"Waiting for That Day" is a song performed and largely written by British singer-songwriter George Michael which was released on Epic Records in 1990 in the UK and on Columbia Records in 1991 in the US. The song was the second single from Michael's second studio album, ''

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 ''Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1'' is the second solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 3 September 1990 by Columbia Records (Epic Records in the UK). The album was Michael's final album of all-new materi ...

'' (1990), in the UK, and released as the third single from the album in the US and Australia. "Waiting for That Day" peaked at number 23 in the UK in October 1990 and was followed in the UK by three more singles from the album, all of which peaked slightly lower than that of its predecessor. In the US, the song entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 9 February 1991 and peaked at number 27 on 2 March 1991.

Background

Although Michael wrote the song alone, the chords and rhythm are very similar to

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

' "

You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by ''Rolling Stone'' ...

". This title is included at the very end of Michael's song, and a co-writer credit was given to

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

and

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

. The song also contains samples from the song "

Funky Drummer "Funky Drummer" is a single released by James Brown in 1970. Its drum break, improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled music recordings. Recording and composition "Funky Drummer" was recorded on November 20, 196 ...

" by James Brown. The song did not enjoy great chart success in the United States, becoming Michael's first single to miss the top 10. The single's B-side, " Mother's Pride" achieved some airplay success during the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. As of October 2017, the single sold 61,000 copies in UK.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

named the song a "highlight" from ''

''. Andrew Mueller from '' Melody Maker'' felt it finds "the great chap in devastatingly ineffectual form." Nick Robinson from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' wrote, "Possibly one of the singles of the year, this sad plea to a lost love coasts along on a "

" beat and mellow organ backing and ends perfectly with a "

" chant. Not only is it a beautiful pop song but it also sees the talented song-writer adding a touch of creativity to a standard dance beat."

Track listing

* 7", Epic / GEO 2 (UK) # "Waiting for That Day" – 4:49 # "

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

" – 5:00 Note: also available on MC (Epic / GEO M2) and 12" (Epic / GEO T2) * CD, Epic / CD GEO 2 (UK) # "Waiting for That Day" – 4:49 # "Fantasy" – 5:00 # "Father Figure" – 5:36 # "Kissing a Fool" – 4:34 * Cassette and 7", Columbia 73663 (US) #"Waiting for That Day" – 4:49 #"Mother's Pride" – 3:59

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waiting For That Day George Michael songs 1990 singles Songs written by George Michael Songs written by Jagger–Richards Song recordings produced by George Michael Columbia Records singles Epic Records singles 1990 songs Pop ballads