The Sweetest Taboo

{{About|the Sade song|the Katie Noonan album|The Sweetest Taboo (album)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The Sweetest Taboo

| cover = Sade - The Sweetest Taboo.png

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Sade

| album = Promise

| B-side = You're Not the Man

| released = {{Start date|1985|10|4|df=yes}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/712/mode/2up|title=Great Rock Discography|date=6 March 1995 |page=712|isbn=978-0-86241-541-9 }}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

Quiet storm{{cite web|last= Pitchfork Staff |title= The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s |website= Pitchfork |date= August 24, 2015 |url= https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9700-the-200-best-songs-of-the-1980s/?page=9|quote= "Quiet storm" had existed as an idea since Smokey Robinson, and there it is at the heart of the song’s chorus: "There’s a quiet storm, and it’s never felt like this before."|accessdate= October 18, 2022}}
soft rock{{cite book|first=Chuck|last=Eddy|title=The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music|chapter= Refried Dreams|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N0488R7-hYUC|date=22 March 1997|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=0-306-80741-6|page=185|quote=...bossa nova did manage to mingle with soft rock tunes like...Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo"...}}
jazz{{cite book|last1=Considine|first1=J.D.|last2=Coleman|first2=Mark|last3=Evans|first3=Paul|last4=McGee|first4=David|chapter=

Sade|editor1-last=DeCurtis|editor1-first=Anthony|editor2-last=Henke|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=George-Warren|editor-first3=Holly|date=1992|title=Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Random House|location=New York|page= 263}}

| length = 4:37

| label = Epic

| composer = * Sade Adu

Martin Ditcham

| lyricist = Sade Adu

| producer = Robin Millar

| prev_title = Hang On to Your Love

| prev_year = 1984

| next_title = Is It a Crime?

| next_year = 1985

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|kcPc18SG6uA|"The Sweetest Taboo"}}}}

}}

"The Sweetest Taboo" is a song by English band Sade from their second studio album, Promise (1985). It was released in October 1985 as the album's lead single. While the song peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart, it fared considerably better in the United States, where it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1986, remaining in the top 40 for 13 weeks. It also became the band's second consecutive number-one single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, following "Smooth Operator".

Music Video

The music promo for the song, directed by Brian Ward, features the band playing in a New York jazz lounge whilst Sade reflects on a man who was a former lover. The storyline was continued in the video to follow-up single "Is It a Crime?".

Reception

Tanya Rena Jefferson of AXS stated, "The group allows the song to shine with its mellow and uptempo flavor. Sade sings proudly and boldly about how she is given love which brings out the best in her. The quiet storm vibe allows one to stand and groove dance to the soulful peaceful sound of the song."{{cite web |last=Jefferson |first=Tanya Rena |title=Sade's 10 best songs |url=https://www.axs.com/sade-s-10-best-songs-47376 |website=AXS |access-date=21 June 2019}}

Track listings

7-inch single (UK and Portugal)

:A. "The Sweetest Taboo" – 4:25

:B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:20

7-inch single (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and select European countries)

:A. "The Sweetest Taboo" – 4:24

:B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:09

12-inch single (UK, Australia and Japan)

:A. "The Sweetest Taboo" (extended version) – 5:30

:B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:20

12-inch single (select European countries)

:A. "The Sweetest Taboo" (extended version) – 5:27

:B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:09

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\|Argentina (CAPIF){{cite news\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEpcAAAAIBAJ&dq=sade+buenos+aires&pg=PA22&article_id=1414,1454497\|title=Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica\|newspaper=La Opinión (Los Angeles)\|language=es\|access-date=2 November 2023\|date=7 April 1986\|page=22}} \| 2
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Weekly chart performance for "The Sweetest Taboo" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1985–1986) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book \|last=Kent \|first=David \|author-link=David Kent (historian) \|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 \|edition=illustrated \|location=St Ives, N.S.W. \|publisher=Australian Chart Book \|year=1993 \|page=263 \|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \| 65
{{single chart\|Austria\|24\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|10\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|12\|chartid=0640\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Canadaadultcontemporary\|1\|chartid=9373\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
scope="row"\| Europe (European Top 100 Singles){{cite magazine \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/85/M&M-1985-11-04-OCR-Page-0004.pdf \|title=European Top 100 Singles \|magazine=Eurotipsheet \|volume=2 \|issue=44 \|date=4 November 1985 \|page=12 \|oclc=29800226 \|via=World Radio History}} \| 12
scope="row"\| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book \|last=Pennanen \|first=Timo \|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 \|language=fi \|edition=1st \|location=Helsinki \|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava \|year=2006 \|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}} \| 9
{{single chart\|France\|30\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|11\|song=Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
scope="row"\| Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite web \|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php \|title=Classifiche \|work=Musica e dischi \|language=it \|access-date=2 June 2022}} Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Sade" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca". \| 12
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|14\|artist=Sade\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|12\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|11\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|14\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|31\|artist=Sade\|artistid=21427\|rowheader=true\|access-date=2 September 2017}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|5\|artist=Sade\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|1\|artist=Sade\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|3\|artist=Sade\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}
scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/19860308.html \|title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 8, 1986 \|work=Cash Box \|access-date=7 October 2019}} \| 8
scope="row"\| US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box){{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/80s_files/19860208R.html \|title=The Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary – Week ending February 8, 1986 \|work=Cash Box \|access-date=21 January 2021}} \| 1
{{single chart\|West Germany\|28\|songid=1344\|artist=Sade\|song=The Sweetest Taboo\|rowheader=true\|access-date=7 October 2019}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Year-end chart performance for "The Sweetest Taboo" ! scope="col"\| Chart (1986) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine \|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-100-songs \|title=Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1986 \|magazine=Billboard \|access-date=7 October 2019 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123143356/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-100-songs \|archive-date=23 January 2021}} \| 55
scope="row"\| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine \|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/adult-contemporary-songs \|title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1986 \|magazine=Billboard \|access-date=7 October 2019 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521212235/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/adult-contemporary-songs \|archive-date=21 May 2021}} \| 16
scope="row"\| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine \|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs \|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1986 \|magazine=Billboard \|access-date=7 October 2019 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717134016/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs \|archive-date=17 July 2021}} \| 22
scope="row"\| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1986YESP.html \|title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 100 Pop Singles \|work=Cash Box \|date=27 December 1986 \|access-date=3 October 2019}} \| 68
scope="row"\| US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box){{cite web \|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/80s_files/1986YESR.html \|title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 50 Black Contemporary Singles \|work=Cash Box \|date=27 December 1986 \|access-date=4 June 2022}} \| 7

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for "The Sweetest Taboo"

! scope="col"| Chart (1986)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-100-songs |title=Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1986 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=7 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123143356/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-100-songs |archive-date=23 January 2021}}

| 55

scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/adult-contemporary-songs |title=Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1986 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=7 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521212235/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/adult-contemporary-songs |archive-date=21 May 2021}}

| 16

scope="row"| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs |title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1986 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=7 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717134016/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs |archive-date=17 July 2021}}

| 22

scope="row"| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles{{cite web |url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/80s_files/1986YESP.html |title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 100 Pop Singles |work=Cash Box |date=27 December 1986 |access-date=3 October 2019}}

| 68

scope="row"| US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box){{cite web |url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/80s_files/1986YESR.html |title=The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 50 Black Contemporary Singles |work=Cash Box |date=27 December 1986 |access-date=4 June 2022}}

| 7

References

Category:1985 songs

Category:1985 singles

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:Portrait Records singles

Category:Sade (band) songs

Category:Songs written by Sade (singer)