The Best (song)

"The Best"
Song

"The Best"
Song
B-side	"Bold and Reckless"

"The Best"
Song

"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.

Cover Versions

Tina Turner

The song was later covered by Tina Turner, 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.

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 Eubank. 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 surname means "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.

"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.

The theme song of Gamma Upsilon Sorority on the campus of Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida.

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.

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 [1]	10
Norway	10
UK	95
Spain [2]	34

Tina Turner

Chart (1989)	Peak Position
Austrian Singles Chart	2
Polish Singles Chart	2
Spanish Singles Chart	2
Belgium Singles Chart	2
Swiss Singles Chart	3
Australian Singles Chart	4
Canadian Singles Chart	4
German Singles Chart	4
Irish Singles Chart	4
Dutch Singles Chart	5
Norwegian Singles Chart	5
UK Singles Chart	5
US Rock Chart	6
Italian Singles Chart	7
Swedish Singles Chart	11
Japanese Singles Chart	13
US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart	15
French Singles Chart	23
New Zealand Singles Chart	28
Chart (2009)	Peak Position
Swiss Singles Chart	92
Chart (2010)	Peak Position
Scottish Singles Chart	1
UK Singles Chart	9
UK Download Chart	9

Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes version

Chart (1992)	Peak Position
New Zealand Singles Chart	11
Australian Singles Chart	13

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