I Learned from the Best

"I Learned from the Best" is a 1999 single from American R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The ballad was the fifth and final single from Houston's multi-platinum 1998 album My Love Is Your Love. When released, it peaked at number 27 on the US Hot 100. Dance remixes of the song by Hex Hector and Junior Vasquez topped the US dance chart for three weeks. Houston gained another top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart with this song, where it peaked at number 19. The song was written by Diane Warren.

"I Learned from the Best"
US single cover
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album My Love Is Your Love
ReleasedNovember 29, 1999 (UK)
February 22, 2000 (US)
RecordedFall 1998
Genre
Length4:20
3:56 (radio edit)
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Diane Warren
Producer(s)David Foster
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"My Love Is Your Love"
(1999)		 "I Learned from the Best"
(1999)		 "Could I Have This Kiss Forever"
(2000)
Music video
"I Learned from the Best" on YouTube

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from music critics. Nekesa Mumbi Moody from Associated Press said the song "sound decent with her pipes".[1] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that it is "a song that has most-added stamped all over it. Written by the ultimate pop/R&B scribe of the 1990s, Diane Warren, this gorgeous ballad will take fans old and new to that sacred territory that Whitney established back in the years of classics like "Saving All My Love For You" and "All The Man That I Need". But make no mistake; the Houston of today is a fully seasoned, well-traveled diva, leaving the wannabes in scattered remains with this spine-chilling performance. You'll be throwing your hands in the air over the wisdom she's gained in this tale of the strong woman who's breaking bad with her lessons about heartbreak. Producer/arranger David Foster, meanwhile, puts forth all that he's learned in the past two decades with a forceful instrumental package that borrows from his days of commandeering the horns-heavy Chicago through its comeback in the early 1980s. The three together—Houston, Warren, and Foster—simply can't miss in this stellar effort that brings together the best of their talents"[2] Sonia Murray from Cox News Service called the song a "by-the-numbers big ballad".[3] Henrik Bæk from Gaffa noted it as a "typical Whitney ballad".[4] Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel described it as a "classy David Foster-produced" song and noted that Houston is "predictably stately".[5] Christopher Tkaczyk from The Michigan Daily said in his review of My Love Is Your Love, that the song a "heart-racing R&B track".[6] Sun-Sentinel picked the song as the "one truly satisfying song" on the album, noting it as "an unassuming ballad".[7]

Chart performance

"I Learned from the Best" became the fifth and final single to be released from the album in late November 1999 in UK and February 2000 in US. The song debuted at number eighty-three on the Hot 100 and peaked at number twenty-seven.[8][9] It reached the number thirteen on the Hot R&B Singles & Tracks.[10] According to the Nielsen SoundScan, the single sold 500,000 units in the United States and certified Gold. Outside the US, it was not as successful as the previous singles from the album. The single reached the number three in Iceland, the number six in Finland,[11] the number eight in Spain,[12] the number ten in Hungary and the number nineteen in the United Kingdom with 95,000 copies sold.[13][14] Besides, it went to the top forty in the Netherlands,[15] Sweden,[16] and Switzerland.[17]

Music video

The music video, directed by Kevin Bray, features Houston giving a concert performance of the song to a small intimate audience, as a man—presumably the ex-lover referenced in the song—watches with regret. It was filmed in Cologne, Germany, Oct. 1999, during the end of Houston’s My Love Is Your Love World Tour [18] and was featured in the first season of MTV's Making the Video.

Formats and track listings
  • UK CD 1
  1. "I Learned from the Best" (Radio Edit) – 3:55
  2. "I Will Always Love You" (Hex Hector Club Mix) – 9:52
  3. "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) – 4:26
  • UK CD 2 – The Remixes
  1. "I Learned from the Best" (Album Version) – 4:20
  2. "I Learned from the Best" (HQ2 Uptempo Radio Mix) – 4:23
  3. "I Learned from the Best" (Junior Vasquez UK Club Mix) – 11:37
  • US cd single
  1. "I Learned from the Best" (Album Version) – 4:20
  2. "I Learned from the Best" (HQ2 Uptempo Radio Mix) – 4:23
  3. "I Learned from the Best" (Junior Vasquez Disco Radio Mix) – 4:22
  • US cd maxi single
  1. "I Learned from the Best" (HQ2 Uptempo Radio Mix) – 4:23
  2. "I Learned from the Best" (Junior Vasquez Disco Radio Mix) – 4:22
  3. "I Learned from the Best" (HQ2 Club Mix) – 10:37
  4. "I Learned from the Best" (Junior Vasquez USA Millennium Mix) – 11:37
  5. "I Learned from the Best" (Junior Vasquez Disco Club Mix) – 9:21
  6. "I Learned from the Best" (HQ2 Dub) – 8:56
  7. "I Learned from the Best" (Junior Vasquez UK Radio Mix) – 4:59
  8. "I Learned from the Best" (Original Version) – 4:09
  • Note: The Junior Vasquez Disco mix is unique in that Houston re-recorded her vocals for this version.[19]

Charts

See also

References
  1. "Singer's new albumis a savvy retort". Daily News. December 20, 1998. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  2. http://www.classicwhitney.com/review/music/singles/billboardsingles.htm
  3. "Whitney Houston: pleasing familiarity". The Day. November 22, 1998. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  4. "Whitney Houston: My Love Is Your Love". Gaffa (in Danish). September 21, 2001. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  5. "Carey tops charts, but falls short with '1s'". Daily News. December 9, 1998. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  6. "THERE COULD BE MIRACLES..." The Michigan Daily. January 12, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  7. "A HOUSTON MASQUERADE". Sun-Sentinel. November 18, 1998. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  8. "Billboard Hot 100 chart listing for the week of February 19, 2000". Billboard. February 19, 2000. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  9. "Billboard Hot 100 chart listing for the week of March 25, 2000". Billboard. March 25, 2000. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  10. "Billboard Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart listing for the week of March 11, 2000". Billboard. March 11, 2000. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  11. ""I Learned from the Best" on the Finnish Singles Chart". finnishcharts.com. 49th week, 1999. Retrieved October 8, 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ""I Learned from the Best" on the Spanish Singles Chart, Hits of the World". Billboard. January 22, 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  13. "The Official UK Countdowns – Whitney Houston Official Top 20". MTV (UK and Ireland). Retrieved January 6, 2011.
  14. ""I Learned from the Best" on the UK Singles Chart". Official Charts Company. December 11, 1999. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  15. ""I Learned from the Best" on the Dutch Singles Chart". dutchcharts.nl. January 8, 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  16. ""I Learned from the Best" on the Swedish Singles Chart". swedishcharts.com. January 13, 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  17. ""I Learned from the Best" on the Swiss Singles Chart". hitparade.ch. December 26, 1999. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  18. Billboard
  19. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1430165/whitney-phones-it-enrique-duet-remix-new-single.jhtml
  20. "Ultratop.be – Whitney Houston – I Learned From The Best" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  21. "Oficiální Česká Hitparáda - Pro týden" (in Czech). IFPI ČR. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  22. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  23. "Whitney Houston: I Learned From The Best" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  24. "Lescharts.com – Whitney Houston – I Learned From The Best" (in French). Les classement single.
  25. "Offiziellecharts.de – Whitney Houston – I Learned From The Best". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  26. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  27. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 21.1. - 27.1. 2000)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. Retrieved July 5, 2018. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  28. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Whitney Houston" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  30. "Dutchcharts.nl – Whitney Houston – I Learned From The Best" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  31. "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 2000" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on January 22, 2005.
  32. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  33. Hits of the World: Spanish AFYVE Singles Chart for "I Learned from the Best". Billboard. January 22, 1999. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  34. "Swedishcharts.com – Whitney Houston – I Learned From The Best". Singles Top 100.
  35. "Swisscharts.com – Whitney Houston – I Learned From The Best". Swiss Singles Chart.
  36. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  37. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  38. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  39. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  40. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  41. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  42. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Finland: Otava. p. 68. ISBN 951-1-21053-X.
  43. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/1114806
  44. "Decade End Charts – Dance/Club-Play Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
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