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You Needed Me#Boyzone cover version

{{short description|1978 single by Anne Murray}}

{{About|the Anne Murray song|the Rihanna song|Needed Me}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox song

| name = You Needed Me

| cover = You Needed Me - Anne Murray.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Anne Murray

| album = Let's Keep It That Way

| B-side = I Still Wish the Very Best for You

| released = May 1978

| recorded = January 1978

| studio =

| genre = Soft rock{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/5507/40_most_softsational_softrock_songs/franchises/list/|title=VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs|date=May 31, 2007|website=Stereogum|access-date=July 31, 2016}}{{cite news|first= Troy L. |last= Smith |title= Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best |website= Cleveland.com |date= December 14, 2021 |access-date= January 30, 2023|url= https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/12/every-no-1-song-of-the-1970s-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html}}

| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=41}}

| label = Capitol

| writer = Randy Goodrum

| producer = Jim Ed Norman

| prev_title = Walk Right Back

| prev_year = 1978

| next_title = Hey, Daddy

| next_year = 1978

}}

"You Needed Me" is a song written by Randy Goodrum, who describes it as being about "unconditional undeserved love".{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7765 |title=You Needed Me by Anne Murray Songfacts |publisher=Songfacts.com |access-date=April 1, 2014}} It was a number-one single in the United States in 1978 for Canadian singer Anne Murray, for which she won a Grammy Award. In 1999, Irish pop band Boyzone recorded a hit cover of the song that reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.

Original Anne Murray version

"You Needed Me" was first recorded by singer Anne Murray in 1978. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and revitalized her career after several years of declining popularity as it became her first Top 40 US single since her 1974 remake of The Beatles' "You Won't See Me". The song, included on her 1978 album Let's Keep It That Way, was also a top-five country single and won Song of the Year at the Academy of Country Music awards, and is her most successful single in the United Kingdom, where it made the top 30. Murray is quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson as saying she was not surprised by the song's success, as she knew from the start the song would be a hit because she broke down in tears the first time she tried to sing it.

Although the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (and is her only song to top that chart), it never topped the two Billboard charts where Murray has had the most success—Country and Adult Contemporary. However, it spent a then-record 36 weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart, a record for chart longevity that stood until 1990. The song spent 10 weeks at number one in Malaysia.

The song earned Murray the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 21st Grammy Awards,{{cite web |url= http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=&title=&year=1978&genre=All |title=Past Winners Search |work=grammy.com |access-date=August 4, 2011}} the first to be awarded to a Canadian artist. The single was certified Platinum in Canada and Gold in the US.

Anne Murray re-recorded the song with Shania Twain for Murray's 2007 album Duets: Friends & Legends.

The song was featured in an ongoing storyline on the CBS soap Guiding Light in 1980–81, as a theme song for the characters Kelly Nelson and Morgan Richards.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

In 2013, the song was performed by Seth MacFarlane in character as Stewie Griffin on the Family Guy episode "Chris Cross", in which Anne Murray herself guest-starred.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

=Chart performance=

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

==Weekly charts==

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"| Chart (1978)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}

| style="text-align:center;"|2

scope="row"| Canadian RPM Top Singles{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0026a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0026a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0026a|title=RPM Top Singles - Volume 30, No. 5|website=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=March 5, 2025}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

scope="row"| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6958&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6958.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6958|title=RPM Adult Contemporary - Volume 29, No. 20|website=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=March 5, 2025}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

scope="row"| Canadian RPM Country Tracks{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4626&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4626.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4626|title=RPM Country Singles - Volume 29, No. 19|website=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=March 5, 2025}}

| style="text-align:center;"|1

{{single chart|Ireland2|7|song=You Needed Me|rowheader=true|access-date=February 16, 2019}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|22|artist=Anne Murray|song=You Needed Me|rowheader=true|access-date=June 11, 2018}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|6|artist=Anne Murray|song=You Needed Me|rowheader=true|access-date=June 11, 2018}}
scope="row"| South Africa (Springbok){{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(M).html|access-date=September 5, 2018}}

|align="center"|5

{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|22|artist=Anne Murray|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=Anne Murray|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|3|artist=Anne Murray|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|4|artist=Anne Murray|rowheader=true}}

{{col-2}}

==Year-end charts==

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"| Chart (1978)

! scope="col"| Rank

scope="row"| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/0gmvDHH.jpg|title=Kent Music Report No 236 – 1 January 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1978|publisher=Kent Music Report|via=Imgur.com|access-date=January 8, 2022}}

| style="text-align:center;"|40

scope="row"| Canada Top Singles (RPM'){{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1978.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=October 13, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|3

scope="row"| New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1978-12-31|title=The Official New Zealand Music Chart|access-date=October 7, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|34

scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1978.htm|title=Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978|access-date=October 7, 2016}}

| style="text-align:center;"|63

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"| Chart (1979)

! scope="col"| Rank

scope="row"| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/VVyraDN.jpg|title=Kent Music Report No 288 – 31 December 1979 > National Top 100 Singles for 1979|publisher=Kent Music Report|via=Imgur.com|access-date= January 10, 2023}}

| style="text-align:center;"|87

{{col-end}}

Boyzone version

{{Infobox song

| name = You Needed Me

| cover = You Needed Me.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Boyzone

| album = By Request

| B-side = Words Can't Describe

| released = {{start date|1999|5|10}}

| recorded =

| studio = London, England

| genre =

| length = 3:27

| label = Polydor

| writer = Randy Goodrum

| producer = Steve Mac

| prev_title = When the Going Gets Tough

| prev_year = 1999

| next_title = Every Day I Love You

| next_year = 1999

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|hblHmyb-83M|"You Needed Me"}} }}

}}

"You Needed Me" was covered by Irish boy band Boyzone in 1999. It was released as the second single from their album By Request. It became their sixth and final single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, outselling Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's debut single, "Look at Me", by 748 copies.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-closest-battles-for-number-1-on-the-official-singles-chart__22356/|title=The closest battles for Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart|last=Copsey|first=Rob|publisher=Official Charts Company|date=March 25, 2020|access-date=November 21, 2020}} The song received a gold disc for sales of 400,000 copies in the UK.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

=Track listings=

Irish maxi-CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=You Needed Me|others=Boyzone|year=1999|type=Irish maxi-CD single liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=563 977-2}}

  1. "You Needed Me"
  2. "When the Going Gets Tough"
  3. "You Needed Me" (Jewels & Stone Remix)
  4. "Megamix (Love to Infinity)"

UK CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=You Needed Me|others=Boyzone|year=1999|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=563 933-2}}

  1. "You Needed Me"
  2. "Words Can't Describe"
  3. "Megamix (Love to Infinity)"

UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=You Needed Me|others=Boyzone|year=1999|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Polydor Records|id=563 935-2}}

  1. "You Needed Me"
  2. "You Needed Me" (Jewels & Stone Remix)
  3. "Too Late Tonight"
  4. "You Needed Me" (video)

UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=You Needed Me|others=Boyzone|year=1999|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Polydor Records|id=563 932-4}}

  1. "You Needed Me"
  2. "Words Can't Describe"

=Credits and personnel=

Credits are lifted from the By Request album booklet.{{cite AV media notes|title=By Request|title-link=By Request (Boyzone album)|others=Boyzone|year=1999|type=UK CD album booklet|publisher=Polydor Records|id=547 599-2}}

Studio

  • Engineered and programmed at Rokstone Studios (London, England)

Personnel

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

  • Paul Gendler – guitars
  • Steve Mac – production, backing vocal arrangement
  • Chris Laws – engineering, programming
  • Matt Howe – mix engineering
  • Richard Niles – string arrangement

{{col-end}}

=Charts=

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

==Weekly charts==

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

!Chart (1999)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Austria|38|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Flanders|22|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Czech Republic (IFPI){{cite web|url=http://www.ifpicr.cz/radio.htm|title=Hitparada radia 2000|publisher=IFPI|language=cs|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990829142859/http://www.ifpicr.cz/radio.htm|archive-date=August 29, 1999|access-date=July 21, 2024}}

|align="center"|36

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tQ0EAAAAMBAJ&q=boyzone|title=Billboard – Google Books|via=Google Books|date=June 5, 1999|access-date=April 1, 2014}}

|6

scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1999/MM-1999-06-12.pdf|title=EHR Top 40|magazine=Music & Media|volume=16|issue=24|date=June 12, 1999|page=14|access-date=April 10, 2024}}

|17

{{single chart|Germany|36|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|songid=3921|access-date=August 17, 2019|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2985903#page/n9/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (18.6.'99–24.6.'99)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=10|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=November 20, 2022}}

|20

{{single chart|Ireland2|2|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true|refname=ireland2nd}}
{{single chart|Dutch40|13|year=1999|week=23|access-date=November 21, 2019|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|16|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Norway|15|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Scotland|1|date=19990516|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Sweden|21|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|29|artist=Boyzone|song=You Needed Me|access-date=November 24, 2018|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|1|artist=Boyzone|artistid=30958|access-date=December 31, 2020|rowheader=true|refname="uk"}}

{{col-2}}

==Year-end charts==

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

!Chart (1999)

!Position

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=http://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1999.html|title=Jaarlijsten 1999|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|access-date=May 11, 2022}}

|123

scope="row"|New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1999-12-31|title=End of Year Charts 1999|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=November 21, 2019}}

|27

scope="row"| Taiwan (Hito Radio){{cite web|url=http://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=1999|title=年度百首單曲: 1999|publisher=Hit FM. Voice of Taipei Broadcasting|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730115340/http://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=1999|language=zh|access-date=February 3, 2025|archive-date=July 30, 2017}}

| style="text-align:center;"|5

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100|magazine=Music Week|location=London, England|page=27|date=January 22, 2000}}

|49

{{col-end}}

=Certifications=

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Boyzone|title=You Needed Me|award=Gold|relyear=1999|certyear=1999|id=1999-10-01|source=newchart|access-date=December 3, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United Kingdom|artist=Boyzone|title=You Needed Me|award=Gold|relyear=2004|certyear=2025|id=8421-1728-1|access-date=28 February 2025}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|noshipments=true}}

=Release history=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|May 10, 1999

|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|rowspan="2"|Polydor

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1999/Music-Week-1999-05-08.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting 10 May, 1999|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=May 8, 1999|access-date=July 19, 2021}}

scope="row"|Japan

|May 19, 1999

|CD

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/154428/products/203044/1/|title=ゲット・タフ & ユー・ニーディッド・ミー {{!}} ボーイゾーン|trans-title=Get Tough & You Needed Me {{!}} Boyzone|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=March 12, 2024}}

Other versions

{{more citations needed|section|date=April 2025}}

  • The New Seekers, a late 1978 single.
  • Burl Ives – included in the album The Magic Balladeer (1993).
  • Daniel O'Donnell – in his album Songs of Inspiration (1996).
  • Howard Keel – for his 1985 album Reminiscing – The Howard Keel Collection. This peaked at #20 in the UK album chart during a 12-week stay.{{cite book|last1=Roberts|first1=David|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|date=2005|publisher=Guinness World Records|isbn=1-904994-00-8|page=274|edition=18th}}
  • Lynn Anderson recorded her version of "You Needed Me" for the 1983 album Up Close. The song was subsequently included in various country and love song compilation albums that include her.
  • Patti Page – for her album Best Country Songs (2008).{{cite web|title=allmusic.com|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/best-country-songs-mw0000799578|website=allmusic.com|access-date=January 16, 2018}}
  • Perry Como – Perry Como Live on Tour (1981)
  • Val Doonican – in the album It's Good to See You (1988).
  • Vic Damone – included in his album Now (1981).
  • Cilla Black – included on her Especially for You album (1980)
  • Kenny Rogers, Dottie West – included in the album Classics (1978)

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{YouTube|0vxiUfeVwF8|"You Needed Me"}}

{{Anne Murray}}

{{Boyzone}}

{{The New Seekers}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1978 singles

Category:1999 singles

Category:Songs written by Randy Goodrum

Category:Anne Murray songs

Category:Boyzone songs

Category:Lynn Anderson songs

Category:Shania Twain songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Jim Ed Norman

Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles

Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand

Category:Number-one singles in Scotland

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles

Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles

Category:Capitol Records singles

Category:Canadian soft rock songs

Category:Pop ballads

Category:1970s ballads

Category:1978 songs

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance