Hold On (Wilson Phillips song)


"Hold On" is a song recorded by American vocal group Wilson Phillips. It was released on February 27, 1990, as the lead single from their debut studio album, Wilson Phillips. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for a week in June 1990 and was the most successful single of that year in the US. The song won the Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year for 1990. At the Grammy Awards of 1991, "Hold On" received a nomination for Song of the Year, losing to "From a Distance" by Julie Gold and performed by Bette Midler.
In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number 15 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.

Background

Chynna Phillips wrote the song's lyrics while battling substance abuse as well as being in a "really bad" relationship. She explained to Kelly Clarkson, "I just said if I don't change my course, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble." Producer Glen Ballard presented the track to the group, noting it needed lyrics. Phillips based the lyrics off of the principles taught in AA, specifically the idea that things had to be taken "one day at a time." The next day, Phillips returned with "Hold On" and sang it for the Wilsons and Ballard, who immediately loved it. "I remember one guy I played it for said, 'That's not going to go anywhere. That's not a very good song. It's really corny,'" Phillips recalls. "I just remember thinking to myself, 'God, I hope he's wrong.'"

Commercial performance

"Hold On" became Wilson Phillips' first number one single, reaching the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 on June 9, 1990, and, despite spending only one week at number one, was ranked the top song of the year by Billboard. The song also spent a week atop the adult contemporary chart that same year. In addition, "Hold On" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart; this was in large part due to a performance by the group on the legendary British music series Top of the Pops a week prior to the song's peak position.
Despite being number one on the US year-end for 1990, the song did not appear on the 1990s decade-end chart. It does, however, appear on Billboard's 60th anniversary "All-time chart" at number 228, ahead of many songs that do appear on the decade-end chart.

Critical reception

Bill Coleman from Billboard described the song as an "engaging and melodic pop confection" in his review. Music & Media called it "melodic, well crafted and extremely catchy" and added "everything you would expect from a band madeup of daughters of rock stars."

Track listing

US CD single
  1. "Hold On" 3:40
  2. "Hold On" 4:35
US / CA 7-inch vinyl and cassette single
  1. "Hold On" – 3:30
  2. "Over And Over" – 4:40
UK CD
  1. "Hold On" 3:42
  2. "Hold On" 4:25
  3. "Over and Over" 4:27
Germany Maxi-CD
  1. "Hold On"
  2. "Over and Over"
  3. "A Reason to Believe"

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

In popular culture

Harold & Kumar sing the song as a duet in the film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
The song was featured in the finale of the 2011 film Bridesmaids, performed by the band members as themselves, bringing renewed recognition to Wilson Phillips.