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{{short description|1992 single by Annie Lennox}}
{{Short description|1992 single by Annie Lennox}}
⚫
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
⚫
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = Why
| name = Why
Line 10: Line 10:
| album = [[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]
| album = [[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]
| B-side = Primitive
| B-side = Primitive
| released = {{start date|1992|3|16|df=y}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-03-14.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=14 March 1992|access-date=19 June 2021}} ''Misprinted as 15 March; the album releases section (p. 12) uses the correct date''.</ref>
| released = March 28, 1992
| format =
| recorded =
*7-inch
*CD
*Maxi-single
| recorded = July 1991
| studio =
| studio =
| genre =
| genre =
*[[Soul music|Soul]]
* [[Soul music|Soul]]
*[[pop music|pop]]
* [[pop music|pop]]
*[[adult contemporary music|adult contemporary]]
| length = {{duration|m=4|s=53}}
| length = {{duration|m=4|s=53}}
| label =
| label =
*[[RCA Records|RCA]]
* [[RCA Records|RCA]]
*[[Arista Records|Arista]]
* [[Arista Records|Arista]]
| writer = [[Annie Lennox]]
| writer = Annie Lennox
| producer = [[Stephen Lipson]]
| producer = [[Stephen Lipson]]
| prev_title = [[Put a Little Love in Your Heart]]
| prev_title = [[Put a Little Love in Your Heart#Annie Lennox and Al Green version|Put a Little Love in Your Heart]]
| prev_year = 1988
| prev_year = 1988
| next_title = [[Precious (Annie Lennox song)|Precious]]
| next_title = [[Precious (Annie Lennox song)|Precious]]
Line 34: Line 29:
}}
}}


"'''Why'''" is the first solo single by the Scottish singer [[Annie Lennox]], released in 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]'' and reached No. 5 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Why" peaked at No. 34 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and No. 6 on the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] chart. It was also a big hit internationally, reaching No. 1 in Italy and peaking within the Top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and five other countries.
"'''Why'''" is the debut solo single of Scottish singer-songwriter [[Annie Lennox]], released on 16 March 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album, ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]'' (1992), and reached number five in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Why" peaked at number 34 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and number six on the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] chart. It was also a big hit internationally, reaching number one in Italy and peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and five other countries. Its music video was directed by [[Sophie Muller]]. ''[[Stereogum]]'' ranked "Why" number one on their list of "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs" in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1793778/the-10-best-annie-lennox-songs/franchises/list/|title=The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs|website=[[Stereogum]]|date=15 April 2015|access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref>


==Critical reception==
==Critical reception==
Jennifer Bowles from ''[[Associated Press]]'' described the song as an "emotional, hypnotizing ballad".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.no/books?id=A7lQAAAAIBAJ|title=Post-Eurythmics Lennox solos as 'Diva'|newspaper=[[Portsmouth Daily Times]]|date=4 October 1992|accessdate=14 March 2020}}</ref> [[Larry Flick]] from ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' called it a "soft-yet-vivid ballad that beautifully showcases the rich and distinctive tone of her voice". He noted that the "sophisticated nature of track will strain at (and should ultimately knock down) the tight boundaries of top 40 radio."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-04-25.pdf|title=Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=25 April 1992|accessdate=12 February 2020|page=74|format=PDF}}</ref> Keith Wallace from ''[[Columbia Daily Spectator]]'' said that "Why" "wants to be a soulful ballad, but it's so drippy and goofy that it doesn't come anywhere close."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Keith |last= Wallace |title= Don't feel rejected Dave, she needs you |magazine= [[Columbia Daily Spectator]] |date= 27 May 1992 |page= 3 |accessdate= 25 April 2020 |url= http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19920527-01.2.9}}</ref> [[HuffPost]] wrote that Lennox' vocal approach "evokes" [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] and [[Paul Simon]] and added "she declares, "This is the book I never read, these are the words I never said, this is the path I'll never tread", then went on to say, "These are the dreams I'll dream instead", making this her sideways stab at creating her own "My Way" (as the artist points out in the notes [of her 2009 collection])."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/huffpost-reviews-emthe-an_b_169374?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH0eCt99L8AMYXDcWtwSY-mhGaU9ISafWEIdnE0g1QrjRaG94HwQooQNber7gxBxwa-udBvfv4la82Y8LYgoiVaYOmwraWMqnmBH9K0n2qMLj__H-yHsoBKuPAEUtpJaj4rc7kSpNRe3CQfRQGCj8-4sfkCORzOm5YjjLPZ3G0cn|title=HuffPost Reviews : The Annie Lennox Collection|website=[[HuffPost]]|date=27 March 2009|accessdate=28 February 2020}}</ref>
Jennifer Bowles from ''[[Associated Press]]'' described the song as an "emotional" and "hypnotizing [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]]".<ref>{{cite news|first=Jennifer|last=Bowles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A7lQAAAAIBAJ|title=Post-Eurythmics Lennox solos as 'Diva'|newspaper=[[Portsmouth Daily Times]]|date=4 October 1992|access-date=14 March 2020}}</ref> [[Larry Flick]] from ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' called it a "soft-yet-vivid ballad that beautifully showcases the rich and distinctive tone of her voice". He noted the "sophisticated nature of track [that] will strain at (and should ultimately knock down) the tight boundaries of top 40 radio."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-04-25.pdf|title=Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=25 April 1992|access-date=12 February 2020|page=74|author-link=Larry Flick}}</ref> Clark and DeVancy from ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' viewed it as a "soulful ballad", that "is stirring attention, which is, of course, Annie's forte."<ref>{{cite magazine|first1= Randy |last1= Clark |first2= Bryan |last2= DeVancy |title= Music Reviews: Singles |magazine= [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] |date= 2 May 1992 |page= 5 |access-date= 1 November 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-05-02.pdf}}</ref> Keith Wallace from ''[[Columbia Daily Spectator]]'' said that "Why" "wants to be a soulful ballad, but it's so drippy and goofy that it doesn't come anywhere close."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Keith |last= Wallace |title= Don't feel rejected Dave, she needs you |magazine= [[Columbia Daily Spectator]] |date= 27 May 1992 |page= 3 |access-date= 25 April 2020 |url= http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19920527-01.2.9}}</ref> Stephanie Zacharek from ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' noted how "languorously [Lennox] stretches that word across several measures as if she were unfurling a length of satin."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Stephanie |last= Zacharek |title= Diva |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |date= 15 May 1992 |access-date= 11 November 2020 |url= https://ew.com/article/1992/05/15/diva-2/}}</ref> Dave Sholin from the ''[[Gavin Report]]'' stated that the "haunting" song is "a testament to her singing and writing prowess."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Dave |last= Sholin |title= Personal Picks: Singles |magazine= [[Gavin Report]] |date= 17 April 1992 |page= 56 |access-date= 17 October 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/90/92/Gavin-1992-04-17.pdf}}</ref> Another editor, Kent Zimmerman, called it "spiritually ultrasonic, breathtakingly sophisticated, lyrically telling and congruently adult in texture and tempo."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Kent |last= Zimmerman |title= Jazz New Releases |magazine= [[Gavin Report]] |date= 1 May 1992 |page= 36 |access-date= 17 October 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/90/92/Gavin-1992-05-01.pdf}}</ref>

⚫
A reviewer from ''[[Music & Media]]'' commented that the singer "confidently goes [[Adult contemporary music|AC]] on her first solo effort" and it is "gently moving and highly polished. She could hardly move farther away from the stirring rock of [[Eurythmics]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-03-14.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|date=14 March 1992|page=10|access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref> Nick Griffiths from ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' said that it is "the sort of tasteful soulful ballady thing you 'd probably expect of her by now, and when the tide of tasteful soulful balladiness swamps her halfway through it's no surprise either."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Nick|last=Griffiths|url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/05/reissues31.jpg|title=Reviews: New Singles|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|date=1 April 1992|page=87|access-date=3 March 2020}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]''s Eric Henderson wrote that "Why" is "hardly the sort of melodramatic setting we'd imagine from an album whose very name evokes histrionic pretense. But Annie Lennox isn't and has never been a representative pop diva. Her body is lanky and angular instead of curvaceously plush. Her exaggerated facial features (capped off with a most spectacular set of cheekbones that she wisely never allowed her hair to grow long enough to cover) are matched in androgen-fabulousness only by her tremulously guttural [[alto]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=491|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107053540/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=491|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2007|title=Annie Lennox - Diva|magazine=[[Slant (magazine)|Slant]]|access-date=25 February 2020}}</ref> Harry Dean from ''[[Smash Hits]]'' complimented the song as a "glistening beauty".

==Chart performance==
"Why" was successful on the charts in several countries, peaking at number one in Italy. In Europe, it reached the top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as well as on the [[Eurochart Hot 100]], where it peaked at number three. In the UK, the single reached number five in its third week at the [[UK Singles Chart]], on 5 April 1992. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Austria, Germany and Spain. Outside Europe, "Why" reached number seven on the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' 100 Hit Tracks chart in Canada, number 15 in New Zealand, number 17 in Australia, and number 34 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot 100]]. On the ''Billboard'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]], it peaked at number six.


==Retrospective response==
⚫
''[[Music & Media]]'' commented that Lennox "confidently goes [[Adult contemporary music|AC]] on her first solo effort" and that the song is "gently moving and highly polished. She could hardly move farther away from the stirring rock of [[Eurythmics]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-03-14.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|date=14 March 1992|page=10|accessdate=21 February 2020}}</ref> Kjell Moe from ''[[Nordlys]]'' called it "beautiful and intense".<ref>{{cite news|first= Kjell |last= Moe |title= På egen hånd |work= [[Nordlys]] |date= 10 April 1992 |page= 31 |accessdate= 11 May 2020 |url= https://www.nb.no/items/eb87848919953cc5df74825aff7b45d2 |language= Norwegian}}</ref> Pop Rescue noted that "a soft brushed beat and gentle percussion sit comfortably beneath Annie's sad vocals. This song gently grows, throwing in some extra soft beats, but generally keeps itself a little low-key."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://poprescue.com/2015/08/12/pop-rescue-diva-by-annie-lennox-cd-1992/|title=REVIEW: “DIVA” BY ANNIE LENNOX (CD, 1992)|publisher=Pop Rescue|date=12 August 2015|accessdate=29 March 2020}}</ref> Nick Griffiths from ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]'' said that it is "the sort of tasteful soulful ballady thing you 'd probably expect of her by now, and when the tide of tasteful soulful balladiness swamps her halfway through it's no surprise either."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/05/reissues31.jpg|title=Reviews: New Singles|magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]]|date=1 April 1992|page=87|accessdate=3 March 2020}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]''s Eric Henderson wrote that "Why" is "hardly the sort of melodramatic setting we'd imagine from an album whose very name evokes histrionic pretense. But Annie Lennox isn't and has never been a representative pop diva. Her body is lanky and angular instead of curvaceously plush. Her exaggerated facial features (capped off with a most spectacular set of cheekbones that she wisely never allowed her hair to grow long enough to cover) are matched in androgen-fabulousness only by her tremulously guttural alto."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107053540/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=491|title=Annie Lennox - Diva|magazine=[[Slant (magazine)|Slant]]|accessdate=25 February 2020}}</ref>
In an 2009 retrospective review, Mike Ragogna from [[HuffPost]] wrote that Lennox' vocal approach "evokes" [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] and [[Paul Simon]] and added "she declares, "This is the book I never read, these are the words I never said, this is the path I'll never tread", then went on to say, "These are the dreams I'll dream instead", making this her sideways stab at creating her own "[[My Way]]" (as the artist points out in the notes [of her 2009 collection])."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/huffpost-reviews-emthe-an_b_169374?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH0eCt99L8AMYXDcWtwSY-mhGaU9ISafWEIdnE0g1QrjRaG94HwQooQNber7gxBxwa-udBvfv4la82Y8LYgoiVaYOmwraWMqnmBH9K0n2qMLj__H-yHsoBKuPAEUtpJaj4rc7kSpNRe3CQfRQGCj8-4sfkCORzOm5YjjLPZ3G0cn|first=Mike|last=Ragogna|title=HuffPost Reviews : The Annie Lennox Collection|website=[[HuffPost]]|date=27 March 2009|access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref>


In 2015, [[Stereogum]] ranked "Why" at number-one in their list of the 10 best Annie Lennox songs. They wrote: {{quote|"And while the album maybe didn't live up to those hopes, Diva's first single remains an enduring classic. A bold enough move to have your first single be a torch ballad of regret, but this one is a weeper for the ages. It's a musical version of the Kübler-Ross model with Lennox hitting the grief stage as she welcomes her ex-lover "down to the water's edge" to "cast away those doubts", spilling out "the contents of her head" during the depression stage, and then crumpling to the floor repeating the phrase, "You don't know how I feel" as acceptance sets in. This was the song that you put on repeat to cope with that awful breakup because in every syllable she sings, you can hear that Lennox has been there too and feels just as bad as you do."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1793778/the-10-best-annie-lennox-songs/franchises/list/|title=The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs|website=[[Stereogum]]|date=15 April 2015|accessdate=28 February 2020}}</ref>}}
[[Stereogum]] ranked "Why" number one in their list of the 10 best Annie Lennox songs in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1793778/the-10-best-annie-lennox-songs/franchises/list/|title=The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs|website=[[Stereogum]]|date=15 April 2015|access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref> They wrote, "And while the album maybe didn't live up to those hopes, ''Diva''{{'}}s first single remains an enduring classic. A bold enough move to have your first single be a torch ballad of regret, but this one is a weeper for the ages. It's a musical version of the [[Five stages of grief|Kübler-Ross model]] with Lennox hitting the grief stage as she welcomes her ex-lover "down to the water's edge" to "cast away those doubts", spilling out "the contents of her head" during the depression stage, and then crumpling to the floor repeating the phrase, "You don't know how I feel" as acceptance sets in. This was the song that you put on repeat to cope with that awful breakup because in every syllable she sings, you can hear that Lennox has been there too and feels just as bad as you do."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1793778/the-10-best-annie-lennox-songs/franchises/list/|title=The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs|publisher=[[Stereogum]]|date=15 April 2015|access-date=28 February 2020}}</ref>


==Music video==
==Music video==
The music video was directed by [[Sophie Muller]] and was filmed during the shoot for the ''Diva'' album cover. The video shows Lennox sitting in front of a [[vanity mirror]] staring and marveling at herself before slowly putting on makeup. By the middle of the video, Lennox is fully made up and in the outfit she wore on the ''Diva'' album cover. The rest of the video consists of shots of Lennox posing for the cameras along with in-between shots of her singing the song. The video won Lennox an award for [[Best Female Video]] at the [[1992 MTV Video Music Awards]].<ref>http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=16391</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7I4oniOyA</ref>
The accompanying [[music video]] for the song was directed by British director [[Sophie Muller]] and was filmed in [[Venice]], Italy<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Robbert |last= Tilli |title= Who's That Diva? RCA/BMG Gear Up For Lennox Debut |magazine= [[Music & Media]] |date= 4 April 1992 |page= 6 |access-date= 22 October 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-04-04.pdf}}</ref> during the shoot for the ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]'' album cover. The video shows Lennox sitting in front of a [[vanity mirror]] staring and marveling at herself before slowly putting on makeup. By the middle of the video, Lennox is fully made up and in the outfit she wears on the ''Diva'' album cover. The rest of the video consists of shots of Lennox posing for the cameras along with in-between shots of her singing the song. The video won Lennox an award for [[Best Female Video]] at the [[1992 MTV Video Music Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=16391|title = Site Maintenance}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/HG7I4oniOyA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721111609/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7I4oniOyA&gl=US&hl=en&amp;has_verified=1 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7I4oniOyA| title = Annie Lennox - Why (Official Music Video) | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It was later published on [[YouTube]] in October 2009 and by May 2023, the video had received more than 74.8 million views.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7I4oniOyA|title=Annie Lennox - Why (Official Music Video)|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref>


==Track listings==
==Track listings==
'''7" single'''
'''7-inch single'''


{{Track listing
{{Track listing
Line 75: Line 76:


===Weekly charts===
===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1992)
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br>position
!Peak<br/>position
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Australia|17|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Australia|17|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Austria|11|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Austria|11|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Flanders|4|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Flanders|4|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Canadatopsingles|7|chartid=2006|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|7|chartid=2006|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Canadaadultcontemporary|3|chartid=1964|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|3|chartid=1964|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Denmark ([[IFPI Danmark|IFPI]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-04-18.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=9|issue=16|page=14|date=18 April 1992|accessdate=21 March 2018}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Denmark ([[IFPI Danmark|IFPI]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-04-18.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=9|issue=16|page=14|date=18 April 1992|access-date=21 March 2018}}</ref>
⚫
|9
|align="center"|9
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Europe ([[European Hot 100 Singles]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-05-02.pdf|title=Hits of the World|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=1 November 2016}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Europe ([[European Hot 100 Singles]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-05-02.pdf|title=Hits of the World|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|volume=104|issue=18|page=55|date=2 May 1992|access-date=1 November 2016}}</ref>
|3
|align="center"|3
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Germany2|12|songid=2427|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Germany|12|songid=2427|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Ireland2|5|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016|refname="annieire"}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|5|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016|refname="annieire"}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (''[[Musica e dischi]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-04-18.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=9|issue=16|page=14|date=18 April 1992|access-date=23 November 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Italy (''[[Musica e dischi]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-04-18.pdf|title=Top 10 Sales in Europe|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=9|issue=16|page=14|date=18 April 1992|access-date=23 November 2019}}</ref>
|1
|align="center"|1
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Dutch40|6|year=1992|week=18|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Dutch40|6|year=1992|week=18|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Dutch100|8|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|8|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|New Zealand|15|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|15|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Norway|6|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Norway|6|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
⚫
|-
!scope="row"|Poland ([[Lista Przebojów Programu Trzeciego|LP3]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lp3.polskieradio.pl/notowania/?numer=540|title=Notowanie nr540|publisher=[[Lista Przebojów Programu Trzeciego|LP3]]|language=Polish|date=26 June 1992|accessdate=14 April 2019}}</ref>
|align="center"|6
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Spain ([[Productores de Música de España|PROMUSICAE]])<ref>{{cite book|author=Fernando Salaverri|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Spain ([[Productores de Música de España|PROMUSICAE]])<ref>{{cite book|author=Fernando Salaverri|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
|align="center"|11
|align="center"|11
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Sweden|10|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Sweden|10|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Switzerland|6|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|6|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|5|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|5|artist=Annie Lennox|artistid=27445|rowheader=true|access-date=2 May 2021}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardhot100|34|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|34|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|6|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|6|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardalternativesongs|12|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|12|artist=Annie Lennox|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|}
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (2008)
!Chart (2008)
!Peak<br>position
!Peak<br/>position
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Denmark|6|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 November 2016}}
{{single chart|Denmark|6|artist=Annie Lennox|song=Why|rowheader=true|access-date=1 November 2016}}
|}
|}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}


===Year-end charts===
===Year-end charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1992)
!Chart (1992)
!Position
!Position
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1992|title=Jaaroverzichten 1992|publisher=[[Ultratop]]|language=Dutch|accessdate=14 April 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1992|title=Jaaroverzichten 1992|publisher=[[Ultratop]]|language=nl|access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref>
|52
|align="center"|52
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+56-No.+25-December+19%2C+1992.pdf|title=The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|volume=56|issue=25|page=8|date=19 December 1992|accessdate=23 March 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+56-No.+25-December+19%2C+1992.pdf|title=The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|volume=56|issue=25|page=8|date=19 December 1992|access-date=23 March 2019}}</ref>
|41
|align="center"|41
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.1824&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.1824.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.1824|title=The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary tracks of 1992|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|accessdate=24 March 2018}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.1824&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.1824.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.1824|title=The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary tracks of 1992|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|access-date=24 March 2018}}</ref>
|18
|align="center"|18
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-12-19.pdf|title=1992 Year-End Sales Charts|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=9|issue=51/52|page=17|date=19 December 1992|access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-12-19.pdf|title=1992 Year-End Sales Charts|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=9|issue=51/52|page=17|date=19 December 1992|access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref>
|33
|align="center"|33
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Germany (Official German Charts)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1992|title=Top 100 Singles - Jahrescharts 1992|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment]]|language=German|accessdate=14 April 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Germany (Official German Charts)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1992|title=Top 100 Singles - Jahrescharts 1992|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment]]|language=de|access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref>
|70
|align="center"|70
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1992&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten - Single 1992|language=Dutch|accessdate=24 March 2018}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1992|title=Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1992|publisher=Dutch Top 40|access-date=11 August 2021}}</ref>
|50
|align="center"|97
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/1992|title=Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992|accessdate=24 March 2018}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1992&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten - Single 1992|language=nl|access-date=24 March 2018}}</ref>
|97
|align="center"|21
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/charts/jahreshitparade/1992|title=Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992|access-date=24 March 2018}}</ref>
|21
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Year End Charts: Top Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=8|date=16 January 1993}}</ref>
|79
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-26.pdf|title=1992 The Year in Music|magazine=Billboard|volume=104|issue=52|page=YE-38|date=26 December 1992|access-date=11 August 2021}}</ref>
|40
|}
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Annie Lennox|title=Why|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=8251-1532-1|access-date=20 January 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}


==DJ Sammy version==
==DJ Sammy version==
Line 173: Line 185:
| album = [[The Rise (DJ Sammy album)|The Rise]]
| album = [[The Rise (DJ Sammy album)|The Rise]]
| released = June 2005
| released = June 2005
| format =
| recorded =
| recorded = 2003
| studio =
| studio =
| length = 4:00
| genre = [[trance music|Trance]], [[Dance music|dance]]
| length =
| label =
| label = [[Ministry of Sound]]/[[Data Records|Data]]
* [[Ministry of Sound]]
* [[Data Records|Data]]
| writer = [[Annie Lennox]]
| writer = [[Annie Lennox]]
| producer = Martin Eyerer<br />Oliver Laib
| producer =
* Martin Eyerer
* Oliver Laib
| prev_title = [[Rise Again (DJ Sammy)|Rise Again]]
| chronology = [[DJ Sammy]]
| prev_title = [[Rise Again (DJ Sammy song)|Rise Again]]
| prev_year = 2004
| prev_year = 2004
| next_title = [[L'bby Haba]]
| next_title = L'bby Haba
| next_year = 2006
| next_year = 2006
}}
}}


In 2005 "Why" was covered by Spanish producer [[DJ Sammy]] with vocals by German singer Britta Medeiros. "Why" is the second single from the album ''[[The Rise (DJ Sammy album)|The Rise]]''. The music video features DJ Sammy in a room with a mixboard that he uses to create three [[Holography|holographic]] women that sing the song.
In 2005 Spanish producer [[DJ Sammy]] covered "Why" with vocals from German singer Britta Medeiros. "Why" is the second single from the album ''[[The Rise (DJ Sammy album)|The Rise]]''. The music video features DJ Sammy in a room with a mixboard that he uses to create three [[Holography|holographic]] women that sing the song.


===Formats and track listings===
===Formats and track listings===
'''USA CD single'''
'''US CD single'''
#"Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}} – 4:00
# "Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}} – 4:00
#"Why" {{small|(Candlelight Mix)}} – 4:25
# "Why" {{small|(Candlelight Mix)}} – 4:25
#"Why" {{small|(Extended Mix)}} – 6:44
# "Why" {{small|(Extended Mix)}} – 6:44
#"Why" {{small|(Phunk Investigation Remix)}} – 5:55
# "Why" {{small|(Phunk Investigation Remix)}} – 5:55
#"Why" {{small|(Breeze & Styles Remix)}} – 6:17
# "Why" {{small|(Breeze & Styles Remix)}} – 6:17
#"Why" {{small|(DJ Sammy's Extended Mix)}} – 7:10
# "Why" {{small|(DJ Sammy's Extended Mix)}} – 7:10
#"Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Remix)}} – 7:58
# "Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Remix)}} – 7:58
#"Why" {{small|(Andrew McCensit Remix)}} – 7:58
# "Why" {{small|(Andrew McCensit Remix)}} – 7:58
#"Why" {{small|(Phunk Investigation Dub)}} – 9:21
# "Why" {{small|(Phunk Investigation Dub)}} – 9:21


'''Germany CD single'''
'''Germany CD single'''
#"Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}}
#"Why" {{small|(Sammy Extended)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Sammy Extended)}}
#"Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Remix)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Remix)}}
#"Cheba"
# "Cheba"


'''Australia CD single'''
'''Australia CD single'''
#"Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}}
#"Why" {{small|(Club Mix)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Club Mix)}}
#"Why" {{small|(Sammy's Extended Mix)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Sammy's Extended Mix)}}
#"Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Mix)}}
# "Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Mix)}}


'''UK CD single'''
'''UK CD single'''
#"Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}} – 3:28
# "Why" {{small|(Radio Edit)}} – 3:28
#"Why" {{small|(Club Mix)}} – 6:43
# "Why" {{small|(Club Mix)}} – 6:43
#"Why" {{small|(Breeze & Styles Remix)}} – 6:19
# "Why" {{small|(Breeze & Styles Remix)}} – 6:19
#"Why" {{small|(Phunk Investigation Remix)}} – 5:55
# "Why" {{small|(Phunk Investigation Remix)}} – 5:55
#"Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Mix)}} – 8:46
# "Why" {{small|(Parker & Hanson Mix)}} – 8:46
#"Why" music video
# "Why" music video


===Charts===
===Charts===
{{col-begin}}
⚫
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{{col-2}}

====Weekly charts====
⚫
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (2005)
!Chart (2005)
!Peak<br>position
!Peak<br/>position
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Australia|29|artist=DJ Sammy|song=Why|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Australia|29|artist=DJ Sammy|song=Why|rowheader=true}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Germany2|64|artist=DJ Sammy|song=Why|songid=114380|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 April 2019}}
{{single chart|Germany|64|artist=DJ Sammy|song=Why|songid=114380|rowheader=true|access-date=14 April 2019}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Hungarydance|38|artist=DJ Sammy|song=Why|year=2005|week=35|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 April 2019}}
{{single chart|Hungarydance|38|artist=DJ Sammy|song=Why|year=2005|week=35|rowheader=true|access-date=14 April 2019}}
|-
|-
{{singlechart|Ireland2|16|artist=DJ Sammy|rowheader=true|accessdate=29 January 2020|refname="sammyire"}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|16|artist=DJ Sammy|rowheader=true|access-date=29 January 2020|refname="sammyire"}}
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Ireland Dance ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240004&arch=t&lyr=2005&year=2005&week=24|title=Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 16 June 2005|publisher=[[GfK Chart-Track]]|accessdate=20 June 2019}}</ref>
!scope="row"|Ireland Dance ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240004&arch=t&lyr=2005&year=2005&week=24|title=Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 16 June 2005|publisher=[[GfK Chart-Track]]|access-date=20 June 2019}}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|5
|align="center"|5
|-
|-
{{singlechart|UK|7|date=20050625|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Scotland|2|date=20050625|rowheader=true|access-date=6 July 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|UK|7|date=20050625|rowheader=true}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Dance Radio Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-dance-airplay/2005-10-29/|title=Dance/Mix Show Airplay|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=29 October 2005|url-access=subscription|access-date=6 February 2024}}</ref>
|6
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Dance Singles Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-dance-singles-sales/2005-10-08/|title=Dance Singles Sales|magazine=Billboard|date=8 October 2005|url-access=subscription|access-date=6 February 2024}}</ref>
|10
|}
|}
{{col-2}}


==Other versions==
====Year-end charts====
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
The song was interpreted by [[Amii Stewart]] and [[Dee Dee Bridgewater]] on the 1994 [[Festival della canzone italiana|Italian song festival]]. In 2001, [[Neal Schon]] performed an instrumental version on the album [[Voice (Neal Schon album)|Voice]]. In 2003 the song was performed by popular NOLA singer /musician [[John Boutte]] on his album [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di33QUufSlE Jambalaya]. The song was also covered by [[Kelly Clarkson]], live on her [[Kelly Clarkson concert tours#2005: The Hazel Eyes Summer Tour|2005 Hazel Eyes Tour]]. This song has also been covered by [[Keith Caputo]] on ''Died Laughing Pure''. In March 2008 the song was covered by Italian singer Silvia Aprile on [[X Factor (Italy)|X-Factor]] Italy stage. The studio version of Aprile's cover was later included in the Italian X-Factor compilation. In August 2009, the song was covered by David Rose. Also, the song was covered in September 2009 by European singer [[Lara Fabian]] on her new album "Every Woman In Me" and by Canadian artist [[Allison Crowe]] on her 2010 album ''Spiral''. It was also covered live in January 2010 by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Annie Clark of St. Vincent at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. At Christmas season 2010 it was covered by [[Patrice Pike]] in a live recording ''Sudden Light: Christmas at the Carillon'' with [[Conspirare]] ([[Craig Hella Johnson]] and Company of Voices). In July 2011, the song was covered by singer/songwriter Kevin Caffrey.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_h270gHxmQ |title=Kevin Caffrey - Why |publisher=YouTube |date=2011-07-20 |accessdate=2012-01-12}}</ref> Ukrainian singer [[Ani Lorak]] covered the song in May 2012.
!Chart (2005)
The movie "Hope Springs" released 2012 starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones uses the song in one of its last scenes.
!Position
The song was also covered in the Finale of [[The Voice (U.S. season 4)|''The Voice'']] and was released on iTunes in June 2013 by contestant [[Michelle Chamuel]].
|-
!scope="row"|US Dance Radio Airplay (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=2005 The Year in Charts: Top Dance Songs|magazine=[[Billboard Radio Monitor]]|volume=13|issue=50|page=60|date=16 December 2005}}</ref>
|44
|}
{{col-end}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{MetroLyrics song|annie-lennox|why}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->


{{Annie Lennox}}
{{Annie Lennox}}
{{DJ Sammy}}
{{DJ Sammy}}
{{Ivor Novello Best Song}}
{{Ivor Novello Best Song}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Why (Annie Lennox Song)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Why (Annie Lennox Song)}}
[[Category:1990s ballads]]
[[Category:1992 songs]]
[[Category:1992 singles]]
[[Category:1992 debut singles]]
[[Category:2005 singles]]
[[Category:2005 singles]]
[[Category:Annie Lennox songs]]
[[Category:Annie Lennox songs]]
Line 263: Line 295:
[[Category:MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video]]
[[Category:MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video]]
[[Category:Songs written by Annie Lennox]]
[[Category:Songs written by Annie Lennox]]
⚫
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson]]
[[Category:1992 songs]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Italy]]
[[Category:Arista Records singles]]
[[Category:Arista Records singles]]
[[Category:1990s ballads]]
⚫
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Soul ballads]]
[[Category:Soul ballads]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Italy]]

Latest revision as of 19:53, 6 February 2024

"Why"
Single by Annie Lennox
from the album Diva
B-side"Primitive"
Released16 March 1992 (1992-03-16)[1]
Genre
Length4:53
Label
Songwriter(s)Annie Lennox
Producer(s)Stephen Lipson
Annie Lennox singles chronology
"Put a Little Love in Your Heart"
(1988) 		"Why"
(1992) 		"Precious"
(1992)
Music video
"Why?" on YouTube

"Why" is the debut solo single of Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, released on 16 March 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album, Diva (1992), and reached number five in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Why" peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a big hit internationally, reaching number one in Italy and peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland and five other countries. Its music video was directed by Sophie Muller. Stereogum ranked "Why" number one on their list of "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs" in 2015.[2]

Critical reception[edit]

Jennifer Bowles from Associated Press described the song as an "emotional" and "hypnotizing ballad".[3] Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "soft-yet-vivid ballad that beautifully showcases the rich and distinctive tone of her voice". He noted the "sophisticated nature of track [that] will strain at (and should ultimately knock down) the tight boundaries of top 40 radio."[4] Clark and DeVancy from Cashbox viewed it as a "soulful ballad", that "is stirring attention, which is, of course, Annie's forte."[5] Keith Wallace from Columbia Daily Spectator said that "Why" "wants to be a soulful ballad, but it's so drippy and goofy that it doesn't come anywhere close."[6] Stephanie Zacharek from Entertainment Weekly noted how "languorously [Lennox] stretches that word across several measures as if she were unfurling a length of satin."[7] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report stated that the "haunting" song is "a testament to her singing and writing prowess."[8] Another editor, Kent Zimmerman, called it "spiritually ultrasonic, breathtakingly sophisticated, lyrically telling and congruently adult in texture and tempo."[9]

A reviewer from Music & Media commented that the singer "confidently goes AC on her first solo effort" and it is "gently moving and highly polished. She could hardly move farther away from the stirring rock of Eurythmics."[10] Nick Griffiths from Select said that it is "the sort of tasteful soulful ballady thing you 'd probably expect of her by now, and when the tide of tasteful soulful balladiness swamps her halfway through it's no surprise either."[11] Slant Magazines Eric Henderson wrote that "Why" is "hardly the sort of melodramatic setting we'd imagine from an album whose very name evokes histrionic pretense. But Annie Lennox isn't and has never been a representative pop diva. Her body is lanky and angular instead of curvaceously plush. Her exaggerated facial features (capped off with a most spectacular set of cheekbones that she wisely never allowed her hair to grow long enough to cover) are matched in androgen-fabulousness only by her tremulously guttural alto."[12] Harry Dean from Smash Hits complimented the song as a "glistening beauty".

Chart performance[edit]

"Why" was successful on the charts in several countries, peaking at number one in Italy. In Europe, it reached the top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number three. In the UK, the single reached number five in its third week at the UK Singles Chart, on 5 April 1992. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Austria, Germany and Spain. Outside Europe, "Why" reached number seven on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart in Canada, number 15 in New Zealand, number 17 in Australia, and number 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100. On the Billboard Adult Contemporary, it peaked at number six.

Retrospective response[edit]

In an 2009 retrospective review, Mike Ragogna from HuffPost wrote that Lennox' vocal approach "evokes" Sting and Paul Simon and added "she declares, "This is the book I never read, these are the words I never said, this is the path I'll never tread", then went on to say, "These are the dreams I'll dream instead", making this her sideways stab at creating her own "My Way" (as the artist points out in the notes [of her 2009 collection])."[13]

Stereogum ranked "Why" number one in their list of the 10 best Annie Lennox songs in 2015.[14] They wrote, "And while the album maybe didn't live up to those hopes, Diva's first single remains an enduring classic. A bold enough move to have your first single be a torch ballad of regret, but this one is a weeper for the ages. It's a musical version of the Kübler-Ross model with Lennox hitting the grief stage as she welcomes her ex-lover "down to the water's edge" to "cast away those doubts", spilling out "the contents of her head" during the depression stage, and then crumpling to the floor repeating the phrase, "You don't know how I feel" as acceptance sets in. This was the song that you put on repeat to cope with that awful breakup because in every syllable she sings, you can hear that Lennox has been there too and feels just as bad as you do."[15]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by British director Sophie Muller and was filmed in Venice, Italy[16] during the shoot for the Diva album cover. The video shows Lennox sitting in front of a vanity mirror staring and marveling at herself before slowly putting on makeup. By the middle of the video, Lennox is fully made up and in the outfit she wears on the Diva album cover. The rest of the video consists of shots of Lennox posing for the cameras along with in-between shots of her singing the song. The video won Lennox an award for Best Female Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.[17][18] It was later published on YouTube in October 2009 and by May 2023, the video had received more than 74.8 million views.[19]

Track listings[edit]

7-inch single

No.TitleLength
1."Why" (Single Version)4:53
2."Primitive"4:17

CD maxi

No.TitleLength
1."Why" (Single Version)4:53
2."Primitive"4:20
3."Why" (Instrumental)4:54

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[52] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

DJ Sammy version[edit]

"Why"
Single by DJ Sammy featuring Britta Medeiros
from the album The Rise
ReleasedJune 2005
Length4:00
Label
Songwriter(s)Annie Lennox
Producer(s)
  • Martin Eyerer
  • Oliver Laib
DJ Sammy singles chronology
"Rise Again"
(2004) 		"Why"
(2005) 		"L'bby Haba"
(2006)

In 2005 Spanish producer DJ Sammy covered "Why" with vocals from German singer Britta Medeiros. "Why" is the second single from the album The Rise. The music video features DJ Sammy in a room with a mixboard that he uses to create three holographic women that sing the song.

Formats and track listings[edit]

US CD single

  1. "Why" (Radio Edit) – 4:00
  2. "Why" (Candlelight Mix) – 4:25
  3. "Why" (Extended Mix) – 6:44
  4. "Why" (Phunk Investigation Remix) – 5:55
  5. "Why" (Breeze & Styles Remix) – 6:17
  6. "Why" (DJ Sammy's Extended Mix) – 7:10
  7. "Why" (Parker & Hanson Remix) – 7:58
  8. "Why" (Andrew McCensit Remix) – 7:58
  9. "Why" (Phunk Investigation Dub) – 9:21

Germany CD single

  1. "Why" (Radio Edit)
  2. "Why" (Sammy Extended)
  3. "Why" (Parker & Hanson Remix)
  4. "Cheba"

Australia CD single

  1. "Why" (Radio Edit)
  2. "Why" (Club Mix)
  3. "Why" (Sammy's Extended Mix)
  4. "Why" (Parker & Hanson Mix)

UK CD single

  1. "Why" (Radio Edit) – 3:28
  2. "Why" (Club Mix) – 6:43
  3. "Why" (Breeze & Styles Remix) – 6:19
  4. "Why" (Phunk Investigation Remix) – 5:55
  5. "Why" (Parker & Hanson Mix) – 8:46
  6. "Why" music video

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 14 March 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 19 June 2021. Misprinted as 15 March; the album releases section (p. 12) uses the correct date.
  2. ^ "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs". Stereogum. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  3. ^ Bowles, Jennifer (4 October 1992). "Post-Eurythmics Lennox solos as 'Diva'". Portsmouth Daily Times. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (25 April 1992). "Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. p. 74. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  5. ^ Clark, Randy; DeVancy, Bryan (2 May 1992). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  6. ^ Wallace, Keith (27 May 1992). "Don't feel rejected Dave, she needs you". Columbia Daily Spectator. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  7. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (15 May 1992). "Diva". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  8. ^ Sholin, Dave (17 April 1992). "Personal Picks: Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 56. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  9. ^ Zimmerman, Kent (1 May 1992). "Jazz New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 36. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  10. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 14 March 1992. p. 10. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  11. ^ Griffiths, Nick (1 April 1992). "Reviews: New Singles". Select. p. 87. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Annie Lennox - Diva". Slant. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  13. ^ Ragogna, Mike (27 March 2009). "HuffPost Reviews : The Annie Lennox Collection". HuffPost. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  14. ^ "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs". Stereogum. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  15. ^ "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs". Stereogum. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  16. ^ Tilli, Robbert (4 April 1992). "Who's That Diva? RCA/BMG Gear Up For Lennox Debut" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 6. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Site Maintenance".
  18. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Annie Lennox - Why (Official Music Video)". YouTube.
  19. ^ "Annie Lennox - Why (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2006." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1964." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  25. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 16. 18 April 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 18. Prometheus Global Media. 2 May 1992. p. 55. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  27. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  28. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Annie Lennox". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  29. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 16. 18 April 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  30. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 18, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  31. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  32. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  33. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why". VG-lista. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  34. ^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  35. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  36. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  37. ^ "Annie Lennox: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  38. ^ "Annie Lennox Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  39. ^ "Annie Lennox Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  40. ^ "Annie Lennox Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  41. ^ "Annie Lennox – Why". Tracklisten. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  43. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56, no. 25. 19 December 1992. p. 8. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  44. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary tracks of 1992". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  45. ^ "1992 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. 19 December 1992. p. 17. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  46. ^ "Top 100 Singles - Jahrescharts 1992" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  47. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1992". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  48. ^ "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1992" (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  49. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992". Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  50. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  51. ^ "1992 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 52. 26 December 1992. p. YE-38. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  52. ^ "British single certifications – Annie Lennox – Why". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  53. ^ "DJ Sammy – Why". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  54. ^ "DJ Sammy – Why" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  55. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  56. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – DJ Sammy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  57. ^ "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 16 June 2005". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 20 June 2019.[dead link]
  58. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  59. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  60. ^ "Dance/Mix Show Airplay". Billboard. 29 October 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  61. ^ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. 8 October 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  62. ^ "2005 The Year in Charts: Top Dance Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 13, no. 50. 16 December 2005. p. 60.
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