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Waterfalls (song)
Encyclopedia
"Waterfalls" is a Grammy-nominated 1995 single by American
musical trio TLC from their second album CrazySexyCool
and arguably the group's signature song
. The song was produced by Organized Noize
and written by Marqueze Etheridge, TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Organized Noize.
The single is TLC's most successful single, spending seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100
from July 8, 1995 to August 19, 1995. It is TLC's second number one single and sixth top 10 single. The background vocals on the recording were performed by all three members of TLC, as well as Debra Killings
and Cee-Lo Green.
It was the 2nd biggest Hot 100 single of 1995, according to Billboard's Year End Chart. In 2010, Billboard awarded the song the top position of summer songs in 1995.
The song was listed as #8 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s.
"Waterfalls" was nominated for Record of the Year
and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards.
as "Phony Calls", a reference to prank call
s, on the 1996 album Bad Hair Day
.
TLC performed this song on MTV
's 20th Anniversary in August 2001. The occasion marked Left Eye's final performance with the group before her death.
TLC performed the song at the 2008 BET Awards
along with Alicia Keys
.
In a 2007 interview, while discussing some songs of his he felt were underrated, Paul McCartney
commented that he felt TLC had ripped off some aspects of his song "Waterfalls
".
At Left Eye's funeral, the lyrics "Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you" were engraved to her casket.
was filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood
in June 1995; directed by F. Gary Gray
and features Ella Joyce
, Bokeem Woodbine
, Shyheim, Paul J. Alessi and Gabrielle Bramford. The song and video tackle the issues of drug dealing and HIV
, two problems plaguing the inner cities.
's 1995 Pazz & Jop
critics' poll. It was also ranked 13th in VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years and 8th on VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
In 1996 the song was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Record of the Year
and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal while the song's accompanying music video was included on Channel Max's Top 100 Sexy Women.
The music video for "Waterfalls" won TLC four MTV Video Music Awards
, including "Best Choice", voted by viewers, and "Video of the Year".
2001 US Re-Release CD Single
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical trio TLC from their second album CrazySexyCool
CrazySexyCool
CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American R&B group TLC, released by LaFace Records on November 15, 1994 in North America...
and arguably the group's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
. The song was produced by Organized Noize
Organized Noize
Organized Noize is an Atlanta-based American hip hop production company made up of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown.-History:Among the hit records they have worked on include TLC's "Waterfalls", En Vogue's "Don't Let Go ", and Ludacris' "Saturday "...
and written by Marqueze Etheridge, TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Organized Noize.
The single is TLC's most successful single, spending seven weeks at number one 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...
from July 8, 1995 to August 19, 1995. It is TLC's second number one single and sixth top 10 single. The background vocals on the recording were performed by all three members of TLC, as well as Debra Killings
Debra Killings
Debra Killings is an American singer and bass guitarist; notable for an extensive session and background vocal work for LaFace Records & Rowdy Records-based artists such as TLC, Monica and OutKast....
and Cee-Lo Green.
It was the 2nd biggest Hot 100 single of 1995, according to Billboard's Year End Chart. In 2010, Billboard awarded the song the top position of summer songs in 1995.
The song was listed as #8 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s.
"Waterfalls" was nominated for Record of the Year
Record Of The Year
Record of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards.
Song
The song was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
as "Phony Calls", a reference to prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...
s, on the 1996 album Bad Hair Day
Bad Hair Day
Bad Hair Day is the 9th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1996. This album was the third studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on Bad Hair Day are built around parodies and pastiches pop and rock music of the mid 1990s, targeting alternative rock and hip-hop...
.
TLC performed this song on 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....
's 20th Anniversary in August 2001. The occasion marked Left Eye's final performance with the group before her death.
TLC performed the song at the 2008 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
along with Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
.
In a 2007 interview, while discussing some songs of his he felt were underrated, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
commented that he felt TLC had ripped off some aspects of his song "Waterfalls
Waterfalls (Paul McCartney song)
"Waterfalls" is a Paul McCartney ballad from his first solo album after Wings, McCartney II. The song has a stripped-down sound, with McCartney only playing a Fender Rhodes electric piano and a synthesizer and singing. It was released as a single with "Check My Machine" as its B-Side and reached...
".
At Left Eye's funeral, the lyrics "Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you" were engraved to her casket.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
in June 1995; directed by F. Gary Gray
F. Gary Gray
Felix Gary Gray is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Gray began his career in 1992 with his music video for Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day." The video, a literal adaptation of the lyrics, was critically well received. He would go on to direct subsequent videos for Ice Cube,...
and features Ella Joyce
Ella Joyce
Ella Joyce is an American actress.Born Cherron Hoye in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Joyce graduated from the Performing Arts Curriculum at Cass Technical High School, and went on to attend the Dramatic Arts program at Eastern Michigan University...
, Bokeem Woodbine
Bokeem Woodbine
Bokeem Woodbine is an American film and television actor.-Personal life:Woodbine was born in Harlem, New York to an actress mother. He attended the prestigious Dalton School in New York before transferring to the also prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in the city...
, Shyheim, Paul J. Alessi and Gabrielle Bramford. The song and video tackle the issues of drug dealing and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, two problems plaguing the inner cities.
Critical reception
"Waterfalls" was listed 5th on The Village VoiceThe Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
's 1995 Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critics' poll. It was also ranked 13th in 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...
's 100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years and 8th on 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...
's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.
In 1996 the song was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Record of the Year
Record Of The Year
Record of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal while the song's accompanying music video was included on Channel Max's Top 100 Sexy Women.
The music video for "Waterfalls" won TLC four MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, including "Best Choice", voted by viewers, and "Video of the Year".
Track listings
International CD Single- "Waterfalls" (Single Version) - 4:18
- "Waterfalls" (ONP Remix) - 4:36
- "Waterfalls" (DARPDallas AustinDallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
Remix) - 4:28 - "Waterfalls" (Instrumental) - 4:39
2001 US Re-Release CD Single
- "Waterfalls" (Single Edit) - 4:18
- "Waterfalls" (DARP Remix) - 4:28
- "Waterfalls" (Instrumental) - 4:42
- "Waterfalls" (ONP Remix) - 4:35
- "Waterfalls" (ONP Instrumental) - 4:37
- "Waterfalls" (Album Version) - 4:39
Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 25 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 23 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
5 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles | 7 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 20 |
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 7 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary | 24 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 2 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 16 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 27 |
| French Singles Chart | 86 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 26 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 19 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Gold | 1995 | 250,000 |
| UK | Silver | September 1, 1995 | 200,000 |
| U.S. | Platinum | July 31, 1995 | 1,000,000 |