Waiting for a Girl Like You
Encyclopedia
"Waiting for a Girl like You" is a song by British
-American
rock
band Foreigner
. The distinctive synthesizer
theme was performed by the then-unknown Thomas Dolby
.
released from the album 4
(1981), and was co-written by Lou Gramm
and Mick Jones
. It has become one of the band's most famous songs worldwide, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart for ten weeks and #1 on Billboard
s Rock Tracks chart for one week. On the Billboard adult contemporary chart
, the song topped out at #5. In the UK, the song peaked at #8 on the UK Singles Chart
.
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" achieved an odd chart distinction by spending a record-setting 10 weeks in the #2 position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, without ever reaching the top. It was held off the #1 spot by Olivia Newton-John
's single "Physical
" for the first nine of those weeks, and by Hall & Oates
' "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
" for the remaining week. (In 2002, Missy Elliott
matched Foreigner's runner-up accomplishment with her single "Work It".)
Prior to the release of this song as a single, Foreigner was considered a hard rock band getting airplay mostly on rock stations and some Top 40 ones. This song gave the group more exposure on top 40 radio stations. Also because the song was soft, most adult contemporary radio stations played it as well giving this group exposure to an audience they were not really aimed at in general. This song was pivotal in exposing harder rock acts to a broader audience.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
. The distinctive synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
theme was performed by the then-unknown Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
.
Chart performance
It was the second singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released from the album 4
4 (Foreigner album)
-Foreigner:*Lou Gramm – Lead vocal, percussion*Mick Jones – guitar, keyboards, background vocal*Rick Wills – bass, background vocal*Dennis Elliott – drums, vocals, background vocal-Additional personnel:...
(1981), and was co-written by Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm is an American rock vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist and co-writer of many of the songs for the rock band Foreigner. He also had a successful solo career...
and Mick Jones
Mick Jones (Foreigner)
Michael Leslie "Mick" Jones is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founding member of the rock band Foreigner.-Life and career:...
. It has become one of the band's most famous songs worldwide, peaking at #2 on 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...
singles chart for ten weeks and #1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Rock Tracks chart for one week. On the Billboard adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
, the song topped out at #5. In the UK, the song peaked at #8 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" achieved an odd chart distinction by spending a record-setting 10 weeks in the #2 position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, without ever reaching the top. It was held off the #1 spot by Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
's single "Physical
Physical (Olivia Newton-John song)
"Physical" is a song by Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1981. The song was an immediate success, shipping 2 million copies in the United States, being certified Platinum, and spending 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately becoming Newton-John's...
" for the first nine of those weeks, and by Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
' "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
"I Can't Go for That " is a 1981 song recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates.It was the fourth number-one hit single of their career on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second hit single from their album Private Eyes...
" for the remaining week. (In 2002, 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...
matched Foreigner's runner-up accomplishment with her single "Work It".)
Prior to the release of this song as a single, Foreigner was considered a hard rock band getting airplay mostly on rock stations and some Top 40 ones. This song gave the group more exposure on top 40 radio stations. Also because the song was soft, most adult contemporary radio stations played it as well giving this group exposure to an audience they were not really aimed at in general. This song was pivotal in exposing harder rock acts to a broader audience.
In popular culture
- The song is included in the soundtrackFootloose (soundtrack)Footloose is the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture Footloose. The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart on April 21, 1984, where it stayed until June 30, 1984. When it was re-released in 1998, four bonus tracks...
from the movie Footloose. - This song is featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
(as part of the power ballads radio station Emotion 98.3), RoadKillRoadKillRoadKill is a video game of the action genre released in 2003 by Midway Games. The game has been described by Midway as “the only mission-based combat driving game set in a post-apocalyptic world.” Indeed, RoadKill’s gameplay features many characteristics of famous automotive combat franchises such...
and Karaoke Revolution Party. - The song is covered by Mark Salling (who plays Noah 'Puck' Puckerman) in the forth episode of the third season of the smash TV-show GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, Pot o' GoldPot o' Gold (Glee)"Pot o' Gold" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 48th overall. Written by Ali Adler and directed by Adam Shankman, the episode was first broadcast on November 1, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
. - Rick SpringfieldRick SpringfieldRick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...
recorded a cover versionCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of this song on his 2005 covers album, The Day After Yesterday. - Cliff RichardCliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
also recorded a cover version of this song on his 2007 album, Love... The AlbumLove... The AlbumLove… The Album is a hybrid part compilation, part new studio recordings album by British singer Cliff Richard, released by EMI on 12 November 2007 in the UK. The five new studio tracks were produced by Michael Omartian. It reached #13 in the UK Albums Chart.There are two versions of this album,...
, which reached #13 on the UK Album Chart. - Also in 2007, Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
released a cover version on his album Classic Songs, My WayClassic Songs, My WayClassic Songs, My Way is a 2007 album by Paul Anka. It follows the same formula of his previous album, 2005's Rock Swings.- Track listing :Original Writers/Performers appear in parenthesisDisc 1 - My Way# "Time After Time"...
. - The song is included in the rock/jukebox musical Rock of AgesRock of Ages (musical)Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
, and included on the 2009 original Broadway cast recording. - The songs lists at #80 on the list of "Billboards Greatest Songs of All time".
See also
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)