"Woman in Love"
Single by Barbra Streisand
from the album Guilty
B-side"Run Wild"
ReleasedAugust 16, 1980
RecordedFebruary 1980
StudioMiddle Ear (Miami)[1]
Genre
Length3:49
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Gibb-Galuten-Richardson
Barbra Streisand singles chronology
"Kiss Me in the Rain"
(1980) 		"Woman in Love"
(1980) 		"Guilty"
(1980)

"Woman in Love" is a song performed by Barbra Streisand and taken from her 1980 album Guilty. The song was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, who received the 1980 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[3] It is her fourth of four Platinum records, and is considered her greatest international hit.[4]

After the success enjoyed by the Bee Gees in the late 1970s, the band was asked to participate in musical endeavors for other artists, and Streisand asked Barry Gibb to write an album for her.[5] This album ultimately became Guilty. "Woman in Love", as the lead single, became one of the most successful songs of Streisand's music career. It reached the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Streisand's fifth (and last to date) number-one hit on that chart. It replaced Queen's big-selling hit "Another One Bites the Dust", spent three weeks at number one, and was itself replaced by "Lady" by country singer Kenny Rogers. It also spent five weeks atop the adult contemporary chart, her sixth number one on that tally.[6] The song also proved very popular internationally, reaching number one in many countries, including on the UK Singles Chart. The song sold more than 2.5 million copies up to December 1981, according to Billboard.[7] In 2023, American Songwriter and The Guardian ranked the song number one and number seven, respectively, on their lists of the greatest Barbra Streisand songs.[8][9]

Music video

The music video for the song included clips from A Star Is Born, starring Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, and from other movies she made in the 1970s.

Track listing

Side Title Length
A "Woman in Love" 3:48
B "Run Wild" 4:05

Personnel

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[51] Gold 35,000‡
France (SNEP)[52] Platinum 1,000,000*
Germany (BVMI)[53] Gold 500,000^
Italy (FIMI)[54] Gold  
Japan — 60,000[24]
United Kingdom (BPI)[56] Gold 780,000[55]
United States (RIAA)[57] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Liz McClarnon version

"Woman in Love"
Single by Liz McClarnon
A-side"I Get the Sweetest Feeling"
ReleasedFebruary 13, 2006 (2006-02-13)
Length3:35
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

Atomic Kitten member Liz McClarnon covered "Woman in Love" after the band's split in 2005. Produced by original songwriter Robin Gibb—whom McClarnon accompanied on his 2005 tour—the cover was released in February 2006 as McClarnon's debut solo single. In the United Kingdom, the song was released as a double A-side with a cover of Jackie Wilson's 1968 hit "I Get the Sweetest Feeling". The double A-side peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart on February 19, 2006, staying in the top 100 for six weeks. Elsewhere, "Woman in Love" reached number 21 in Ireland and became a minor hit in Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

McClarnon would go on to record another song entitled "Lately", but the track was not released as a single.

Track listings

UK CD single[58]

  1. "Woman in Love"
  2. "I Get the Sweetest Feeling"

Scandinavian CD single[59]

  1. "Woman in Love" (radio edit)
  2. "Woman in Love" (Dancing DJs Remix)
  3. "Woman in Love" (K-Klub Remix)
  4. "Woman in Love" (Soul Seekerz Dub)

Australian and New Zealand maxi-single[60]

  1. "Woman in Love" (radio edit)
  2. "Woman in Love" (K-Klass Klub Remix)
  3. "Woman in Love" (Soul Seekerz Dub)
  4. "Woman in Love" (Dancing DJs Remix)

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[61] 77
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[62] 2
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[63] 9
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[64]
with "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" 		20
Ireland (IRMA)[21] 21
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[65] 77
Scotland (OCC)[66]
with "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" 		2
UK Singles (OCC)[67]
with "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" 		5

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom February 13, 2006 CD All Around the World [68]
Australia April 17, 2006 [69]

Barry Gibb version

"Woman in Love"
Song by Barry Gibb
from the album The Guilty Demos
ReleasedNovember 2006
RecordedOctober 1979
StudioCriteria (Miami, Florida)
GenreR&B
Length3:53
LabeliTunes
Songwriter(s)Barry & Robin Gibb
Producer(s)Barry Gibb

"Woman in Love" is the first demo Barry Gibb recorded for Barbra Streisand's album Guilty. This composition by the Gibb brothers Barry and Robin would become the album's very successful first single.[70] It was due to this demo that Barry Gibb became the first male artist to sing the song, though it was originally recorded for Streisand to perform alone on her album.

Personnel

See also

References

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  2. ^ Smith, Troy L. (May 13, 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  3. ^ Lister, David, "Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion", The Independent, 28 May 1994
  4. ^ "Song artist 143 - Barbra Streisand". Tsort.info. October 8, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  5. ^ Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, 500 nr.1 hits uit de Top 40, 9023009444 [book in Dutch]
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
  7. ^ "Streisand Disks Dominate Global Charts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media Inc. December 6, 1980. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ^ Patton, Alli (January 28, 2023). "Top 10 Barbra Streisand Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  9. ^ Petridis, Alexis (October 27, 2023). "Barbra Streisand's 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 10 January 1981. p. 36.
  11. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
  13. ^ "Barbra Streisand – Woman in Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  14. ^ "Barbra Streisand – Woman in Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4701a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 0260." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  17. ^ Timo (August 13, 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit STEP - SUE". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  18. ^ "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque artiste commençant par S". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
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  29. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 1, 2018.
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  42. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1980 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. December 31, 1980. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  43. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1980". Retrieved December 26, 2018.
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  45. ^ "UK Singles of the Year" (PDF). Record Mirror. December 27, 1980. p. 30. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  46. ^ "Pop Singles" Billboard December 20, 1980: TIA-10
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  52. ^ "French single certifications – Barbra Streisand – Woman in Love" (in French). InfoDisc. Select BARBRA STREISAND and click OK. 
  53. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Barbra Streisand; 'Woman in Love')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
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  57. ^ "American single certifications – Barbra Streisand – Woman in Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  58. ^ Woman in Love / I Get the Sweetest Feeling (UK CD single liner notes). Liz McClarnon. All Around the World Productions. 2006. CXGLOBE476.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  59. ^ Woman in Love (Scandinavian CD single liner notes). Liz McClarnon. Bonnier Music. 2006. 33441641.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  60. ^ Woman in Love (Australian & New Zealand maxi-single liner notes). Liz McClarnon. All Around the World Productions. 2006. CDRS007.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  61. ^ "Issue 844" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  62. ^ "Liz McClarnon – Woman in Love" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  63. ^ "Liz McClarnon – Woman in Love" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  64. ^ "The ARIA Report: European Top 20 Charts – Week Commencing 27th February 2006" (PDF). ARIA. February 27, 2006. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
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  70. ^ "Gibb Songs : 1979". Columbia.edu. Retrieved March 29, 2014.

External links

Barbra Streisand songs
Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically
Authority control databases
Categories