If I Wanted To
| "If I Wanted To" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Melissa Etheridge | ||||
| from the album 'Yes I Am' | ||||
| Released | February 1995 | |||
| Format | CD single Cassette |
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| Recorded | A&M Studios, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock, Pop | |||
| Length | 3:55 (Album Version) 3:35 (Edit) |
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| Label | Island Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Melissa Etheridge | |||
| Producer(s) | Melissa Etheridge Hugh Padgham |
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| Melissa Etheridge singles chronology | ||||
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"If I Wanted To" is a song by American singer, Melissa Etheridge. It was released in 1995 as the final single from Etheridge's 1993 studio album, Yes I Am.
"If I Wanted To", which was released as the two-sided single "If I Wanted To / Like the Way I Do", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1995 at No. 25, making it the highest-debuting single of 1995.[1] The single's debut was the best for any song since Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee" debuted at No. 14 in November 1994.[1] Fred Bronson of Billboard wrote, at the time, that with the single's record debut, "Melissa Etheridge continues to solidify her new status as a chart superstar with the highest-debuting single of 1995."[1]
"If I Wanted To" peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1995.[2] Strong singles sales in March 1995 for TLC's "Red Light Special," Real McCoy's "Run Away," and The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" prevented "If I Wanted To" from rising higher on the Hot 100, despite widespread airplay on major U.S. radio stations.[3]
Music video
The single's music video was directed by Samuel Bayer.
Charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "If I Wanted To" | Billboard Hot 100 | 16[2] |
| 1995 | "If I Wanted To" | Adult Contemporary | 17 |
| 1995 | "If I Wanted To" | Top 40 Mainstream | 10 |
