"Best of My Love" is a song by American band the Emotions from their fourth studio album Rejoice (1977). It was composed by Maurice White and Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire, and produced by White and Clarence McDonald.
| "Best of My Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Emotions | ||||
| from the album Rejoice | ||||
| B-side | "A Feeling Is" | |||
| Released | June 9, 1977 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| The Emotions singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Best of My Love" on YouTube | ||||
Released as the album's lead single on June 9, 1977, the song topped both the US Billboard Hot 100 and US Billboard R&B charts. It also reached the top five in the UK and Canada, the top 10 in New Zealand, and the top 20 in Australia.
"Best of My Love" won a Grammy at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards (1977) for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; it also won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.[2][3]
Overview
The song was ranked at number 87 on "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs".[4] It was also the third biggest pop song of 1977 and the fifth biggest R&B song of 1977.[5][6] "Best of My Love" has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA and silver in the UK by the BPI.[7]
Recent reviews have been largely positive, and the song continues to appear on "Best of the '70s" lists.[8][9] In 2015, Billboard ranked the song at number one on their list of the Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[10] Billboard also ranked the track at number 10 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[11] In 2018, "Best of My Love" was ranked at number six on Heavy's list of Top 51 Best Love Songs: The Heavy Power List.[12]
Song description
The song has an upbeat vibe, with a prominent bass line and horns accenting the drums between the verses and chorus.
Composition
"Best of My Love" was originally published in the key of C major in common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. The vocals span from C4 to A5 (although in the outro of the song, one of the Emotions hits a C6).[13]
Critical reception
Craig Lytle of AllMusic called "Best of My Love" a "rapidly paced" song. Lytle added "This spirited cut is seasoned with a fierce arrangement, in particular the horns, and incomparable vocals."[14] Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described the tune as "one of the year's most delightful singles".[15]
Commercial performance
The single achieved huge success, remaining on top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for five non-consecutive weeks.[16] On the disco chart, "Best of My Love" peaked at number 11.[17] Eventually, the single received a Platinum certification from (RIAA), becoming the Emotions' biggest hit to date and their only single to receive a certification.
”Best of My Love” was used in a Christmas 2023 commercial for Kohl’s department stores, as well as one for Campbell's Soups.
Personnel
- Clarence McDonald – piano, clavinet
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Al McKay – guitar
- Larry Dunn – synthesizer
- Verdine White – bass
- Fred White – drums
- Tom Tom 84 (Thomas Washington) – string and horn arrangements
Charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Physical release | Silver | 250,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Digital release | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[37] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
C. J. Lewis version
| "Best of My Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by C. J. Lewis | ||||
| from the album Dollars | ||||
| Released | September 26, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Reggae fusion | |||
| Length | 3:47 | |||
| Label | Black Market International, MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Maurice White, Al McKay | |||
| Producer(s) | C. J. Lewis, Phillip Leo | |||
| C. J. Lewis singles chronology | ||||
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British reggae singer C. J. Lewis covered "Best of My Love" and released it as a single on September 26, 1994.[38] His version reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, and peaked at number 11 in New Zealand.[39][40]
Track listings
7" Single
- Best Of My Love (Phil's New Mix) 3:47
- Two Timer (Album Version) 3:54
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[41] | 28 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[42] | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[43] | 13 |
Other cover versions
Canadian singer, Tamia used a sample of the song on her debut album, on a track called "Falling For You".
It was sampled by rapper Paul Russell for his 2023 TikTok viral hit "Lil Boo Thang".[44]