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Waiting for That Day

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"Waiting for That Day"
Single by George Michael
from the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
B-side
Released22 October 1990 (1990-10-22) (UK)[1]
RecordedMarch 1990[2]
GenrePop
Length4:49
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)George Michael
George Michael singles chronology
"Praying for Time"
(1990) 		"Waiting for That Day"
(1990) 		"Freedom! '90"
(1990)
Licensed audio
"Waiting for That Day" on YouTube

"Waiting for That Day" is a song by English singer-songwriter George Michael. It was released on 22 October 1990 in the United Kingdom via Epic Records as the second overall single from his second solo studio album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990).

Although enjoying positive critical reception, it was less successful than previous singles. In Michael's home country of the United Kingdom, it was his first single to miss the top-twenty of the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 23. The track also became his first single to miss the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100, hitting number 27 on 2 March 1991.[3]

Background

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Although Michael wrote the song alone, the chords and rhythm are very similar to The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". This title is included at the very end of Michael's song, and a co-writer credit was given to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song also contains samples from the song "Funky Drummer" by James Brown. It was initially planned as the second US single from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 before Sony, the parent company of his US label Columbia Records, chose "Freedom! '90" instead;[4] "Freedom! '90" had also been planned as the lead single from the album before Michael demanded for the somber-sounding "Praying for Time" to be released instead.[5]

Critical reception

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Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic retrospectively named the song a "highlight" from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1.[6] Andrew Mueller from Melody Maker felt it finds "the great chap in devastatingly ineffectual form."[7] Nick Robinson from Music Week wrote, "Possibly one of the singles of the year, this sad plea to a lost love coasts along on a "Funky Drummer" beat and mellow organ backing and ends perfectly with a "You Can't Always Get What You Want" chant. Not only is it a beautiful pop song but it also sees the talented song-writer adding a touch of creativity to a standard dance beat."[8]

Chart performance

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"Waiting for That Day" debuted on the UK Singles Chart the week of 27 October 1990 at number 32. It reached its peak position of number 23 on 10 November 1990 and spent only five weeks in total on the chart; it became Michael's first single to miss the top twenty in his home country. As of October 2017, the single sold 61,000 copies in the country.[9] The track also had similar success in the United States, debuting at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 19 January 1991. Six weeks later, it topped out at number 27 and spent ten weeks in total on the chart. The track had its best success in Canada, where it was the only country it hit the top ten in. It peaked at number nine on the RPM Top Singles on 16 March 1991.

"Mother's Pride"

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Although not an official single the track's b-side, "Mother's Pride" enjoyed significant airplay during the Gulf War, as it was used as a tribute to soldiers fighting in the war. It peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 primarily due to airplay only.

Track listing

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On US and Australian releases, "Waiting for That Day" is re-titled as "Waiting for That Day / You Can't Always Get What You Want".

Personnel

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Taken from the Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 booklet.[2]

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 October 1990. p. 37. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (liner notes). George Michael. Epic Records. 3 September 1990. p. 9. 467295 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 423. ISBN 9780823074990.
  4. ^ Gavin 2022, p. 163.
  5. ^ Gavin 2022, p. 160.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  7. ^ Mueller, Andrew (20 October 1990). "Singles". Melody Maker. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  8. ^ Robinson, Nick (20 October 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 23. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Remembering George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1". Official Charts Company. 13 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. ^ "George Michael – Waiting for That Day". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1056." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 17 November 1990. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  13. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Waiting for That Day". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  14. ^ "George Michael – Waiting for That Day" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  15. ^ "George Michael: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  16. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  17. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Top 40 Radio Monitor". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 6. Prometheus Global Media. 9 February 1991. p. 84. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Cash Box. Vol. LIV, no. 29. 2 March 1991. p. 4. ISSN 0008-7289.
  20. ^ "the Gavin Report: Adult Contemporary". Gavin Report. No. 1843. 15 February 1991. p. 44.
  21. ^ "the Gavin Report: Top 40". Gavin Report. No. 1843. 15 February 1991. p. 12.
  22. ^ a b "The Back Page – National Airplay Overview". Radio & Records. No. 877. 15 February 1991. p. 98.
  23. ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  24. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Top 100". Gavin Report. No. 1885. 13 December 1991. p. 27.

Bibliography

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