Father Figure (song)

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"Father Figure"
Single by George Michael
from the album Faith
B-side "Love's In Need of Love Today" (live)
Released January 2, 1988
Format 7" single, 12" single
Recorded 1987
Genre Soft rock, Pop, R&B
Length 5:40
Label Columbia
Writer(s) George Michael
Producer(s) George Michael
George Michael singles chronology
"Faith"
(1987)
"Father Figure"
(1988)
"One More Try"
(1988)

"Father Figure" is a U.S. number-one hit song written and performed by George Michael and released on Columbia Records in 1988 as the third single from the album Faith.

Music video

The music video depicts a relationship between a cab driver (George Michael) and a high fashion model (Tania Coleridge). Various intercut flashbacks tell a backstory. George Michael and Andy Morahan[1] won "Best Direction of a Video" at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards for the video.[2]

Chart performance

Released in the United Kingdom in January 1988, "Father Figure" reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart - the first time Michael had failed to reach the top ten in his home country. The song remained a live favourite at Michael's concerts for many years and is also one of his most frequently aired songs on the radio in the UK.

In the US, "Father Figure" became George Michael's sixth number one single (including three #1 singles garnered as half of Wham!). "Father Figure" debuted at #49 on January 16, 1988, while "Faith" was still prominent (at #9) in the top tier of the chart. In the subsequent weeks, "Father Figure" was a surefire hit, reaching #1 by its seventh week, February 27, 1988, staying at the top for two weeks. Altogether, the single spent 6 weeks in the Top 10, 9 weeks in the Top 20, and 14 weeks in the Top 40.

Charts

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart[3] 17
Canadian RPM Top Singles[4] 2
Dutch Singles Chart[5] 2
French Singles Chart[3] 37
German Singles Chart[6] 18
Irish Singles Chart[7] 2
Italian Singles Chart[8] 14
New Zealand Singles Chart[3] 7
Norwegian Singles Chart[3] 10
Spanish Singles Chart[9] 4
Swiss Singles Chart[3] 13
UK Singles Chart[10] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[11] 3
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs[11] 13
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[11] 6
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number one single
February 27, 1988 – March 5, 1988
Succeeded by
"Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley

Track listings

  1. "Father Figure" – 5:40
  2. "Look at Your Hands" – 4:37
  1. "Father Figure" – 5:28
  2. "Love's in Need of Love Today (Live)" – 4:42
  3. "Father Figure" (Instrumental version) – 5:28

References

  1. Profile of Andy Morahan; www.andymorahan.com. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 George Michael - Father Figure (song). Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  4. Top Singles - Volume 47, No. 22, March 19 1988. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  5. Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  6. Single-Chartverfolgung. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  7. The Irish Charts. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  8. Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  9. Listas de Afyve. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  10. Top 75 Releases. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Father Figure - George Michael. Retrieved May 6, 2011.

External links