Every Step of the Way (song)

Johnny Mathis recorded "Every Step of the Way" on May 31, 1960, with an orchestra conducted by Glenn Osser. It was produced by Mitch Miller and released as a single three years later, on May 7, 1963.^[1]

"Every Step of the Way" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue of the magazine dated May 25, 1963, and peaked at number 30 five weeks later, in the June 29 issue. The song was on the Hot 100 for seven weeks.^[2] It reached number 40 on Cash Box magazine's best seller list.^[3] In Billboard's June 1 issue, it made its first appearance on the magazine's Easy Listening chart, where it spent six weeks and got as high as number 10.^[4] In August of that year it reached number five in Hong Kong.^[5]

In their review column, the editors of Cash Box magazine featured the single as their Pick of the Week, which was their equivalent to a letter grade of A for both "Every Step of the Way" and its B-side, "No Man Can Stand Alone". They combined their comments for both songs, writing, "Warbler's current chart streak can be extended with either ends of his latest singles outing. Both items express side-by-side sentiments in a class ballad manner, the kind of material the performer is completely at home with."^[6] The editors of Billboard categorized the single as a "Spotlight Pick", one of the strongest of the new releases, and wrote, "A groove sound by Johnny Mathis and solid piece of material by Bob Allen and Al Stillman could turn this into one of Johnny's biggest this year. Warm chanting and lush backing with just a wee touch of country make this a very tasteful disking …."^[7]