"Save the Best for Last" is a 1992 song performed by Vanessa Williams and written by Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman, and Jon Lind in March 1989. It is considered Williams' signature song and was released as the third single from her second studio albumThe Comfort Zone. The song is a ballad about a young female admirer of a single man who stands by and watches as the object of her desires goes through years of dating, before he finally unexpectedly decides to initiate a relationship with the singer. The lyrics' redemptive themes resonated with Williams' story, as she had put together a successful music career following her earlier Miss Americaresignation scandal. The song was a commercial and critical success. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks, and was ranked fourth on Billboard's Top 100 hits of 1992 list, becoming the biggest success of Williams' music career. ASCAP named it Song of the Year in 1992; it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1993.
editor Michael Gallucci called the song a "glorious ballad" and added that when she is "handed torch songs that emphasized her natural slow burn", Williams is a "genuinely sexy and capable performer." Larry Flick from Billboard described it as a "nicely orchestrated pop/soul ballad", noting that it "proves that she is possibly best suited to such soothing fare, as her crystalline voice is caressed by soft and wafting strings. A beautiful offering from the excellent Comfort Zone collection." Arion Berger from Entertainment Weekly wrote that Williams "closes Act One with the show-stopping happy tears of "Best for Last"". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report noted that "every artist needs that "career record", and while Vanessa is by now accustomed to chart success, this effort takes her to a whole new level. It deserves to become her biggest hit to-date and it's well on the way with Top Ten status..." Insider described the song as "a gorgeous ballad" and stated that "this song has stood the test of time." The Orlando Sentinel described it as a "a sophisticated ballad". R. LaMont Jones Jr. from The Pittsburgh Press picked the song as the album's "centerpiece", calling it "a real-life, down-to-earth song" that Barbra Streisand "will no doubt wish she had been given. But with Williams' soulful delivery, it's hard to imagine anyone doing it better." Steve Pick from St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that "the first thing to notice is that Williams can really sing. I'm talking phrasing and dynamics that could stand up to fine jazz singers. Then, we realize that this is a nice little tune". The song was immortalised in the UK in a series of 1990s adverts for Bisto Best gravy granules. The being poured over a roast dinner while the song played in the background.
Commercial performance
The single was Williams's third number one on the Soul singles chart and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in 1992. "Save the Best for Last" was ranked fourth in the Billboard Top 100 hits of 1992, becoming the biggest success of Williams's music career. The song also went to number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary and R&B charts; it remained atop these charts for three weeks apiece. Internationally, the single reached number one in Australia and Canada, number two in Ireland, and number three in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. ASCAP named it as its Song of the Year, meaning it was performed more than any other song in 1992; it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1993, losing to Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" in both categories.
Music videos
There are two versions of the music video for this single. The original version of the music video begins with Williams walking around in a winter landscape for the first few seconds, then intercuts between black-and-white footage of Williams singing in front of a dark curtain, an orchestra playing along to the blue-tinted footage as it is being projected on a screen, and Williams singing in a living room with candles, a fireplace and a sofa. A "behind the scenes" cut was also later made of the video, predominantly zooming on the orchestra scenes and the blue-tinted footage of Williams as well as showcasing footage from the making of the video. The original version of the music video was released on VEVO and YouTube.
In 1995, then new-age/new adult contemporary pianist Brian Culbertson covered the song for his album Modern Life.
In 1996, the song was covered by Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda in both English and Japanese for the mini album.
In 2003, the song was released by Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy on the 2003 album When the Spirit Returns but was recorded Oct. 1997, and by the band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on the albumTake a Break.
The tune is the basis of Märchenland Gefühl and Iets Heeft je Zachtjes Aangeraakt, both by Belgian artiste Dana Winner. Hong Kong cantopop singer Shirley Kwan also has a Cantonese cover version entitled "Why Us".
