"This Is the Night"
Single by Clay Aiken
A-side"Bridge over Troubled Water"[1]
ReleasedJune 10, 2003 (2003-06-10)
Recorded2003
Studio
GenrePop[2]
Length3:32
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Steve Mac
Clay Aiken singles chronology
"Bridge over Troubled Water" / "This Is the Night"
(2003)		 "Invisible"
(2003)

"This Is the Night" is the debut single of American Idol second season contestant Clay Aiken, written by Chris Braide, Aldo Nova, and Gary Burr. It was released on June 10, 2003, on the RCA label, simultaneously with "Flying Without Wings" by rival contestant (and idol winner) Ruben Studdard. It became the 11th song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 (and the first by a debut act) to debut at number one on that chart, restricting "Flying Without Wings" to the number-two position.

Internationally, "This Is the Night" was issued as a double A-side with Aiken's cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" in Canada and New Zealand, reaching number one in both countries. In both nations, the double A-side also kept "Flying Without Wings" from reaching the top spot.[3][4]

Writing and inspiration

Although the song seems tailor-made as a potential show-winning song, it was not written specifically for American Idol. Co-writer Braide said in an interview with HitQuarters: "'This Is The Night' was written from the heart ... It was written after 9/11, and there's a line in it, 'Every kiss is a kiss/you can never get back', and it's about saying, to whoever you love out there, just appreciate them." American Idol creator Simon Fuller heard the song and said it was perfect for the show.[5]

Release and chart performance

"Bridge over Trouble Water" / "This Is the Night" was released as a CD single and 7-inch single in the United States on June 10, 2003.[1][6][7] Because of Billboard's chart rules, only "This Is the Night" was listed on the Hot 100 chart since it received the highest cumulative airplay audience, appearing on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart at number 30 and climbing to a peak of number 13 in August 2003.[8][9] On June 28, 2003, "This Is the Night" debuted at number one on the Hot 100 with sales of 393,000,[10][11] becoming the fastest-selling physical single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" and the best-selling physical single of 2003, with 948,000 copies sold.[12][13] It was also the first song by a debut act to top the Hot 100 during its first week on the chart.[14]

On July 15, 2003, the double A-side single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[6] becoming the first CD single to go platinum since 2002, when Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" sold a million copies over a year after its release.[12] The double A-side also topped the charts in New Zealand, where it is certified platinum,[15][16] and in Canada, going six-times platinum.[17][18] "This Is the Night" was included as a bonus track on Clay Aiken's Measure of a Man album.[19]

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the US CD single liner notes.[1]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[18] 6× Platinum 60,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] Platinum 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[6] Platinum 960,000[22]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bridge Over Troubled Water / This Is the Night (US & Canadian CD single liner notes). Clay Aiken. RCA Records. 2003. 82876 51785-2 RE-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ↑ Bronson, Fred (June 28, 2003). "Pride Goeth Before Y'All". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 26. p. 86. 'This Is the Night' is the first pop song to top the Hot 100 in 2003...
  3. ↑ "Canadian Digital Song Sales – June 28, 2003". Billboard. June 28, 2003. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Single Top 40 – 29/06/2003". charts.org.nz. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Interview with Chris Braide". HitQuarters. August 30, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "American single certifications – Clay Aiken – Bridge over Troubled Water". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ Bridge Over Troubled Water / This Is the Night (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Clay Aiken. RCA Records. 2003. 82876-54105-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Pietroluongo, Silvio; Patel, Minal; Jessen, Wade (June 28, 2003). "Feat of Clay: Aiken Proves 'This Is the Night'". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 26. p. 71.
  9. 1 2 "Clay Aiken Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Clay Aiken Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ Susman, Gary (July 1, 2004). "Idol's Fantasia debuts atop the singles chart". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  12. 1 2 Lamb, Bill. "Clay Aiken". About. Archived from the original on September 17, 2005. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ Grein, Paul (May 6, 2011). "Chart Watch Extra: 20 Years Of Top Songs". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  14. ↑ Bronson, Fred (July 5, 2003). "Pride Goeth Before Y'All". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 27. p. 76.
  15. 1 2 "Clay Aiken – Bridge over Troubled Water / This Is the Night". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  16. 1 2 "New Zealand single certifications – Clay Aiken – Bridge over Troubled Water". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Clay Aiken Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Canadian single certifications – Clay Aiken – Bridge over Troubled Water". Music Canada. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  19. ↑ Measure of a Man (US CD album liner notes). Clay Aiken. RCA Records. 2003. 82876-58520-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "End of Year Charts 2003". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 2003". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  22. ↑ How the American Idol coronation singles stack up, part 1
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