One Sweet Day
Vorlage:Infobox Single "One Sweet Day" is a 1995 number-one hit single recorded by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men for the Columbia Records label. It was the second single released from Carey's sixth album Daydream and was later included on Boyz II Men's greatest hits release, Legacy: The Greatest Hits Collection. The single holds the record for the longest run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and is the biggest hit of both Carey's and Boyz II Men's careers. A hit both within and outside the U.S., it is widely considered the most successful non-charity single of the 1990s in the United States.
In 2001, the song was voted as the 351st (of 356) of the "Songs of the Century" list as part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America. It was voted by hundreds of participants, which includes elected officials, people from the music industry and the media, teachers, and students.
Song information and recording
The single was co-written by Carey, Walter Afanasieff, and Boyz II Men members Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary. It was co-produced by Carey and Afanasieff. In terms of Billboard charts, the single is the most successful ever for both Carey and Boyz II Men. In this memorial pop anthem, Carey and Boyz II Men lament the deaths of friends, but say that they will be together again "one sweet day".
"One Sweet Day" was originally inspired by the death of Carey's friend, co-writer, and co-producer, David Cole (of C&C Music Factory). To help deal with her grief, Carey began writing a song. She had also arranged to record a song with Boyz II Men. As they were throwing together ideas for a song, Carey learned that Boyz II Men had also written a song about their road manager, Khalil Roundtree, who was murdered while they were on tour. The two songs were merged together to become "One Sweet Day".
Reception
The single became Carey's tenth number-one single on the Hot 100 and Boyz II Men's fourth, remaining at the peak for a record-breaking sixteen weeks. Boyz II Men had previously held this record twice, with "End of the Road" spending thirteen weeks at the top in 1992 and "I'll Make Love To You" spending fourteen in 1994. (The latter song shared its record with Whitney Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You".)
The single also debuted at number one, making Carey the only artist to have more than one number-one debut, and also the only artist ever to have two consecutive singles debut at number one; neither record has yet been broken (Outkast and The Beatles are at least two other artists that hold this record, although Mariah Carey is the only female artist, and Carey is the only artist with 3 debuts at number one). The single spent twenty-seven weeks on the Hot 100, of which twenty-six were in the top forty. It was certified two times platinum by the RIAA.
Despite its success in the United States, it was not as big a hit elsewhere as "Hero" and "Fantasy". It failed to top any chart outside the U.S., but was a top forty hit in Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Canada. It had some success across Continental Europe, but failed to match the success of "Fantasy". It was Boyz II Men's biggest success outside the U.S. since "End of the Road".
"One Sweet Day" was nominated for the 1996 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and 1996 Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, but did not win either category. As two of the top nominees at the 1996 Grammy Awards, Carey and Boyz II Men were invited to perform, and sang "One Sweet Day". Carey began the evening happily as she had been nominated for six Grammys that night. Not to win any of them felt like a humiliation, and she did not attend the Grammy Awards ceremony again until 2006. "One Sweet Day" was included on the 2001 Songs of the Century list, at number 351.
Music video and remixes
Compared to its record-breaking success on the charts, the video for "One Sweet Day" was relatively low key. It was difficult for both Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey to schedule a time to film a video. As a result, the video is made up of footage showing Carey and Boyz II Men writing and recording the song in the studio. The video, directed by Larry Jordan, was first released to consumers on the Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden DVD/video, and was later included on the DVD/video version of #1's
There are no major remixes of the song, but there is a Chuck Thompson-produced remix, "One Sweet Day (Chucky's remix)", which gives the song a slightly more R&B feel. An a capella version of the song, known as the "Sweet a capella", features slightly different vocal arrangements and a new intro which also serves as a countermelody throughout the song.
Official remixes/versions list
- "One Sweet Day" (album version)
- "One Sweet Day" (live) (edited performance from Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden)
- "One Sweet Day" (Chucky's remix)
- "One Sweet Day" (Sweet a cappella)
- "One Sweet Day" (a cappella)
Track listings of major single-releases
USA CD maxi single (cassette maxi single/12" single)
- "One Sweet Day" (album version)
- "One Sweet Day" (Sweet a cappella)
- "One Sweet Day" (a cappella)
- "One Sweet Day" (Chucky's remix)
- "One Sweet Day" (live version)
- "Fantasy" (Def Drums mix)
Comprehensive charts
| Chart (1995) | Position | No. of chart topper |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 (16 weeks) | 10th |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 1 (14 weeks) | 9th |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 2 | — |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 1 (5 weeks) | 2nd |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 (13 weeks) | 6th |
| ARC Weekly Top 40 | 1 (11 weeks) | 13th (Carey) /6th (Boyz II Men) |
| UK Singles Chart | 6 | |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 2 | |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 2 | |
| Tokyo Hot 100 | 4 | |
| German Singles Chart | 25 | |
| French Singles Chart | 5 | |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 12 | |
| Italian Singles Chart | 23 |