| "End of the Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Boyz II Men | ||||
| from the album Boomerang Original Soundtrack and Cooleyhighharmony (1993 re-release) | ||||
| B-side | Remix | |||
| Released | June 30, 1992 | |||
| Format | CD, CD maxi, 7" single | |||
| Recorded | May 1992 in Philadelphia, PA | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 5:48 | |||
| Label | LaFace/Arista, Motown | |||
| Writer(s) | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Daryl Simmons |
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| Producer | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Daryl Simmons |
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| Certification | Platinum | |||
| Boyz II Men singles chronology | ||||
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"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel Richie's "Endless Love" as Motown's most successful single. It was the last Motown single to reach #1 on the UK singles chart. The song is listed at #43 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.[1]
Contents |
| "End of the Road" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Boyz II Men featuring Brian McKnight from the album Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA |
|
| Released | November 13, 2007 |
| Recorded | 2007 |
| Genre | A Cappella, R&B |
| Length | 3:58 |
| Label | Decca |
| Producer | Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, Randy Jackson |
| Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA track listing |
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12. "War" |
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Originally recorded as a soundtrack song for the Eddie Murphy motion picture Boomerang, the song (themed about a breakup where the man really doesn't want the woman to go) topped the charts from August 15 through November 7, 1992, setting a record for most weeks at number one with 13 weeks, beating Elvis Presley's 11-week hold with "Hound Dog" / "Don't Be Cruel". Presley's record had stood 36 years.
However, two weeks after "End of the Road" left the top spot, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" reached number one, and remained there 14 weeks, one week longer than "End of the Road". Boyz II Men's new record stood only 17 weeks. The group's next single ("I'll Make Love to You"), however, would tie Houston's record, and 1995's Boyz II Men/Mariah Carey collaboration "One Sweet Day" would break it, logging 16 consecutive weeks.
The song was covered by several artists, including Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their album Take a Break, We Are Scientists in concert, Gladys Knight on the live medley from her album Just for You, and the Backstreet Boys during their concerts. It was also performed by guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. on his 1993 album A River In The Desert.
An a cappella version was re-recorded for Boyz II Men's 2007 album, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA. Urban jazz bassist Michael Manson covered the song from his 2008 album "Up Front".[2][3] Marcela Morelo recorded a Spanish version of the song in her 2009 album "Otro plan". South Korean boy group U-KISS did an a cappella version of the hit song. Westlife covered this on a cappella. In addition, Boyz II Men included a Spanish-language version ("Al final del camino") on their Spanish-language compilation Evolución.
During the series finale of the sitcom A Different World, Whitley led everyone in singing "End of the Road" at hers and Dwayne's farewell party as they prepared to leave for Tokyo.
American Idol season ten contestant Stefano Langone performed the song during Idol Goes to the Movies week.
Peak positions
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Year-end charts
End of decade charts
Certifications
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| Preceded by "Sleeping Satellite" by Tasmin Archer |
Irish IRMA number one single 12 November 1992 – 3 December 1992 (3 weeks) |
Succeeded by "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston |
| Preceded by "Sleeping Satellite" by The Tasmin Archer |
UK Singles Chart number-one single 31 October 1992 - 21 November 1992 (3 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Would I Lie To You?" by Charles and Eddie |
| Preceded by "Sweat (A La La La La Long)" by Inner Circle |
Dutch Singles Chart 14 November 1992 – 5 December 1992 (3 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Gebabbel/Vlieg met me mee (live)" by Paul de Leeuw & Willeke Alberti |
| Preceded by "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus |
New Zealand Singles Chart 18 October 1992 – 6 December 1992 (7 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Would I Lie To You?" by Charles and Eddie |
| Preceded by Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus |
Australia (ARIA) 22 November 1992 – 20 December 1992 (4 weeks) |
Succeeded by "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston |
| Preceded by "This Used to Be My Playground" by Madonna |
US Hot 100 Singles Chart – Number-one hits of 1992 15 August 1992 – 14 November 1992 (13 weeks) |
Succeeded by "How Do You Talk to an Angel" by The Heights |
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