When a Man Loves a Woman (song)

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"When a Man Loves a Woman"
Single by Percy Sledge
from the album The Best of Percy Sledge
Released	Spring 1966
Format	12" vinyl
Recorded	February 17, 1966
Genre	R&B, Soul
Length	2:51
Label	Atlantic
Writer(s)	Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Chart positions
#1 (US) Block quote
Percy Sledge singles chronology
"Warm And Tender Love" (1966)	"When a Man Loves a Woman" (1966)	"Baby, Help Me" (1967)

"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song sung by Percy Sledge in 1966 in which it made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed fifty-fourth in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time. It was later remade by Michael Bolton in 1991, whose version also reached number one on the pop singles chart (Michael Bolton also received a Grammy Award for this song). Sledge's version was also a top ten hit in the UK peaking at number four on its initial release and peaking at number two in 1987 after it was featured in a Levi's Jeans commercial.

Other noteworthy versions of the song, besides Michael Bolton's, include renditions by Bette Midler (US #35, 1980, from her movie The Rose), Esther Phillips (US #73, 1966, in a reverse-gender version, "When A Woman Loves A Man"), and Canadian singer Luba. Also notable is a version recorded by Country singer Kenny Rogers in 1997 which was included on his multi-million selling album "Always and Forever".

Preceded by "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas	Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Sledge version) May 28, 1966	Succeeded by "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones
Preceded by "Cream" by Prince and the New Power Generation	Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Bolton version) November 23, 1991	Succeeded by "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn