THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

439-Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes-(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.

1987 Number 6 single. In 1990 it re-entered the chart, this time reaching Number 8.

Best Bit-At 4.39. Bill Medley was reluctant to record the song because he thought Dirty Dancing sounded like a porno.

”(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” was co-written by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. Previte who had previously tasted success in the early 1980’s as the lead singer with the Pop group Franke and the Knockouts, achieving three Billboard top 30 singles, was approached by the music producer Jimmy Lenner to write some music for ‘A little movie called Dirty Dancing.’ Of the songs Previte presented, this track, and ‘Hungry Eyes,’ which was recorded by Eric Carmen, (see also best songs 625) were chosen for the Dirty Dancing film, and the films soundtrack, which has currently sold in the region of 40 million copies since it’s release.

Because of budget restrictions the Dirty Dancing film was filmed out of sequence with the finale being the first thing that was shot, and since Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes hadn’t recorded their version of ”(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” yet, a demo version recorded by Previte and the singer Rachele Cappelli was used instead, as a guide for the films actors Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. When Medley and Warnes recorded their version they used the final scene of the film as their guide.

The female vocals were initially offered to Donna Summer, but she turned it down, it was then offered to Jennifer Warnes who had already had great success with another film soundtrack song, her duet with Joe Cocker ‘Up Where We Belong,’ from ‘An Officer and A Gentleman’ had been a Billboard Number 1, and Grammy winning song in 1982. Once Medley (see also best songs 782 and 91) who had always been a fan knew Warnes was on board he accepted the role.

”(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” spent one week at Number 1 in America on Billboard in November 1987, while in the UK it has charted on two separate occasions. In November 1987 after the films release it peaked at Number 6, and after the film was first shown on mainstream television in 1990, it re-entered the chart, and this time reached Number 8.

‘Just remember you’re the one thing I can’t get enough of, so I’ll tell you something, this could be love.’