Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
So, as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’ allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.
This week we think it’s best to reflect on ‘I Learned from the Best’ – the last official single from Whitney Houston‘s ‘My Love Is Your Love’ album. Meet us inside:
Despite its parent album, Houston’s long-awaited fourth studio album ‘My Love Is Your Love,’ earning the Pop icon her lowest debut placement on the Billboard 200 to date when it premiered and peaked at #13, its staying power on the chart was nonetheless quite impressive and undoubtedly fueled by the success of its singles. Beyond launching on the back of the powerhouse Mariah Carey duet, ‘When You Believe,‘ the project charted three back to back top 5 singles in the forms of ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’ ‘It’s Not Right But It’s Ok,’ and its title track. Its fifth and final offering, ‘I Learned from the Best,’ came as the set’s first solo ballad to be released as a single.
Penned by Diane Warren (also responsible for a number of other tracks on the album), the searing slow jam showed a darker side of Whitney – much like ‘Hotel’ and ‘Ok’ before it – and demonstrated an empowered songstress ready to overcome the trauma of a failed relationship. Believed to be aimed in part at the highly publicized woes of her marriage to R&B bad boy Bobby Brown, the tune’s critical acclaim was mirrored by its commercial success. Albeit the only single from the project to miss the top 20 on the Hot 100, it peaked at #27 this week in 2000.
Later going Gold and becoming a prized part of Houston’s impeccable discography, the song stands as her last appearance in the Hot 100 top 40 [with a new single]. Look below to see who joined her in the top 30 this week 19 years ago:
Hot 100 This Week in 2000
Hot 100 This Week in 2019
Note: Houston did earn a top 40 placement when her 1991 ‘Star Spangled Banner’ single was re-issued and re-peaked at #6 in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, the absence of “remixing” barred the two appearances (#20 and #6 respectively) from being counted as separate.
Click here to read this week’s full “Hot 100 chart check,” as presented by That Grape Juice.