The Finest (song)
1986 single by the S.O.S. Band
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"The Finest" is a song by American band the S.O.S. Band. It is the fifth track on their sixth studio album, Sands of Time, and is one of the group's last songs to feature the vocals of original lead singer Mary Davis. Labelmate and fellow R&B singer Alexander O'Neal shares vocals with Mary Davis during the bridge. "The Finest" was released as a single in 1986.
| "The Finest" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the S.O.S. Band | ||||
| from the album Sands of Time | ||||
| B-side | "I Don't Want Nobody Else" | |||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Length | 6:06 | |||
| Label | Tabu | |||
| Songwriter | Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | |||
| Producers | Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | |||
| The S.O.S. Band singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Chart performance
"The Finest" was a success on the US Hot Black Singles chart, reaching number two and was their last entry on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 44. On the US dance chart, "The Finest" peaked at number eight, and was also their second top-20 hit on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 17.
Track listings
7-inch single
- "The Finest" – 4:35
- "I Don't Want Nobody Else" – 4:19
12-inch single
- "The Finest" (extended version) – 6:38
- "The Finest" (instrumental) – 6:17
- "The Finest" (a cappella) – 2:05
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[1] | 32 |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[2] | 19 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[3] | 28 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[4] | 26 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] | 34 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[6] | 13 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 44 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[8] | 8 |
| US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[8] | 1 |
| US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[8] | 2 |
| West Germany (GfK)[9] | 26 |
"Finest Dreams"
| "Finest Dreams" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Richard X featuring Kelis | ||||
| from the album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 | ||||
| B-side | "Music for an Imaginary Mobile Phone Commercial" | |||
| Released | August 11, 2003 | |||
| Length | 4:14 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Richard X | |||
| Richard X singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Kelis singles chronology | ||||
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In 2003, English mashup producer Richard X covered "The Finest" as "Finest Dreams", featuring vocals from American R&B singer-songwriter Kelis. This version is a mash-up with backing based upon an instrumental remix of the Human League track "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of".
The song was released on August 11, 2003, in the United Kingdom as the third single from Richard X's debut album, Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1. The single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart the week ending August 23, 2003, and also reached number 35 in Ireland. The music video was directed by Oli Goldsmith.
Track listings
UK CD and 12-inch single; Australian CD single[10][11][12]
- "Finest Dreams" (featuring Kelis) – 4:14
- "Finest Dreams" (Part Two featuring Kelis) – 5:15
- "Music for an Imaginary Mobile Phone Commercial" – 3:05
European CD single[13]
- "Finest Dreams" (featuring Kelis) – 4:14
- "Finest Dreams" (Part Two featuring Kelis) – 5:15
Charts
Release history
Other cover versions
Italian producer Roberto Surace's 2019 track "Joys" sampled a re-recorded version of "The Finest". "Joys", released on Defected Records, reached number 90 on the UK Singles Chart in November 2019.