slow ballads and dance tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with...
album. Written by Carey and Ben Margulies
Ben Margulies
Ben Margulies is a songwriter and record producer. Together, he and Mariah Carey lobbied record companies with their 5 song demo tape with songs they had co-written and co-produced until Mariah got signed to Sony in 1988....
, "Vision of Love" was released on May 15, 1990 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...
. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for Columbia, the song was re-sung and produced by Rhett Lawrence
Rhett Lawrence
Rhett Lawrence is a record producer and songwriter. He is originally famous for producing the Grammy Award–winning, Billboard #1 Hot 100 and #1 R&B single "Vision of Love" for Mariah Carey. He produced and co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson pop rock hit "Miss Independent” which was #1 for 6 weeks at Top...
and Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
. "Vision of Love" features a slow-dance theme tempo, backing vocals sung by Carey herself, and introduces her usage of the whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
. Lyrically, the song describes a past and present relationship with a lover. Carey describes the 'vision of love' she dreamed of, as well as the present love she feels for him.
The song's music video was filmed in April 1990. It features Carey in a large cathedral, where she meditates and sings by a large carved window. "Vision of Love" was performed on several television and award show ceremonies, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
and the 33rd Annual 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. It has been performed on almost every one of Carey's concerts and tours, and is featured on Carey's live album MTV Unplugged (1992) and on many of 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 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).
"Vision of Love" was lauded by contemporary music critics. It has been credited with bringing the use of melisma
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
to modern music and for inspiring several artists to pursue a career in music. The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
named "Vision of Love" the "Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
of melisma" for it and Carey's influence on pop and R&B singers and 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...
contestants. Additionally, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that "the fluttering strings of notes that decorate songs like "Vision of Love", inspired the entire American Idol vocal school, for better or worse, and virtually every other female R&B singer since the nineties." The song topped the singles charts in Canada, New Zealand and the United States, where it spent four weeks atop the chart.
Background and recording
Throughout 1986, Carey had already begun writing music while in high school. After composing a song with her friend, Gavin Christopher, Carey met a young drummer and songwriter, Ben MarguliesBen Margulies
Ben Margulies is a songwriter and record producer. Together, he and Mariah Carey lobbied record companies with their 5 song demo tape with songs they had co-written and co-produced until Mariah got signed to Sony in 1988....
. After initially meeting and becoming friends, the pair began spending time in his father's old studio, writing material and composing new songs. Together, the first song they compiled was titled "Here We Go Around Again". Although the song was Carey's first composition, it was never recorded due to Carey's sudden signing to Columbia. As the year wore on, they had composed seven songs for Carey's demo tape; of them was the rough and unfinished version of "Vision of Love". In an interview with Fred Bronson
Fred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
, Carey described how she met and came to work with Margulies.
"We needed someone to play keyboards for a song I did with Gavin Christopher. We called someone and he couldn't come, so by accident we stumbled on Ben. Ben came to the session, and he can't really play keyboards very well-he's really more of a drummer-but after that day, we kept in touch, and we just sort of clicked as writers.
After meeting Brenda K. Starr
Brenda K. Starr
Brenda K. Starr is an American singer-songwriter. She is well known originally in dance-pop, but now mostly in salsa-based music...
and being introduced to 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...
, the future head of Sony Music Entertainment
Sony 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....
, the song was re-done in a professional studio, with the assistance of two producers. Carey flew to Los Angeles to work with Rhett Lawrence
Rhett Lawrence
Rhett Lawrence is a record producer and songwriter. He is originally famous for producing the Grammy Award–winning, Billboard #1 Hot 100 and #1 R&B single "Vision of Love" for Mariah Carey. He produced and co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson pop rock hit "Miss Independent” which was #1 for 6 weeks at Top...
, one of the album's main producers. After hearing the original version of the song, Lawrence described it as having a "50s sort of shuffle." After Carey agreed to alter the song, Lawrence contemporized its tempo. "Vision of Love" was recorded at the Skyline Studios in New York, and featured Lawrence behind the keyboard, Margulies on the drums, bassist Marcus Miller, drum programmer Ren Klyce and guitarist Jimmy Ripp
Jimmy Ripp
Jimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six....
. Lawrence took Carey's vocals from the original demo version, and used them as background vocals for the song's final version. After adding different instrumentation to the song, Lawrence and Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
produced "Vision of Love".
Composition
"Vision of Love" is a love song, featuring popPop 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...
and R&B
Contemporary 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...
influences. It incorporates heavy backup vocals during the song's 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...
and features usage of Carey's whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
and melisma
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
. Author Chris Nickson described the song and its vocals:
"['Vision of Love'] was the perfect introduction to her voice. With an ideal slow-dancing tempo, it still managed to swing, with Mariah's background vocals (herself multi-tracked) answering her lead. On the final chorus, her voice flew towards those trademark high notes before the instruments drop out, leaving Mariah to sing her way out to the tune's climax alone."
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, "Vision of Love" is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
and 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 C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. Carey's vocal range spans from the low note of Eb3 to the high whistle note of C7. The song's lyrics and melody were written and composed by Carey, with Margulies, Miller, Klyce and Rip on the instrumentals. Lawrence and Walden produced the song, which heavily deviated from its original version on Carey's demo. Michael Slezak 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...
wrote regarding the song's instrumentation and vocals "From those opening sci-fi-esque synths to that signature dog-whistle high note, Mariah's very first single is inspired: Even folks who object to her trademark vocal excesses are hard-pressed to fault this rousing, gospel-tinged song about finding 'the one that I needed.'"
Lyrical content
The song's lyrics have subject to various interpretations and suggested relationships by critics. Some have noted the relationship in between Carey and God, while other point out one with a lover. Carey has yielded to both, while claiming them to have a connection to her childhood and obstacles growing up. Michael Slezak wrote "Though it's not clear if she's celebrating a secular love or her relationship with a higher power, this exuberant ballad is a near-religious listening experience." In an interview with EbonyEbony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
in 1991, Carey spoke of the song's lyrics and success.
"Consider the lyrics: Prayed through the nights/Felt so alone/Suffered from alienation/Carried the weight on my own/Had to be strong/So I believed/And now I know I've succeeded/In finding the place I conceived. Well, just because you are young doesn't mean that you haven't had a hard life. It's been difficult for me, moving around so much, having to grow up by myself, basically on my own, my parents divorced. And I always felt kind of different from everyone else in my neighborhoods. I was a different person – ethnically. And sometimes that can be a problem. If you look a certain way everybody goes, 'White girl,' and I'd go, No, that's not what I am."
According to Nickson, Carey chose to express her innermost feelings in her songs rather than becoming depressed and bitter throughout the hardships in her life. "You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, `I'm proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself."
Critical reception
"Vision of Love" has been lauded by contemporary music critics for its lyrical content, vocals, and use of melismaMelisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
. In a retrospective review on the album in 2005, 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...
called the song "inspired" and complimented Carey's use of the whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
in the song. In 2006, Sasha Frere-Jones
Sasha Frere-Jones
Sasha Frere-Jones is an American writer, music critic, and musician. He has written for Pretty Decorating, ego trip, Hit It And Quit It, Mean, Slant, The New York Post, The Wire, The Village Voice, Slate, Spin, and The New York Times...
from The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
named the song "the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
of melisma" for it and Carey's influence on pop and R&B singers and 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...
contestants. Additionally, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that "the fluttering strings of notes that decorate songs like "Vision of Love", inspired the entire American Idol vocal school, for better or worse, and virtually every other female R&B singer since the nineties." 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 :...
critic Rich Juzwiak, wrote "I think ["Vision of Love"] was a vision of the future world of American Idol." In a separate review from Slant, RJ wrote "The last half of "Vision Of Love" (starting with the belted bridge) is a series of crescendos that get so intense that another Mariah has to step in to keep up the momentum." Additionally, RJ complimented the usage of the whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
in the song "And then there's the whistle note. And then there's the final vocal run that's more like a roller-coaster track. If you think these aren't climaxes, she proves you wrong with her denouement, the way the last word, "be," sort of wanes into an "mm hmm hmm." Bill Lamb 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....
said that "'Vision of Love' is one of the best songs of Mariah's recording career [...] It is simply one of the most stunning debut releases ever by a pop recording artist."
Accolades and legacy
"Vision of Love" was nominated for three Grammy AwardGrammy 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 at the 33rd annual ceremony, held on February 20, 1991: Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
, Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
and 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...
, winning the latter. Additionally, the song received the Soul Train Music Award
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female
Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female
The Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female was given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987. From 1989-1992 the award was known as the R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Female....
and a Song of the Year Award at the BMI
Broadcast 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...
Pop Awards. Devon Powers from Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
has stated during the release of Carey's 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...
album that "Mariah’s Greatest Hits moves chronologically through that remarkable career, beginning with “Vision of Love”, the 1990 single that introduced the singer to instant stardom. Still, after so many years and songs, it’s by far among her best, if not the best—a simple testament to the incredible pipes that gave her a permanent place in pop cultural memory. Powers added that "From its first moments, the song demands to be legendary—a gong crash smolders low as Mariah’s gospel-inspired vocals hum confidently, grandly."
VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
named "Vision of Love" the 14th greatest song of the 1990s. About.com ranked it fourth on its top ten pop hits of 1990 list and 28th on its top 100 pop songs of the 1990s list. Entertainment Weekly included it on their "10 Great (and 10 Grating) Karaoke Songs" list as a grating karaoke song, saying: "You cannot do this song. Seriously. Tackling this lung-crusher might seem like a fun challenge, but three minutes, five octaves, and one 10-second note later, you will realize that you did not conquer 'Vision of Love.' 'Vision of Love' conquered you." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
critic Elysa Gardner picked "Vision of Love" as one of the most intriguing tracks, saying that it is still Mariah's best song. T. Field and a research team discovered that "Vision of Love" is one of the songs that has physiological and biochemical effects on depressed female adolescents. R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
said that she began doing vocal "runs" after listening to "Vision of Love" for the first time. Similarly, pop singer 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...
cited the song and Carey as big influences in her career as singer. In an interview throughout the early stages of her career, Aguilera said "I've totally looked up to Mariah since 'Vision of Love' came out."
Chart performance
In the United States, "Vision of Love" entered 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 73 during the week of June 2, 1990, and reached the chart's summit nine weeks later. The song remained atop the chart for four consecutive weeks, and was ranked sixth on the Hot 100 year-end chart. It also topped the 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,...
for two weeks and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks for three weeks. In August 1990, 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) certified the song gold
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...
, denoting shipments of over 500,000 units. In Canada, "Vision of Love" entered the 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,...
at number 75, during the week of July 7, 1990. In its eighth week on the chart, the song reached number one and remained on the chart a total of 17 weeks. "Vision of Love" finished eighth on the Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990. "Vision of Love" entered the 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...
at number 45 during the week of August 12, 1990. It peaked at number nine, and spent a total of 15 weeks fluctuating in the chart before dropping out on November 25. 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) certified the song gold, denoting shipments of over 35,000 units.
In the Netherlands, the song entered the singles chart at number 99, during the week of July 14. It spent a total of 17 weeks in the chart, spending two weeks at its peak position of number eight. "Vision of Love" entered the 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...
at number 39 on November 11, 1990. It peaked at number 25, spending two weeks at the position and a total of 14 on the chart. In Ireland, the song peaked at number ten, and spent six weeks in the singles chart. "Vision of Love" topped the chart in New Zealand, spending two consecutive weeks atop the singles chart. After fluctuating for 24 weeks in the chart, the song was certified gold 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), denoting shipments of over 7,500 units. In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 74, during the week of August 4, 1990. "Vision of Love" peaked at number nine in its seventh week, and spent a total of 12 weeks in the chart. According to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, sales in the UK are estimated at over 170,000 units.
Background
After completing the album, Sony hired Bojan BazelliBojan Bazelli
Bojan Bazelli is a Montenegrin cinematographer and music video director born in Herceg Novi, Montenegro. His credits include the films The Ring, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and director Adam Shankman's Hairspray, as well as Mariah Carey's music video "Vision of Love"...
to direct the song's music video. After filming the video's first version, record label executives felt the result was sub-par in comparison to the quality of the music. They scrapped the first video and re-filmed it, changing the plot, scenery and imagery. After word got out of the two videos, a Sony employee spoke to the press about Carey, saying how "the special treatment really upset" him. He felt they treated Carey differently than they would another artist under the label, and that they viewed her as a higher priority. He also claimed that Carey was the reason they re-filmed, "they spend $200,000 on a video and Mariah doesn't like it. No big deal." Another employee estimated the figure of both videos at over $450,000. After the reports were made, Don Ienner
Don Ienner
Don Ienner was the Chairman of the Sony Music Label Group during first half of the decade of the 2000s. He worked closely with his predecessor Tommy Mottola and was partially responsible for the breakthrough of Mariah Carey....
, the president of Sony, refuted the claims, calling them "total bullshit" although admitting, "If we're going to take the time and effort that we did with Mariah, on every level, then we're going to image her the right way. If it costs a few extra dollars to make a splash in terms of the right imaging, you go ahead and do it."
Synopsis
The video takes place in a large cathedral-like room, with large winding staircases on each side. Throughout the video, the scenery changes several times from a cloudy and sunny day, to a glowing sunset. These time shifts are seen through a large carved window in the cathedral. The video begins with Carey's hair in long golden curls, and her wearing a skin-tight black jumper. She sits on the large ledge by the window, staring into the different colors in the sky. As the video progresses, Carey is joined by a small black dog, which accompanies her as she meditates on the large stairwell. After the song's second verse, a large microphone is seen in the middle of the room, where scenes of Carey singing and standing on the window's ledge interchange. The last scenes show Carey staring out into the meadow, smiling. According to author Chris Nickson, during the scenes of Carey by the large window, it is "obvious" that she is praying to God and connecting to her creator. He felt that alongside the song's lyrics of faith and prayer, the video's moments of meditation truly went "hand in hand."Live performances
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
, where she was joined on stage by the Billie T. Scott Ensemble, a trio of male background vocalists. Additionally, she sang it during a televised appearance at New York City's TATU Club, where she also gave a live rendition of Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
's "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
"Don't Play That Song " is a song written by Ahmet Ertegün and Betty Nelson and first recorded by soul singer Ben E. King. The title track on King's third album Don't Play That Song, it reached #2 on the U.S...
". As part of a live segment and interview, Carey appeared on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
in September 1990, where she gave a live performance of the song. In the further months, Carey performed the song live on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
and the 33rd Anuual 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. In Europe, Carey performed "Vision of Love" on Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
in the United Kingdom, and Avis de Recherche and Le Monde Est A Vous in France. In July 1993, Carey recorded a live concert performance at Proctor's Theatre which included "Vision of Love". It was taped and released as Here Is Mariah Carey
Here Is Mariah Carey
Here Is Mariah Carey, also known simply as Mariah Carey or Mariah's Thanksgiving NBC Special, was Mariah Carey's third DVD/video release. It presents Carey performing live at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York on July 18, 1993...
in December 1993. Additionally, the song was part of a four song set-list on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's Blueprint, where Carey performed in July 2005.
"Vision of Love" was performed on several of Carey's tours and concert shows. It was first featured on her Music Box Tour
Music Box Tour
The Music Box Tour was a 1993 concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey.-History:This was Carey's first tour. She had not done a lot of public singing in her early years in the music industry and she had become a big star with two top-selling albums and five number one singles before she...
, her first full length stateside tour. For the song's performances, Carey donned a large black trench coat, with matching pants and leather boots. She featured her signature curly locks, and was joined by 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:...
, Melonie Daniels and Kelly Price
Kelly Price
Kelly Price is an American R&B and soul singer, formerly on the Def Soul label.-Life and music career:Kelly Cherelle Price was born in Queens, New York. She was first discovered by Mariah Carey in February 1992 and subsequently introduced to Sony Columbia's then CEO Tommy Mottola...
. On her 1996 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:...
, Carey once again included the song on the tour's set-list. During her shows at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
in Tokyo, Japan, Carey donned a long black gown, with teased up straightened hair and a matching head-band. For the European leg on the tour, Carey wore a long white gown, and was joined by additional background vocalists. Carey included the song on her set-list for 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), where she once again featured the same trio of supporting singers. For the show's performances, she donned a sheer and beige mini-dress, with long and wavy golden hair. Additionally, she wore a cream colored long sleeve sheer sweater with matching high-heeled sandals. "Vision of Love" was included on Carey's 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...
in 2000, as well as the 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:...
(2002–03). During The Adventures of Mimi Tour
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...
in 2006, Carey performed the song at select shows. For the performances of the song, she donned a long yellow cocktail gown and black Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin is a French footwear designer whose father is cabinetmaker Roger Louboutin and homemaker mother Irene. His siblings include three sisters, no brothers. Landscape architect Louis Benech has been his partner since 1997. Louboutin launched his line of high-end women's shoes in...
pumps. Once again Lorenz was featured on stage, however with the addition of two different female back-up singers, MaryAnn and Sherry Tatum.
Formats and track listings
- Worldwide 7" single
- "Vision of Love"
- Special excerpts from the debut release "Prisoner/All in Your Mind/SomedaySomeday (Mariah Carey song)"Someday" is a song written by Mariah Carey and Ben Margulies, and produced by Ric Wake for Carey's debut album, Mariah Carey . It was released as the album's third single in 1990 and is a jackswing-influenced track. Though it topped the U.S. charts, it was not a huge success elsewhere...
"
- UK 7" single
- "Vision of Love"
- "Sent from Up Above"
- UK CD maxi-single
- "Vision of Love"
- "Sent from Up Above"
- Special excerpts from the debut release "Prisoner/All in Your Mind/Someday"
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the Mariah Carey liner notes.- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah 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...
, Ben MarguliesBen MarguliesBen Margulies is a songwriter and record producer. Together, he and Mariah Carey lobbied record companies with their 5 song demo tape with songs they had co-written and co-produced until Mariah got signed to Sony in 1988.... - 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...
– Rhett LawrenceRhett LawrenceRhett Lawrence is a record producer and songwriter. He is originally famous for producing the Grammy Award–winning, Billboard #1 Hot 100 and #1 R&B single "Vision of Love" for Mariah Carey. He produced and co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson pop rock hit "Miss Independent” which was #1 for 6 weeks at Top...
, Narada Michael WaldenNarada Michael WaldenNarada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards... - Instruments and programmingMusical instrumentA musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
– Rhett Lawrence, Jimmy RippJimmy RippJimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six.... - RecordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
– Rhett Lawrence - Audio engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
– Narada Michael Walden - Background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
– Mariah Carey - ProgrammingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
– Ben Margulies, Marcus Miller, Ren Klyce - MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
– Rhett Lawrence, Narada Michael Walden
Charts
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 9 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 8 |
| French Singles Chart | 25 |
| German Singles Chart | 17 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 10 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 17 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM 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,... Top Singles |
8 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 72 |
| 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... |
6 |
End-of-decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 91 |
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... ) |
Gold |
| 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 |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1990 (U.S.)
- R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1990:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Four songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Escapade", "Vision of Love,", "Love Takes Time" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight."-See also:*1990 in music*List of number-one...
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1990 (U.S.)
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1990
- List of number-one singles in 1990 (New Zealand)
Further reading
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