The Best (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Best" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight
, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler
on her 1988 release Hide Your Heart
, in reference to Tom Mason. The single reached reaching #10 in Norway and Portugal, #34 in Spain and #95 in the UK.
, and released as a highly successful single
in 1989. It was included on her hit album Foreign Affair
. The saxophone solo on Turner's version is played by Edgar Winter
.
Holly Knight told Songfacts: "'Simply The Best' is one of those rare gems that's a positive song, and it's not cheesy. But the hard part is to write something in a positive mode that really is sincere - that's a tall order."
"The Best" is one of Turner's most successful and popular singles worldwide. It peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100
and made it to the top five in the UK, peaking at number 5 and Germany, reaching number 4. Certain editions of Turner's single also included the non-album track "Bold and Reckless", produced by Rupert Hine
.
A version recorded in 1992 as a duet with Jimmy Barnes
, titled "(Simply) The Best", was a Top 40 hit single in Australia
, where it was used in a campaign for the New South Wales Rugby League
.
. It also became the theme song for the also legendary Brazilian Formula One racer Ayrton Senna
. Senna surprised Turner by showing up on stage during her concert in Adelaide
, Australia
in late 1993, after Senna won the Australian Grand Prix
earlier in the day. Turner had already sung "The Best" earlier in the concert but decided to play it again as a tribute to Senna immediately after he left the stage.
The song was used during the ceremonies that the Pittsburgh Penguins
held as they retired, un-retired, and re-retired number 66 for Mario Lemieux
, as his name rhymes with le meilleur, "the best" in French.
"The Best" is played at Ibrox Stadium
, Scotland when the players of Rangers Football Club and the visiting team run on to the park. On April 19, 2010 Rangers FC fans began a campaign to get "The Best" to number one in the UK Pop Charts. It subsequently charted at number nine. In March 2007 at a UEFA Cup
match footage of Rangers fans singing additional sectarian lyrics led to the club being fined by UEFA
. Despite repeated warnings from the club, an element of the support continued to hijack the song.
"Simply The Best" has become the slogan of loyalist
paramilitary
groups in Northern Ireland
.
The song was played over the PA system at Madison Square Garden
when Mark Messier
was presented with the Stanley Cup
after the New York Rangers
' victory over the Vancouver Canucks
in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals
. The Rangers listened to it before the game. It was continued to be played as the Rangers skated around the ice at the Garden with the Stanley Cup. On the CBC
, Bob Cole
and Harry Neale
said that "the crowd responded" when the song was played over the PA system when the players skated around the ice, as they had throughout the game.
Tyler's version of the song was used in a tribute video for WWE
wrestler Edge
that aired on the July 20, 2007 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
Turner's version was used by NESN (New England Sports Network
) on September 1, 2007, as a tribute when Boston Red Sox
Rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz
threw a No-Hitter at Fenway Park
against the Baltimore Orioles
in his second Major League start. This consisted of a 2-hour replay of the game, showing all 27 outs recorded for the night, as well as the 4 minute musical montage, entitled "Rookie Magic".
Additionally, Senator Joe Biden
used Turner's recording as the theme song for his 2008 campaign for the presidency
, and it was an unofficial anthem for the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham.
Celine Dion
has performed the song live in concert.
Japanese pro-wrestler Osamu Nishimura
currently uses the song as an entrance theme.
The song is played after all Buffalo Bisons home wins beginning with the Chorus.
In the original version of The Office
, David Brent plays the Tina Turner version of the song at the end of a motivational speech, shouting, "I've been David Brent! You've been the best!"
The theme song of Besti Flokkurinn, an Icelandic political party standing in the 2010 Reykjavik local council elections, was "Simply The Best" by Tina Turner. Prior to the 2010 election the party published a localized version of the song with new lyrics.
HBO used this in promos in the late 80s to early 90s.
Cadbury's used this song in their Keep Team Britain Pumped adverts with Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington
.
Tina Turner:
Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes version
|-
Holly Knight
Holly Knight is a songwriter, vocalist and musician of pop and rock music.- Biography :She was born in New York City and started playing classical piano as a young child. She soon became interested in rock music, and left home at about sixteen to pursue her dreams...
, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
on her 1988 release Hide Your Heart
Hide Your Heart
Hide Your Heart , is the seventh album by Bonnie Tyler released in 1988. It was produced by Desmond Child....
, in reference to Tom Mason. The single reached reaching #10 in Norway and Portugal, #34 in Spain and #95 in the UK.
Tina Turner
The song was later covered by Tina TurnerTina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, and released as a highly successful single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1989. It was included on her hit album Foreign Affair
Foreign Affair
-B-sides:-Personnel:* Tina Turner - lead vocals* Tony Joe White - guitar, harmonica, synthesizers* Dan Hartman - guitar, keyboards* Eddie Martinez - guitar* Neil Taylor - guitar* James Ralston - guitar* Gene Black - guitar* Pat Thrall - guitar...
. The saxophone solo on Turner's version is played by Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
.
Holly Knight told Songfacts: "'Simply The Best' is one of those rare gems that's a positive song, and it's not cheesy. But the hard part is to write something in a positive mode that really is sincere - that's a tall order."
"The Best" is one of Turner's most successful and popular singles worldwide. It peaked at number 15 on the 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...
and made it to the top five in the UK, peaking at number 5 and Germany, reaching number 4. Certain editions of Turner's single also included the non-album track "Bold and Reckless", produced by Rupert Hine
Rupert Hine
Rupert Neville Hine is an English musician, songwriter and prolific record producer, having produced albums for artists including Kevin Ayers, Tina Turner, Howard Jones, Saga, The Fixx, Bob Geldof, Thompson Twins, Stevie Nicks, Chris de Burgh, Suzanne Vega, Rush, Underworld, Duncan Sheik, and ...
.
A version recorded in 1992 as a duet with Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
, titled "(Simply) The Best", was a Top 40 hit single in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it was used in a campaign for the New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
.
In popular culture
"The Best" became even more popular in the UK than in the US, becoming the theme song of the legendary British world champion boxer Chris EubankChris Eubank
Chris Eubank, Lord of the Manor of Brighton is a retired British boxer who held world titles at middleweight and super middleweight...
. It also became the theme song for the also legendary Brazilian Formula One racer Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
. Senna surprised Turner by showing up on stage during her concert in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in late 1993, after Senna won the Australian Grand Prix
1993 Australian Grand Prix
The 1993 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 7, 1993. It was the final round of the 1993 Formula One season....
earlier in the day. Turner had already sung "The Best" earlier in the concert but decided to play it again as a tribute to Senna immediately after he left the stage.
The song was used during the ceremonies that the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
held as they retired, un-retired, and re-retired number 66 for Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
, as his name rhymes with le meilleur, "the best" in French.
"The Best" is played at Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
, Scotland when the players of Rangers Football Club and the visiting team run on to the park. On April 19, 2010 Rangers FC fans began a campaign to get "The Best" to number one in the UK Pop Charts. It subsequently charted at number nine. In March 2007 at a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
match footage of Rangers fans singing additional sectarian lyrics led to the club being fined by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. Despite repeated warnings from the club, an element of the support continued to hijack the song.
"Simply The Best" has become the slogan of loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
The song was played over the PA system at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
when Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
was presented with the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
after the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
' victory over the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. The Rangers listened to it before the game. It was continued to be played as the Rangers skated around the ice at the Garden with the Stanley Cup. On the CBC
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
, Bob Cole
Bob Cole (announcer)
Robert Cecil "Bob" Cole is a Canadian television announcer and former competitive curler.Cole was the primary play-by-play announcer for Hockey Night in Canada 'HNIC' on CBC, usually for Toronto Maple Leafs games, from 1980 to 2008. Aside from the Leafs broadcasts, he was also a staple for the...
and Harry Neale
Harry Neale
Harold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
said that "the crowd responded" when the song was played over the PA system when the players skated around the ice, as they had throughout the game.
Tyler's version of the song was used in a tribute video for WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestler Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
that aired on the July 20, 2007 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
Turner's version was used by NESN (New England Sports Network
New England Sports Network
The New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
) on September 1, 2007, as a tribute when Boston Red Sox
2007 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for...
Rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz
Clay Buchholz
Clay Daniel Buchholz pitches for the Boston Red Sox of major league baseball. On September 1, 2007, in just his second major league start, he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the third MLB pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in his first or second start...
threw a No-Hitter at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
against the Baltimore Orioles
2007 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles' 2007 season involved the Orioles finishing with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses and fourth place in the AL East. On June 18, 2007 manager Sam Perlozzo was fired and replaced with bullpen coach Dave Trembley as interim manager. Trembley was named full-time manager on August...
in his second Major League start. This consisted of a 2-hour replay of the game, showing all 27 outs recorded for the night, as well as the 4 minute musical montage, entitled "Rookie Magic".
Additionally, Senator Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
used Turner's recording as the theme song for his 2008 campaign for the presidency
Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2008
The Joe Biden presidential campaign, 2008 began when Senator Biden announced his candidacy for President of the United States on the January 7, 2007 edition of Meet the Press. He officially became a candidate on January 31, 2007 after filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission...
, and it was an unofficial anthem for the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham.
Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
has performed the song live in concert.
Japanese pro-wrestler Osamu Nishimura
Osamu Nishimura
Osamu Nishimura is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Nishimura formerly worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling and MUGA World Pro Wrestling.-Early years :...
currently uses the song as an entrance theme.
The song is played after all Buffalo Bisons home wins beginning with the Chorus.
In the original version of The Office
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
, David Brent plays the Tina Turner version of the song at the end of a motivational speech, shouting, "I've been David Brent! You've been the best!"
The theme song of Besti Flokkurinn, an Icelandic political party standing in the 2010 Reykjavik local council elections, was "Simply The Best" by Tina Turner. Prior to the 2010 election the party published a localized version of the song with new lyrics.
HBO used this in promos in the late 80s to early 90s.
Cadbury's used this song in their Keep Team Britain Pumped adverts with Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington
Rebecca Adlington
Rebecca "Becky" Adlington, OBE, is an English and British freestyle swimmer. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in the 400 m and 800 m, breaking the 19 year-old world record of Janet Evans in the 800 m final...
.
Versions and remixes (Tina Turner version)
- 7" Edit - 4:11
- Album Version a.k.a. Extended 12" Mix - 5:28
- Extended Mighty Mix - 6:35
- Single Muscle Mix - 4:16
- Extended Muscle Mix - 5:28
- "(Simply) The Best" (with Jimmy Barnes, 1992) - 4:11
- "(Simply) The Best" (Extended Mix) (with Jimmy Barnes, 1992) - 5:29
Chart performance
Bonnie Tyler:| Chart (1988) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Portugal http://portuguesecharts.com// | 10 |
| Norway | 10 |
| UK | 95 |
| Spain http://www.los40.com/ | 34 |
Tina Turner:
| Chart (1989) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
4 |
| German Singles Chart | 4 |
| 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... |
4 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 5 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 5 |
| 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 ... |
5 |
| US Rock Chart | 6 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 7 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 11 |
| 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... Singles Chart |
15 |
| French Singles Chart | 23 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 28 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak Position |
| 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... |
92 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak Position |
| Scottish Singles Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
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 ... |
9 |
| UK Download Chart | 9 |
Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes version
| Chart (1992) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 11 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 13 |
|-