The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)

For other songs with the same or similar title, see Sweetest Thing (disambiguation).

"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" is a country-pop song written by Otha Young for Juice Newton in the mid-1970s. Newton was known for charting hits on the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Hot Country charts - and this song has the distinction of being the only single of hers to reach the top 10 on all three of those charts, peaking at #1 on two of them.

"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)"
US single picture sleeve
Single by Juice Newton
from the album Juice
B-side	"Ride 'Em Cowboy"
Released	October 24, 1981
Recorded	1981
Genre	Country, pop
Length	4:06 3:58 (7")
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Otha Young
Producer(s)	Richard Landis
Juice Newton singles chronology
"Queen of Hearts" (1981) "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" (1981) "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" (1982)

History

"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" was originally recorded and released in 1975 on Juice Newton & Silver Spur's debut album, Juice Newton and Silver Spur (RCA). The 1975 version was not issued as a single, although it was the B-side of two official singles and was issued as a promotional single to U.S. radio stations. In the meantime, Dottsy recorded a version in 1976 and took it to No. 86 on the country music charts and used it as the title track to her album The Sweetest Thing.^[1][2]

After becoming a solo artist, Newton re-recorded the song for her 1981 album, the star-making Juice, which was Newton's third solo album and featured three of her biggest pop hits: "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)", "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts".

In early 1982, "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" reached No. 1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart,^[2] No. 1 on the Billboard country chart,^[2] and No. 7 on the Billboard pop chart, where it remained in the Top 40 for eighteen weeks.^[3] The single is the only of Juice Newton's to reach the Top 10 on all three charts. On Billboard's year-end Top 40 chart, the song charted at No. 21 of all the singles of 1982. The music video for the song was filmed in New York City.

The first pressings of the Juice album featured a different arrangement of the song, with a more prominent steel guitar part and no oboe. After the unexpected crossover success of "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts", a pop version was mixed and replaced the country version on all future pressings of the album. The revamped version was also used for the single (which, somewhat ironically, became her first No. 1 Country Single). The 1981 country version can be found on the United Kingdom best-of CD Country Classics and BGO's two-CD "Juice/Quiet Lies/Dirty Looks" boxed set.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Dottsy version

Chart (1976)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4]	86

Juice Newton version

Chart (1981–1982) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100[5] 7 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] 1 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] 1 US Cash Box Top 100[8] 5 Canadian RPM Top Singles 25 Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks[9] 1 Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1 South Africa (Springbok)[10] 18

Year-end charts Chart (1982) Position US Billboard Hot 100[11] 21 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] 17 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[13] 26 US Cash Box [14] 54

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
2. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 258.
3. Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 454.
4. "Dottsy Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
5. "Juice Newton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
6. "Juice Newton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
7. "Juice Newton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
8. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 13, 1982". Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
9. Canada, Library and Archives (17 July 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
10. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
11. Musicoutfitters.com
12. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
13. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
14. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1982". Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2017.

External links

• U.S. 7" single release info Discogs