Faith (George Michael song)
Encyclopedia
"Faith" is a #1 song, written and performed by George Michael
, released as a single on Columbia Records
, from his 1987 Faith
album. According to Billboard
magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States
in 1988.
12": UK / Epic EMU T2
the previous year, there was a keen expectation for Michael's solo career and "Faith" would go on to become one of his most popular and enduring songs, as well as being the most simplistic in its production. It was the second of six singles released from the well-received album.
was made, which provided some definitive images of the 1980s music industry in the process - Michael in shades
, designer stubble, a leather jacket & a particularly memorable pair of tight Levi's blue jeans & cowboy
boots, playing a guitar near a classic-design Wurlitzer
jukebox
.
The music video also features parts of two other songs by George Michael. The jukebox starts by playing "I Want Your Sex
", and then is interrupted by a pipe organ version of Wham!'s "Freedom
" before starting into the song.
The video for "Freedom! '90
", released three years later, used some of the elements used in the "Faith" video, from the guitar, jeans, jacket all the way to the jukebox.
singles chart and number two on the UK Singles Chart
.
On the Hot 100 chart, "Faith" rocketed from #54 to #37, the week of 31 October 1987, reaching #1 on 12 December 1987 and remaining there for 4 consecutive weeks, easily becoming the longest running chart topper of 1987. Altogether, "Faith" lingered in the Top 10 for 9 weeks, the Top 20 for 11 weeks & the Top 40 for 15 weeks.
|-
on their 1997 debut album Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
. The video (released 20 November 1998) shows scenes of Limp Bizkit by its tour bus at the Family Values Tour
1998. It features Fred Durst
and Wes Borland
dressed up as their alter egos the Weapon and the Liquidator at the beginning, with Borland explaining that he "hates Limp Bizkit." Jonathan Davis
, Fieldy and Brian "Head" Welch from Korn
also make an appearance.
The song is followed by a hidden track, "Blind", which is 1:25 long (not to be confused with Korn
's song, also named "Blind").
covered this song as the opening track to their 1988 album The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock
. In this version, they changed the lyric "If I could touch your body" to "If you could be my baby."
The song also inspired a dancehall reggae riddim
of the same name.
The Russian pop duo Smash!!
produced a cover of this song on its 2004 album 2Nite
and was later released as a single.
Joe McElderry
who won the British X Factor in 2009 samples 'Faith' with his song 'Until The Stars Run Out' on the 25 October album release Wide Awake.
Joel McHale's
character Jeff Winger sang a different version of this song on the episode Intro to Political Science
on the NBC sitcom Community
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, released as a single on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, from his 1987 Faith
Faith (George Michael album)
Faith is George Michael's first solo album, released in October 1987 via Columbia Records/Epic Records. The album has won several awards including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1989. To date, the album has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and received diamond certification from...
album. According to Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1988.
Track listing
7": UK / Epic EMU 2- "Faith" – 3:14
- "Hand To Mouth" – 4:36
12": UK / Epic EMU T2
- "Faith" – 3:14
- "Faith" (Instrumental) – 3:08
- "Hand to MouthHand to Mouth (song)"Hand to Mouth" is a song written by George Michael that was recorded for his 1987 album Faith. It was the B-side of single "Faith", which was the best-selling single of the year 1988 in the USA....
" – 4:36
History
Having disbanded Wham!WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
the previous year, there was a keen expectation for Michael's solo career and "Faith" would go on to become one of his most popular and enduring songs, as well as being the most simplistic in its production. It was the second of six singles released from the well-received album.
Music video
A famous videoVideo
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
was made, which provided some definitive images of the 1980s music industry in the process - Michael in shades
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
, designer stubble, a leather jacket & a particularly memorable pair of tight Levi's blue jeans & cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
boots, playing a guitar near a classic-design Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
.
The music video also features parts of two other songs by George Michael. The jukebox starts by playing "I Want Your Sex
I Want Your Sex
"I Want Your Sex" was a single which first charted in June 1987, appearing on George Michael's Faith album, and the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II....
", and then is interrupted by a pipe organ version of Wham!'s "Freedom
Freedom (Wham! song)
"Freedom" is a song by British pop duo Wham! in 1984, becoming the group's second UK #1 hit. It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo.-History:...
" before starting into the song.
The video for "Freedom! '90
Freedom! '90
"Freedom '90" is a song written and performed by George Michael, and released on Columbia Records in 1990. The "'90" added to the end of the title is to prevent confusion with an international hit by Michael's former band, Wham!, also titled "Freedom".It was the third single taken from Listen...
", released three years later, used some of the elements used in the "Faith" video, from the guitar, jeans, jacket all the way to the jukebox.
Chart performance
The song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart and number two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
On the Hot 100 chart, "Faith" rocketed from #54 to #37, the week of 31 October 1987, reaching #1 on 12 December 1987 and remaining there for 4 consecutive weeks, easily becoming the longest running chart topper of 1987. Altogether, "Faith" lingered in the Top 10 for 9 weeks, the Top 20 for 11 weeks & the Top 40 for 15 weeks.
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
4 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
22 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
5 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
2 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Japanese Oricon Singles Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
86 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
3 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 17 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Gold |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
Gold |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |
|-
Limp Bizkit cover
"Faith" was covered by Limp BizkitLimp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
on their 1997 debut album Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
Three Dollar Bill, Yall$ is the debut album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released July 1, 1997 through Flip/Interscope. It was produced by Ross Robinson and was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA in July 2001 in the US...
. The video (released 20 November 1998) shows scenes of Limp Bizkit by its tour bus at the Family Values Tour
Family Values Tour
The Family Values Tour was created by the band Korn in 1998 to be an annual rock & rap tour.The tour began in 1998 and would take the year off in 2000, due to heavy competition from other tours, such as the Anger Management Tour and the Summer Sanitarium Tour. After a four year hiatus, the Family...
1998. It features Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
and Wes Borland
Wes Borland
Wesley Louden Borland is an American musician and artist, best known as the guitarist for the band Limp Bizkit. He has been in several other bands as well including: Black Light Burns, The Damning Well, Goatslayer, Big Dumb Face, and Combichrist...
dressed up as their alter egos the Weapon and the Liquidator at the beginning, with Borland explaining that he "hates Limp Bizkit." Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
, Fieldy and Brian "Head" Welch from Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
also make an appearance.
The song is followed by a hidden track, "Blind", which is 1:25 long (not to be confused with Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
's song, also named "Blind").
Other covers
Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered this song as the opening track to their 1988 album The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock
The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock
The Chipmunks and The Chipettes: Born to Rock is a music album by The Chipmunks and The Chipettes, released in 1988 on LP and in 1990 on CD and cassette by Quality Special Products...
. In this version, they changed the lyric "If I could touch your body" to "If you could be my baby."
The song also inspired a dancehall reggae riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
of the same name.
The Russian pop duo Smash!!
Smash!!
Smash!! was a Russian pop duo founded in 2001 and consisting of Sergey Lazarev and Vlad Topalov. They sang mainly in English, and released their music in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. They were most popular among teenagers in Russia and Southeast Asia...
produced a cover of this song on its 2004 album 2Nite
2Nite
2Nite is the second album by the Russian pop duo Smash!!. The album was released in Eastern Europe in late 2004, with primarily English songs with east meets west style ballads and pop songs.-Track listing:# "Obsession"# "This Could Lead To Something"...
and was later released as a single.
Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
who won the British X Factor in 2009 samples 'Faith' with his song 'Until The Stars Run Out' on the 25 October album release Wide Awake.
Joel McHale's
Joel McHale
Joel Edward McHale is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist. He is best known for hosting The Soup and for his role as Jeff Winger on Community....
character Jeff Winger sang a different version of this song on the episode Intro to Political Science
Intro to Political Science
"Intro to Political Science" is the 17th episode of the second season of Community. It was originally aired on February 24, 2011 on NBC.In the episode, Dean Pelton decides to organize an election for campus president to welcome the arrival of Vice President Joe Biden to Greendale College. Among the...
on the NBC sitcom Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
Personnel
- Vocals: George Michael
- Bass: Deon Estus
- Guitars: Hugh Burns
- Cathedral Organ: Chris Cameron