Could've Been (Tiffany song)
"Could've Been" is the third single released from Tiffany, the debut album of American teen-pop singer Tiffany. Commercially, the song proved to be a successful follow-up to her debut single "I Think We're Alone Now", peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100, the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart, and the Irish Singles Chart in early 1988. It also reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and number five in New Zealand.
"Could've Been" | ||||
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Single by Tiffany | ||||
from the album Tiffany | ||||
B-side | "The Heart of Love" | |||
Released | November 1987 | |||
Recorded | 1987 | |||
Genre | Pop rock, soft rock | |||
Length | 3:32 (album version) 5:56 (extended version) | |||
Label | MCA Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lois Blaisch | |||
Producer(s) | George Tobin | |||
Tiffany singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Tiffany – Could've Been" on YouTube |
Song information
Music industry insider Don McGovern first heard the song when he walked into a Hungry Tiger Restaurant in Thousand Oaks, California and heard a local performer, Lois Blaisch, singing the song. McGovern introduced it to producer George Tobin
The song is a slow ballad about love that could have been better. Both Tiffany's label, MCA Records, and her manager, George Tobin, were concerned that she was not old or mature enough to handle a song with such emotional depth. However, Tiffany convinced them that she could, and the song was recorded and included on her self-titled debut album, becoming its third single.
Chart performance
After debuting at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1987,[1] "Could've Been" quickly rose up the chart and spent two weeks at number one in February, becoming Tiffany's second consecutive number-one hit following "I Think We're Alone Now". The song was also a number-one hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, as well as in Ireland and Canada. The song reached the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and also charted well in Belgium, the Netherlands, and South Africa.
Music video
For the music video, music video stations played a live version of "Could've Been" where fans sang along to Tiffany's performance.
Track listings and formats
7" Single and cassette single
- Could've Been – 4:00
- The Heart of Love – 3:57
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Sales and certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[22] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ)[23] | 10,310^ | |
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] | 185,000^ | |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
Cover versions
- Lois Blaisch finally released her own version in 1997 when she included it on her album Through Thick and Thin.
- Country singer Carrie Underwood covered the song on American Idol.
- The song was recorded by a Filipina artist named Sarah Geronimo.
- Tiffany herself re-recorded the song for the 2007 compilation I Think We're Alone Now: 80's Hits and More, backed only by a piano and keyboards.
In popular culture
The song was heard in the television series Growing Pains, on the episode "Nasty Habits".
See also
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1988
- List of Billboard number-one Adult Contemporary singles of 1988
- List of RPM Top Singles number-one singles of 1988
- List of Irish Singles Chart number-one singles of 1988
References
- "The Hot 100 The week of November 28, 1987". Billboard. November 28, 1987. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 310. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 19, 1988.
- "Ultratop.be – Tiffany – Could've Been" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0932." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8772." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 15. April 9, 1988. p. 26. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Could've Been". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Tiffany – Could've Been" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- "Charts.nz – Tiffany – Could've Been". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Tiffany – Could've Been". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Tiffany Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "Tiffany Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- "1988 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- "End of Year Charts 1988". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- "Canadian single certifications – Tiffany – Could've Been". Music Canada.
- "Japanese single certifications – Tiffany – Could've Been" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
- "British single certifications – Tiffany – Could've Been". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Type Could've Been in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.