Today’s song is, ‘The Best of My Love’. This was a song by American band ‘The Emotions’ from their fourth studio album ‘Rejoice’ (1977). It was composed by Maurice White and Al McKay of ‘Earth wind and Fire’ and was produced by Maurice White and Clarence McDonald.
Released as the album's lead single on June 9, 1977, the song topped both the US ‘Billboard Hot 100’ and the ‘US Billboard R&B Chart’. It also reached the Top 5 in the UK and Canada, the Top 10 in New Zealand, and the Top 20 in Australia.
‘Best of My Love’ won a Grammy at the ‘20th Grammy Awards’ (1977) for ‘Best R&B Performance by A Duo Or Group With Vocals’. It also won an ‘American Music Award’ for ’Favourite Soul/R&B Single’.
The song was ranked at number 87 on ‘The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs’. It was also the third biggest pop song of 1977 and the fifth-biggest R&B song of 1977. ‘Best of My Love’ has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA and silver in the UK by BPI.
Recent reviews have been largely positive, and the song continues to appear on ‘Best of the '70s’ lists. In 2015, ‘Billboard Hot 100’ ranked the song at Number 1 on their list of the ‘Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time’. Billboard also ranked the track at Number 10 on their list of ‘100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time’. In 2018, ‘Best of My Love’ was ranked at Number 6 on Heavy’s list of ‘Top 51 Best Love Songs: The Heavy Power List’.
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I dedicate today’s song to my favourite of all nieces, Emily (but please don’t tell my other nieces, Emily, as I would hate for them to be jealous). I know very little about my niece Emily who is the daughter of my brother Peter and his wife, Linda. What I do know about her though is that she is very respectful and is a good mother to her son. It has always been easy to see a similar Forde face in both Emily and my daughter, Rebecca.
Have a lovely birthday, Emily, and know this; whilst I love all my nieces, I give the best of an uncle’s love to you, the niece I love most of all (but please don’t shatter the dreams of my other nieces by telling them this well-guarded secret). I hope that your special day brings much love, peace and happiness…and… lots of cake and wine. Love from Uncle Billy and Sheila x
Love and peace Bill xxx