If I Wanted To
| "If I Wanted To" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:If I Wanted To single.jpg | ||||
| Single by Melissa Etheridge | ||||
| from the album Yes I Am | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Studio | A&M (Hollywood) | |||
| Length |
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| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriter | Melissa Etheridge | |||
| Producers |
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| Melissa Etheridge singles chronology | ||||
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"If I Wanted To" is a song by American singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, released in 1994 as the final single from her fourth studio album, Yes I Am (1993). The song entered the top 50 in Australia, Canada, Iceland, and the United States.
Commercial performance
[edit | edit source]"If I Wanted To", which was released as a double A-side with "Like the Way I Do" in the United States, debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1995 at No. 25, making it the highest-debuting single of 1995 at that point.[1] The single's debut was the highest for any song since Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee" debuted at No. 14 in November 1994.[1]
"If I Wanted To" peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1995.[2] Strong singles sales in March 1995 for TLC's "Red Light Special", Real McCoy's "Run Away", and The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" prevented "If I Wanted To" from rising higher on the Hot 100 despite widespread airplay on major US radio stations.[3]
Reaction
[edit | edit source]Critical reception
[edit | edit source]Fred Bronson of Billboard wrote that with the single's debut, "Melissa Etheridge continues to solidify her new status as a chart superstar with the highest-debuting single of 1995."[1] Fell and Rufer from the Gavin Report felt that the song "rocks with the best of her previous winners, but can also stand alone on its own merit, as it builds in intensity without losing its cool."[4] Sam Wood from Philadelphia Inquirer found that with "If I Wanted To" "she describes her own desires with a full palette of harrowing visions that never meander into prettified abstraction".[5]
Accolades
[edit | edit source]| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | ASCAP Pop Music Award | Most Performed Songs | Won | [6] |
Music video
[edit | edit source]The single's accompanying music video was directed by Samuel Bayer. The music video was also featured briefly in Twister (1996 film).
Track listings
[edit | edit source]- "If I Wanted To" – 3:29
- "Come to My Window" (live) – 3:21
- "Bring Me Some Water" (live) – 4:35
- "Like the Way I Do" (live) – 10:12
- US 7-inch single[9]
- A. "If I Wanted To" – 3:29
- B. "Come to My Window" – 3:34
- US cassette single[10]
- "If I Wanted To" – 3:29
- "Like the Way I Do" – 5:23
Charts
[edit | edit source]
Weekly charts[edit | edit source]
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Year-end charts[edit | edit source]
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References
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- ^ a b "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
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- ^ Wood, Sam (October 5, 1993). "Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop; Session with Stanley Turrentine". Philadelphia Inquirer.
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- ^ "Melissa Etheridge – If I Wanted To". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9182." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9152." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
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