What Makes a Man
{{Short description|2000 single by Westlife}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name = What Makes a Man
| cover = WhatMakesAManCD1.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Westlife
| album = Coast to Coast
| released = {{start date|2000|12|18|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-12-16.pdf|title=Novelty Tunes Have Good Shot at Top Spot on Brit Christmas List|last=Sexton|first=Paul|magazine=Billboard|volume=112|issue=51|page=15|date=16 December 2000|access-date=10 October 2020}}
| recorded =
| studio = Rokstone (London)
| genre =
| length = 3:52
| label =
| writer =
| producer = Steve Mac
| prev_title = My Love
| prev_year = 2000
| next_title = I Lay My Love on You
| next_year = 2001
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = "What Makes a Man CD2"
| type = single
| cover = Westlife-WhatMakesaManCD2.jpg
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|SRiFCFbyCt8|"What Makes a Man"}}}}
}}
"What Makes a Man" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 18 December 2000 in the UK and Ireland as the third single from their second studio album, Coast to Coast. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and was their first single not to peak at number one, being beaten to the Christmas number-one spot by "Can We Fix It?", the theme to the cartoon series Bob the Builder. It also debuted and peaked at number two in Ireland, held off the top spot by Eminem's song "Stan".
The song was the 39th-best-selling single of 2000 in the UK and received a gold sales certification for over 400,000 copies sold. It is the band's fifth-best-selling single in paid-for sales, and seventh-best-selling single in combined sales as of January 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/westlifes-top-20-biggest-songs-on-the-official-charts__25303/|title=Westlife's Top 20 biggest songs on the Official Charts|last=Copsey|first=Rob|date=12 January 2019|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=12 January 2019}}
Background
"What Makes a Man" was composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in B major, with Filan and Feehily's vocal ranging from the chords of E4 to Bb5.{{cite web|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0099041 |title=What Makes a Man bY Westlife – Digital Sheet Music|website=Musicnotes }}
Reception
Brian McFadden of Westlife had little faith in the release.{{Cite news|date=20 January 2001|title=Famous last words|newspaper=T2|issue=93|location=London|page=13}} Speaking in an interview with Worldpop.com, he remarked: "It's a weak song, and we didn't do much promotional work. Bob [the Builder] deserved it."{{Cite news|date=8 January 2001|title=Westlife 'don't care' about No 1s|website=Worldpop.com}}
Track listings
UK CD1 and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=What Makes a Man|others=Westlife|year=2000|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 823862}}{{cite AV media notes|title=What Makes a Man|others=Westlife|year=2000|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=RCA Records, BMG|id=74321 823864}}
- "What Makes a Man" (single remix)
- "I'll Be There"
- "My Girl"
- "What Makes a Man" (single remix)
- "I'll Be There"
- "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (2000–2001) !Peak |
| scope="row"|Croatia (HRT){{cite web|url=http://www.hrt.hr/hr/top20/lista.html|title=HR Top 20 Lista|publisher=Croatian Radiotelevision|access-date=14 February 2024|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010204092900/http://www.hrt.hr:80/hr/top20/lista.html|archive-date=4 February 2001}}
|4 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2001/MM-2001-01-13.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=18|issue=2/3|page=13|date=13 January 2001|access-date=10 October 2020}} See last week column.
|10 |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|2|song=What Makes a Man|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Scotland|2|date=20001224|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|UK|2|artist=Westlife|date=20001224|rowheader=true|access-date=10 October 2020}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications and sales
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United Kingdom|artist=Westlife|title=What Makes a Man|award=Gold|relyear=2000|certyear=2001|id=8152-1440-1|access-date=10 October 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Westlife songs}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Bertelsmann Music Group singles
Category:Music videos directed by Stuart Gosling
Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Mac
Category:Songs written by Steve Mac