I Honestly Love You
Encyclopedia
"I Honestly Love You" was a worldwide pop
hit single for Olivia Newton-John
in 1974. The song was Newton-John's first number-one single in the United States and Canada, thus cementing her as a household name in North America.
Released on the Long Live Love
album in the United Kingdom by EMI
, it was eventually released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know
in the United States on MCA
. The song was written by Jeff Barry
and the Australian composer Peter Allen
; the latter recorded it around the same time on his album Continental American
. It also appears in the musical about Allen's life, The Boy from Oz
. VH1 placed the song at No. 11 on its "40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs" list. The song won Newton-John both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
and the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at the 17th Grammy Awards.
s for Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song's success also helped propel its parent album, If You Love Me, Let Me Know, to number one. Its title song was released as a single prior to "I Honestly Love You", and it was also a top-five multi-format (Pop - No. 5, Adult Contemporary - No. 2, and Country - No. 2) hit. By contrast, the single failed to reach the top-twenty in the United Kingdom (#22), although it did chart there in 1983 when it was re-released to promote a Newton-John greatest hits album.
Newton-John re-released the original hit version of the song in 1977, backed with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from her then-current album Making a Good Thing Better, and it reached number forty-eight Pop (outperforming the only single from Making a Good Thing Better, the title song, which stalled at number eighty-seven). The song also recharted on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 49.
, which featured Babyface on background vocals, and reached number sixty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100
, her first U.S. charted single in six years. The 1998 version also charted on the AC chart at No. 18 and in Country
Music Sales at No. 16.
"I Honestly Love You" was a worldwide pop
hit single for Olivia Newton-John
in 1974. The song was Newton-John's first number-one single in the United States and Canada, thus cementing her as a household name in North America.
Released on the Long Live Love
album in the United Kingdom by EMI
, it was eventually released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know
in the United States on MCA
. The song was written by Jeff Barry
and the Australian composer Peter Allen
; the latter recorded it around the same time on his album Continental American
. It also appears in the musical about Allen's life, The Boy from Oz
. VH1 placed the song at No. 11 on its "40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs" list. The song won Newton-John both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
and the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at the 17th Grammy Awards.
s for Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song's success also helped propel its parent album, If You Love Me, Let Me Know, to number one. Its title song was released as a single prior to "I Honestly Love You", and it was also a top-five multi-format (Pop - No. 5, Adult Contemporary - No. 2, and Country - No. 2) hit. By contrast, the single failed to reach the top-twenty in the United Kingdom (#22), although it did chart there in 1983 when it was re-released to promote a Newton-John greatest hits album.
Newton-John re-released the original hit version of the song in 1977, backed with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from her then-current album Making a Good Thing Better, and it reached number forty-eight Pop (outperforming the only single from Making a Good Thing Better, the title song, which stalled at number eighty-seven). The song also recharted on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 49.
, which featured Babyface on background vocals, and reached number sixty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100
, her first U.S. charted single in six years. The 1998 version also charted on the AC chart at No. 18 and in Country
Music Sales at No. 16.
"I Honestly Love You" was a worldwide pop
hit single for Olivia Newton-John
in 1974. The song was Newton-John's first number-one single in the United States and Canada, thus cementing her as a household name in North America.
Released on the Long Live Love
album in the United Kingdom by EMI
, it was eventually released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know
in the United States on MCA
. The song was written by Jeff Barry
and the Australian composer Peter Allen
; the latter recorded it around the same time on his album Continental American
. It also appears in the musical about Allen's life, The Boy from Oz
. VH1 placed the song at No. 11 on its "40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs" list. The song won Newton-John both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
and the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at the 17th Grammy Awards.
s for Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song's success also helped propel its parent album, If You Love Me, Let Me Know, to number one. Its title song was released as a single prior to "I Honestly Love You", and it was also a top-five multi-format (Pop - No. 5, Adult Contemporary - No. 2, and Country - No. 2) hit. By contrast, the single failed to reach the top-twenty in the United Kingdom (#22), although it did chart there in 1983 when it was re-released to promote a Newton-John greatest hits album.
Newton-John re-released the original hit version of the song in 1977, backed with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from her then-current album Making a Good Thing Better, and it reached number forty-eight Pop (outperforming the only single from Making a Good Thing Better, the title song, which stalled at number eighty-seven). The song also recharted on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 49.
, which featured Babyface on background vocals, and reached number sixty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100
, her first U.S. charted single in six years. The 1998 version also charted on the AC chart at No. 18 and in Country
Music Sales at No. 16.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit single for Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
in 1974. The song was Newton-John's first number-one single in the United States and Canada, thus cementing her as a household name in North America.
Released on the Long Live Love
Long Live Love
Long Live Love is an album recorded by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974 on EMI .-Singles:The song "I Honestly Love You" was her first number one single in the United States, released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know....
album in the United Kingdom by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, it was eventually released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know
If You Love Me, Let Me Know
If You Love Me, Let Me Know was a United States and Canada-only album by singer Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974.-History:Half of the tracks on the album are from her European and Australian release, Long Live Love, and the other half are tracks from Olivia with the title song and the much...
in the United States on MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. The song was written by Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
and the Australian composer Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
; the latter recorded it around the same time on his album Continental American
Continental American
Continental American is the third studio album by Peter Allen, released in 1974. The album was his first for A&M Records, and is notable for the inclusion of Allen's version of his co-authored hit for Olivia Newton-John, among others, "I Honestly Love You"....
. It also appears in the musical about Allen's life, The Boy from Oz
The Boy from Oz
The Boy from Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen and featuring songs written by him. The book is by Nick Enright. The production had its world premiere, directed by Gale Edwards, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Australia, on 5 March 1998 and toured Brisbane,...
. VH1 placed the song at No. 11 on its "40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs" list. The song won Newton-John both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at the 17th Grammy Awards.
Chart performance
The song topped the charts in the U.S. on October 5, 1974, and went on to sell over two million copies, being certified Platinum. It also reached number one (three weeks) on the Adult Contemporary charts and number six on the Country charts, and won Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s for Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song's success also helped propel its parent album, If You Love Me, Let Me Know, to number one. Its title song was released as a single prior to "I Honestly Love You", and it was also a top-five multi-format (Pop - No. 5, Adult Contemporary - No. 2, and Country - No. 2) hit. By contrast, the single failed to reach the top-twenty in the United Kingdom (#22), although it did chart there in 1983 when it was re-released to promote a Newton-John greatest hits album.
Newton-John re-released the original hit version of the song in 1977, backed with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from her then-current album Making a Good Thing Better, and it reached number forty-eight Pop (outperforming the only single from Making a Good Thing Better, the title song, which stalled at number eighty-seven). The song also recharted on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 49.
1998 version
In 1998, Newton-John released a new version of "I Honestly Love You" from her album Back with a HeartBack with a Heart
Back With a Heart is an album released by Olivia Newton-John in 1998.-Production, Release and Singles:The album was recorded in Nashville and marked a return to the U.S Country charts after an absence of almost twenty years. The album featured the single "I Honestly Love You," a re-recording of her...
, which featured Babyface on background vocals, and reached number sixty-seven on the 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...
, her first U.S. charted single in six years. The 1998 version also charted on the AC chart at No. 18 and in Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Music Sales at No. 16.
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| 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 ... |
22 |
| U.S. 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 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 55 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. 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... |
48 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 49 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
| 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 ... |
52 |
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
88 |
| U.S. Billboard Country Singles Sales | 16 |
| U.S. 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... |
67 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 18 |
"I Honestly Love You" was a worldwide pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit single for Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
in 1974. The song was Newton-John's first number-one single in the United States and Canada, thus cementing her as a household name in North America.
Released on the Long Live Love
Long Live Love
Long Live Love is an album recorded by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974 on EMI .-Singles:The song "I Honestly Love You" was her first number one single in the United States, released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know....
album in the United Kingdom by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, it was eventually released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know
If You Love Me, Let Me Know
If You Love Me, Let Me Know was a United States and Canada-only album by singer Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974.-History:Half of the tracks on the album are from her European and Australian release, Long Live Love, and the other half are tracks from Olivia with the title song and the much...
in the United States on MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. The song was written by Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
and the Australian composer Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
; the latter recorded it around the same time on his album Continental American
Continental American
Continental American is the third studio album by Peter Allen, released in 1974. The album was his first for A&M Records, and is notable for the inclusion of Allen's version of his co-authored hit for Olivia Newton-John, among others, "I Honestly Love You"....
. It also appears in the musical about Allen's life, The Boy from Oz
The Boy from Oz
The Boy from Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen and featuring songs written by him. The book is by Nick Enright. The production had its world premiere, directed by Gale Edwards, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Australia, on 5 March 1998 and toured Brisbane,...
. VH1 placed the song at No. 11 on its "40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs" list. The song won Newton-John both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at the 17th Grammy Awards.
Chart performance
The song topped the charts in the U.S. on October 5, 1974, and went on to sell over two million copies, being certified Platinum. It also reached number one (three weeks) on the Adult Contemporary charts and number six on the Country charts, and won Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s for Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song's success also helped propel its parent album, If You Love Me, Let Me Know, to number one. Its title song was released as a single prior to "I Honestly Love You", and it was also a top-five multi-format (Pop - No. 5, Adult Contemporary - No. 2, and Country - No. 2) hit. By contrast, the single failed to reach the top-twenty in the United Kingdom (#22), although it did chart there in 1983 when it was re-released to promote a Newton-John greatest hits album.
Newton-John re-released the original hit version of the song in 1977, backed with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from her then-current album Making a Good Thing Better, and it reached number forty-eight Pop (outperforming the only single from Making a Good Thing Better, the title song, which stalled at number eighty-seven). The song also recharted on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 49.
1998 version
In 1998, Newton-John released a new version of "I Honestly Love You" from her album Back with a HeartBack with a Heart
Back With a Heart is an album released by Olivia Newton-John in 1998.-Production, Release and Singles:The album was recorded in Nashville and marked a return to the U.S Country charts after an absence of almost twenty years. The album featured the single "I Honestly Love You," a re-recording of her...
, which featured Babyface on background vocals, and reached number sixty-seven on the 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...
, her first U.S. charted single in six years. The 1998 version also charted on the AC chart at No. 18 and in Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Music Sales at No. 16.
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| 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 ... |
22 |
| U.S. 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 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 55 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. 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... |
48 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 49 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
| 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 ... |
52 |
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
88 |
| U.S. Billboard Country Singles Sales | 16 |
| U.S. 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... |
67 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 18 |
"I Honestly Love You" was a worldwide pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit single for Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
in 1974. The song was Newton-John's first number-one single in the United States and Canada, thus cementing her as a household name in North America.
Released on the Long Live Love
Long Live Love
Long Live Love is an album recorded by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974 on EMI .-Singles:The song "I Honestly Love You" was her first number one single in the United States, released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know....
album in the United Kingdom by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, it was eventually released on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know
If You Love Me, Let Me Know
If You Love Me, Let Me Know was a United States and Canada-only album by singer Olivia Newton-John, released in 1974.-History:Half of the tracks on the album are from her European and Australian release, Long Live Love, and the other half are tracks from Olivia with the title song and the much...
in the United States on MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. The song was written by Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
and the Australian composer Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
; the latter recorded it around the same time on his album Continental American
Continental American
Continental American is the third studio album by Peter Allen, released in 1974. The album was his first for A&M Records, and is notable for the inclusion of Allen's version of his co-authored hit for Olivia Newton-John, among others, "I Honestly Love You"....
. It also appears in the musical about Allen's life, The Boy from Oz
The Boy from Oz
The Boy from Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen and featuring songs written by him. The book is by Nick Enright. The production had its world premiere, directed by Gale Edwards, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Australia, on 5 March 1998 and toured Brisbane,...
. VH1 placed the song at No. 11 on its "40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs" list. The song won Newton-John both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at the 17th Grammy Awards.
Chart performance
The song topped the charts in the U.S. on October 5, 1974, and went on to sell over two million copies, being certified Platinum. It also reached number one (three weeks) on the Adult Contemporary charts and number six on the Country charts, and won Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s for Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. The song's success also helped propel its parent album, If You Love Me, Let Me Know, to number one. Its title song was released as a single prior to "I Honestly Love You", and it was also a top-five multi-format (Pop - No. 5, Adult Contemporary - No. 2, and Country - No. 2) hit. By contrast, the single failed to reach the top-twenty in the United Kingdom (#22), although it did chart there in 1983 when it was re-released to promote a Newton-John greatest hits album.
Newton-John re-released the original hit version of the song in 1977, backed with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from her then-current album Making a Good Thing Better, and it reached number forty-eight Pop (outperforming the only single from Making a Good Thing Better, the title song, which stalled at number eighty-seven). The song also recharted on the Adult Contemporary chart at No. 49.
1998 version
In 1998, Newton-John released a new version of "I Honestly Love You" from her album Back with a HeartBack with a Heart
Back With a Heart is an album released by Olivia Newton-John in 1998.-Production, Release and Singles:The album was recorded in Nashville and marked a return to the U.S Country charts after an absence of almost twenty years. The album featured the single "I Honestly Love You," a re-recording of her...
, which featured Babyface on background vocals, and reached number sixty-seven on the 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...
, her first U.S. charted single in six years. The 1998 version also charted on the AC chart at No. 18 and in Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Music Sales at No. 16.
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| 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 ... |
22 |
| U.S. 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 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 55 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. 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... |
48 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 49 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
| 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 ... |
52 |
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
88 |
| U.S. Billboard Country Singles Sales | 16 |
| U.S. 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... |
67 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 18 |