"This Night Won't Last Forever" is a song written by

Bill LaBounty Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb/Warner Bros. Records. His first charting single, " This Night Won't ...

and Roy Freeland, and originally recorded by LaBounty in 1978, whose version of the song was a minor Adult Contemporary and pop hit, reaching number 65 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Michael Johnson version

The following year, American singer-songwriter Michael Johnson covered "This Night Won't Last Forever", released as the lead single from his fifth album ''Dialogue'', backed with a cover of

Parker McGee Jerry Parker McGee (born April 1951) is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, originally from Meridian, Mississippi. Early life McGee was born in Meridian, Mississippi, one of three sons, to Albert R. "Pat" McGee, and Ruby McGee. He graduated f ...

's " I Just Can't Say No to You", also included on the album. Johnson's version of "This Night Won't Last Forever" reached number 19 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was also a top 10 Adult Contemporary hit in the United States (#5) and Canada (#9).

Bob Dylan version

In the early 1980s, Bob Dylan recorded a cover version of the song, which was issued on his 2021 compilation album '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980–1985''.

Moe Bandy version

In 1988, Moe Bandy covered the song on his album ''Many Mansions''. His version peaked at number 49 on the U.S. Hot Country charts in 1989.

Sawyer Brown version

In 1997, Sawyer Brown covered the song. It was released in June 1997 as the second single from the album '' Six Days on the Road''. Sawyer Brown's version went to number 6 on the U.S.

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

charts.

Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' reviewed Sawyer Brown's version and wrote, "It's a song that most people will remember and find themselves singing along with. The familiarity and strong performance should make for a potent combination at country radio."Price, Deborah Evans, and Larry Flick. "Singles: Country." Billboard 109.25 (1997): 73. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 6 June 2011.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Bill LaBounty

Michael Johnson

Moe Bandy

Sawyer Brown

Year-end charts

References

1978 songs 1978 singles 1979 singles 1989 singles 1997 singles Sawyer Brown songs Moe Bandy songs Michael Johnson (singer) songs Bill LaBounty songs Songs written by Bill LaBounty Music videos directed by Michael Salomon Curb Records singles Warner Records singles EMI America Records singles {{1997-country-song-stub