The One Thing
Studio album by
Michael Bolton
ReleasedNovember 16, 1993 (1993-11-16)
StudioOut of Pocket Productions; Passion Studios (Westport, Connecticut); Record Plant (Los Angeles, California); Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California)
GenreAOR, pop rock, soft rock, adult contemporary
Length51:31
LabelColumbia
ProducerMichael Bolton, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Walter Afanasieff, David Foster
Michael Bolton chronology
The Artistry of Michael Bolotin
(1993) 		The One Thing
(1993) 		Greatest Hits (1985–1995)
(1995)
Singles from The One Thing
  1. "Said I Loved You...But I Lied"
    Released: October 26, 1993
  2. "Soul of My Soul"
    Released: December 1993
  3. "Completely"
    Released: March 1994
  4. "Ain't Got Nothing If You Ain't Got Love"
    Released: April 1994
  5. "Lean on Me"
    Released: July 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

The One Thing is the ninth album by Michael Bolton, released on November 16, 1993. Although it produced the hit single "Said I Loved You...But I Lied", which reached number 6 in the US, it did not match the sales of his previous three albums. Nevertheless, the album was still a respectable hit on its own, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 and being certified triple platinum in the US. It was also certified Platinum in the United Kingdom.

Like his previous album, Bolton co-produced all the tracks and co-wrote all but two songs.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Said I Loved You...But I Lied"
  • Lange
  • Bolton
5:07
2."I'm Not Made of Steel"
  • Lange
  • Bolton
5:11
3."The One Thing"
5:11
4."Soul of My Soul"
  • Bolton
  • Warren
  • Walter Afanasieff
  • Afanasieff
  • Bolton
5:42
5."Completely"Warren
4:25
6."Lean on Me"Bill Withers
  • Afanasieff
  • Bolton
5:20
7."Ain't Got Nothing If You Ain't Got Love"
  • Bolton
  • Lange
  • Lange
  • Bolton
5:04
8."A Time for Letting Go"
  • Bolton
  • Warren
  • Afanasieff
  • Bolton
5:38
9."Never Get Enough of Your Love"
  • Bolton
  • Warren
  • Afanasieff
  • Afanasieff
  • Bolton
5:06
10."In the Arms of Love"
  • Bolton
  • Warren
  • Child
  • Foster
  • Bolton
4:47
Total length:51:31
UK bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."The Voice of My Heart"
  • Bolton
  • Lange
  • Warren
  • Child
4:47
Total length:56:18

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart performance for The One Thing
Chart (1993–1994) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[4] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5] 28
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] 65
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 5
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] 4
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[9] 13
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[10] 1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[11] 8
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 13
UK Albums (OCC)[13] 4
US Billboard 200[14] 3

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[15] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[16] 3× Platinum 300,000^
Germany (BVMI)[17] Gold 250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[20] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[22] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[23] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ "Chicago Tribune review". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  3. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 90. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone michael bolton album guide.
  4. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Michael Bolton – The One Thing" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Michael Bolton – The One Thing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  7. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Michael Bolton – The One Thing" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "Charts.nz – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  10. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. February 26, 1994. p. 16. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  11. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  13. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  14. ^ "Michael Bolton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  15. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  16. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Music Canada. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Michael Bolton; 'The One Thing')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  18. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  19. ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
  20. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('The One Thing')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  21. ^ "British album certifications – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  22. ^ "American album certifications – Michael Bolton – The One Thing". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  23. ^ "Music and Media" (PDF). 1994-05-28. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
Categories