On October 26 1985, yet another song hit Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100” for one week only: Forty years ago this week, “Saving All My Love for You” (video up top) by American singer Whitney Houston reached the top. The song was the second single from her debut album, Whitney Houston, and was her first Number One on the “Hot 100”.
It’s almost hard to remember a time before Whitney, but it’s also difficult to think of her without thinking of the tragedy her life became. However, there’s still the music, and this song was the first time many of us ever heard anything by Whitney Houston, and so many of us thought something along the lines of, “that voice!” Whitney’s range was incredible, and her command of songs was clear (including the songs I wasn’t keen on…). Back in the day, I liked this song, though I never bought it as a single nor any of her albums.
I didn’t know until I researched this post that the song was originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. for their 1978 album, Marilyn & Billy (Side note: Wikipedia doesn’t have an article for their album, which is unusual, but I’ve encountered that before). I’ve never heard their version.
What I also didn’t know before my research is that this song’s video was the first of hers to be broadcast by MTV. The channel rejected her debut single, “You Give Good Love” because they thought it was “too R&B”. MTV did play the video for “Saving All My Love For You”, because, ya know, Number One and all. As an aside, MTV is switching off their music channels at the end of the year, beginning in the UK and Ireland.
“Saving All My Love for You” reached Number 20 in Australia, Number 8 in Canada, Number 5 in New Zealand (Platinum), Number One in the UK (Gold), as well as Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100”, and a;so on its “Hot Black Singles”, and “Adult Contemporary” charts. It was also Number 5 on Cash Box “Top 100 Singles” and Number One on their “Top Black Contemporary Singles” charts.
The song was 2x Platinum on the USA.
The album Whitney Houston reached Number One in Australia (5x Platinum), Number One in Canada (Diamond), Number 3 in New Zealand (2x Platinum), Number 2 in the UK (4x Platinum), and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard 200”. The album was certified 14x Platinum in the USA.
This series will return next week (November 2) with the next Number One in this series, the fourth of five one-week Number One hits from this period in 1985. November 2 is also a very significant date in my life, but that’s its own story.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1985” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 1 – February 2, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 2 – February 16, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 3 – March 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 4 – March 30, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 5 – April 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 6 – May 11, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 7 – May 18, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 8 – June 1, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 9 – June 8, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 10 – June 22, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 11 – July 6, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 12 – July 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 13 – July 27, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 14 – August 3, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 15 – August 24, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 16 – September 7, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 17 – September 21, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 18 – October 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 19 – October 19, 2025
1 comment:
I own the album on... are you ready? ... cassette! One of maybe a half dozen non-classical albums in that format.
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