I Want to Know What Love Is
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"I Want to Know What Love Is" | ||
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Single by Foreigner | ||
from the album Agent Provocateur | ||
Released | November/December 1984 | |
Genre | Power ballad | |
Length | 05:05 | |
Label | Atlantic Records | |
Writer(s) | Mick Jones | |
Producer(s) | Mick Jones, Alex Sadkin | |
Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |
Chart positions | ||
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Foreigner singles chronology | ||
"Luanne" (1982) |
"I Want to Know What Love Is" (1984) |
"Down on Love" (1985) |
"I Want to Know What Love Is" is a song recorded by the British-American rock band Foreigner. This song is, alongside "Waiting for a Girl Like You", the band's best known song.
Written by Mick Jones and produced by him and Alex Sadkin, it was the first single released from the album Agent Provocateur (1984). The song features backing vocals from the New Jersey Mass Choir and Jennifer Holliday. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on January 13, 1985 and stayed there for three weeks. It reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on February 2, 1985 where it stayed for two weeks. It was Foreigner's only chart-topper in both countries.
In 2004 it was voted #476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
In 2003 this song was covered by Wynonna Judd on her album What The World Needs Now Is Love.
In 2006 this song was covered by Clay Aiken on his album A Thousand Different Ways and was made part of the videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories soundtrack as well as being the background music for the game's first trailer.
[edit] Chart performance
Chart | Peak Position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #1 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary | #3 |
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #1 |
UK Singles Chart | #1 |
Preceded by: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid |
UK number one single January 13, 1985 |
Succeeded by: "I Know Him So Well" by Elaine Paige & Barbra Dickson |
Preceded by: "Like a Virgin" by Madonna |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single February 2, 1985 |
Succeeded by: "Careless Whisper" by Wham! featuring George Michael |