So Emotional

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"So Emotional"
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album Whitney
Released November 12, 1987
Format CD single, cassette single, 7" single
Recorded 1987
Genre Pop Rock, Dance-pop, rock
Length 4:36
4:00 (Single Version)
Label Arista
Writer(s) Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly
Producer Narada Michael Walden
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"Didn't We Almost Have It All"
(1987)
"So Emotional"
(1987)
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
(1988)
Music video
"So Emotional" on YouTube

"So Emotional" is a song recorded by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston. The song was the third single from her second album Whitney, and was released on November 12, 1987.

Commercially, it also failed to achieve the success of her predecessors, peaking outside the top ten in most countries; it did however reach number five in the UK and number one in the Billboard Hot 100, where it became her sixth consecutive number one, and its dance chart. It would go and finish as the sixth best selling song of the year and the fourth most played in clubs; it is her sixth biggest hit on the Hot 100 chart.[1]

Contents

Composition[edit]

"So Emotional" was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, who also penned Madonna's "Like a Virgin", Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors", Heart's "Alone", and The Bangles "Eternal Flame", all of which reached #1 on the charts. The song centers on Houston loving being in love, singing "I get so emotional baby / Every time I think of you / I get so emotional / Ain't it shocking what love can do".

Chart performance[edit]

At this time Houston already had a string of five consecutive number-one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. "So Emotional" went to the #1 position as well, giving her six consecutive number-one singles; putting her in a three-way tie with The Beatles and The Bee Gees. It made it's debut at number forty four on November 28, 1987 and after seven weeks became the first number-one of 1988, eventually receiving gold certification. The single remained in the Top 40 for 14 weeks, and also reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. "So Emotional" was ranked sixth on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts (1988). It debuted at number forty four on the Hot 100 and seven weeks later reached number one for one week. The song has sold over 1.7 million copies worldwide.

In the United Kingdom the song was remixed by Shep Pettibone when released as a single and peaked at #5 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1987, remaining in the chart for 11 weeks. Elsewhere the single performed moderately well reaching 21 in France, 26 in Australia and 30 in Switzerland.

Music video[edit]

The music video for "So Emotional" (directed by Wayne Isham) features Houston on tour and preparing for the night's concert. Footage is from the concert she performed at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Track listings and formats[edit]

  • UK 7" single
  1. "So Emotional" (edited remix) – 4:20
  2. "For the Love of You" – 4:32
  • UK CD single
  1. "So Emotional" (extended remix) – 7:51
  2. "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (live) – 6:28
  3. "For the Love of You" – 4:32

Personnel[edit]

  • Narada Michael Walden – drums
  • Walter "Baby Love" Afanasieff – keyboards, synth bass
  • Corrado Rustici – guitar synth
  • Bongo Bob – percussion programming, drum sampling
  • Background vocals – Whitney Houston
  • Produced and arranged by Narada Michael Walden
  • Recorded and mixed by David Frazer
  • Assistant engineer – Dana Jon Chappelle
  • Additional engineers – Lincoln Clapp, Gordon Lyon, Jay Rifkin, Ken Kessie, Maureen Droney
  • Additional assistant engineers – Gordon Lyon, Stuart Hirotsu, Paul "Goatee" Hamingson, Noah Baron, Bill "Sweet William" Miranda, Ross Williams, Rob Beaton

Charts and certifications[edit]

Chart positions[edit]

Chart (1987–1988) Peak
position
Canada (RPM 100 Singles)[2] 9
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[3] 9
France (SNEP)[4] 21
Ireland (IRMA)[5] 3
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)[6] 18
New Zealand (RIANZ)[7] 47
Spain (AFYVE)[8] 15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 30
UK (UK Singles Chart)[10] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 1
US Black Singles[12] 5
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] 8
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[14] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1988) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 6
U.S. Black Singles[16] 46
U.S. Dance/Club Play Singles[17] 4

Certifications[edit]

Country (Provider) Certification
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold

Chart procession and succession[edit]

Preceded by
"Faith" by George Michael
US Billboard Hot 100 number one single
January 9, 1988
Succeeded by
"Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison
Preceded by
"Pump Up the Volume" by M|A|R|R|S
US Hot Dance/Club-Play Songs number-one single
December 26, 1987 – January 2, 1988
Succeeded by
"I'm Beggin' You" by Supertramp

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Whitney Houston's Biggest Billboard Hits: A Look at Her Legendary Chart Career
  2. ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0919&type=2&interval=24&PHPSESSID=9cvp3eo6c6t70dvkgmtc6th3t4
  3. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Finland: Otava. p. 161. ISBN 951-1-21053-X. 
  4. ^ "Lescharts.com – Whitney Houston – So Emotional" (in French). Les classement single. Hung Medien.
  5. ^ http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=5
  6. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Whitney Houston – So Emotional" (in Dutch). Mega Single Top 100. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
  7. ^ "Charts.org.nz – Whitney Houston – So Emotional". Top 40 Singles. Hung Medien.
  8. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 684. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. 
  9. ^ "Whitney Houston – So Emotional – swisscharts.com". Swiss Singles Chart. Hung Medien.
  10. ^ http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/WHITNEY%20HOUSTON/
  11. ^ "Whitney Houston Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Whitney Houston. Prometheus Global Media.
  12. ^ "So Emotional - Whitney Houston". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved August 19, 2011. 
  13. ^ "Whitney Houston Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Adult Contemporary Songs for Whitney Houston. Prometheus Global Media.
  14. ^ "Whitney Houston Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play for Whitney Houston. Prometheus Global Media.
  15. ^ "Year-end Charts – Top Pop Singles of 1988". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 31, 1988. Retrieved November 12, 2011. 
  16. ^ "Year-end Charts – Top Black Singles of 1988". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 31, 1988. Retrieved November 12, 2011. 
  17. ^ "Year-end Charts – Top Dance/Club-Play Singles of 1988". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 31, 1988. Retrieved November 12, 2011. 
  18. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum - Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2011. 

External links[edit]