You Light Up My Life (song)

For other uses, see You Light Up My Life.

"You Light Up My Life"
Single by Debby Boone
from the album You Light Up My Life
B-side	Hasta Mañana
Released	August 16, 1977
Genre	Pop, adult contemporary
Length	3:35
Label	Curb
Writer(s)	Joe Brooks
Producer	Joe Brooks
Certification	Platinum
Debby Boone singles chronology
"You Light Up My Life" (1977) "California" (1978)

"You Light Up My Life" is a ballad written by Joe Brooks, and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The song was lip synched in the film by its lead, Didi Conn.

Later, Debby Boone, Pat Boone's daughter, recorded the single, which became an enormous success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a (then) record-setting ten consecutive weeks. It became the most successful single of the 1970s in the United States, and set a new Hot 100 record for longest reign at No. 1. (Elvis Presley's double-sided "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog", then recognized as the longest-running No. 1 of the rock era, spent eleven weeks atop the Billboard Best Sellers chart in 1956, before the debut of the Hot 100.) The record was matched in 1982 by Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", but never surpassed until a 1991 change in chart methodology allowed songs to achieve longer reigns at No.1 ("End of the Road" by Boyz II Men set the new record, thirteen weeks). The single, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), also hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and reached #4 on the Country chart. The single peaked at #48 in the UK Singles Chart.

Although it was written by Brooks as a love song, the devout Boone interpreted it as inspirational and proclaimed that it was instead God who "lit up her life." This fact was later alluded to when the song appeared in an episode of The Simpsons.

Cisyk's original soundtrack recording was released as a single to bolster sales of the soundtrack, after Boone included her version on her first solo album also entitled You Light Up My Life. (Although the soundtrack was certified gold, peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, it never included Boone's version of the song.) Cisyk's single was credited to "Original Cast", not to Cisyk herself, and only reached No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brooks also released an instrumental version of the song from the soundtrack as a single, but his version failed to chart. Boone's success resulted in Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female and Record of the Year and won her the 1977 Grammy for Best New Artist and the 1977 American Music Award for Favorite Pop Single. The song earned Brooks the 1977 Song of the Year Grammy (tied with "Love Theme from "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen)") as well as the Best Original Song awards at the 1977 Golden Globe and Academy Awards.

The song ranks #7 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.

Chart performance

Chart (1977)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles	1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	4
Australian Kent Music Report	7

Chart (1977)	Peak position
New Zealand Singles Chart	12
South African Singles Chart	3
UK Singles Chart	48

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100	3

Chart precessions and successions

Order of precedence
Preceded by "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco	US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single October 15, 1977 - December 23, 1977 (ten weeks)	Succeeded by "How Deep Is Your Love" by Bee Gees
Preceded by "We're All Alone" by Rita Coolidge	US Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one single November 19, 1977 - November 25, 1977
Preceded by "That's Rock 'N' Roll" by Shaun Cassidy	Canadian RPM charts number-one single November 5, 1977 - December 3, 1977 (two weeks)	Succeeded by "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gayle

Other versions

"You Light Up My Life"
Single by LeAnn Rimes
from the album You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs
B-side	I Believe
Released	August 26, 1997
Format	CD single
Recorded	1996
Genre	Country
Length	3:37
Label	Curb
Writer(s)	Joe Brooks
Producer	Mike Curb Chuck Howard Wilbur C. Rimes
LeAnn Rimes singles chronology
"How Do I Live" (1997) "You Light Up My Life" (1997) "On the Side of Angels" (1998)

Many artists have covered "You Light Up My Life" since 1977. Perry Como performed on Bob Hope's TV special in 1977 (then recorded for CD in 2000). The following year, Johnny Mathis recorded and named his album after the song (released as Single EP). Then Kenny Rogers, José Carreras, Robert Goulet, and Whitney Houston (for "Just Whitney" 2002) recorded for their album.

LeAnn Rimes released her version as a single in 1997, 20 years after Boone's version was released and on the same record label (Curb Records). Her version fared modestly by comparison to the original at radio (No. 34 Pop, No. 48 Country). However, her single was certified gold and was the title track to her No. 1 pop and country album, You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs.

LeAnn Rimes' track listing

• US CD single

1. "You Light Up My Life"* — 3:37
2. "I Believe"** — 2:22

* Note: Produced by Wilbur C. Rimes, Chuck Howard and Mike Curb.
** Note: Produced by Wilbur C. Rimes.

See also

• List of RPM number-one singles of 1977
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1977 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1977 (U.S.)
• List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones