Back at One

"Back at One"
Single by Brian McKnight
from the album Back at One
ReleasedAugust 9, 1999 (1999-08-09)
Length
  • 4:23 (album version)
  • 3:24 (radio edit)
LabelMotown
SongwriterBrian McKnight
ProducerBrian McKnight
Brian McKnight singles chronology
"The Only One for Me"
(1998)		 "Back at One"
(1999)		 "6, 8, 12"
(2000)
Music video
"Back at One" on YouTube

"Back at One" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Brian McKnight. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Back at One (1999), on August 9, 1999. The song became a chart hit, reaching number two in the United States and entering the top 10 in Canada and New Zealand.

Composition

Sheet music for "Back at One" is in the key of B major in common time with a slow tempo of 65 beats per minute. The song modulates a half step to C major for the last chorus.

Chart performance

"Back at One" went on to be one of McKnight's biggest successes, reaching the top ten in New Zealand, Canada and the United States, where it eventually peaked at number two for eight weeks but was kept off the top spot by "Smooth" by Santana.

Music video

The music video was directed by Francis Lawrence and was nominated for R&B video of the year in the Music Video Production Association Awards. In this music video, the ghost of Brian McKnight performs the song while walking out of the plane crash site at a cornfield.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 24
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 4
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 3
Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS) 7
Germany (GfK) 47
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) 33
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 33
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 73
US Billboard Hot 100 2
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 4
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard) 25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 7
US Pop Airplay (Billboard) 2
US Rhythmic Airplay (Billboard) 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1999) Position
US Billboard Hot 100 82
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard) 70
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 90
US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard) 21
Chart (2000) Position
Brazil (Crowley)
Ivete Sangalo remix		 78
US Billboard Hot 100 20
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 7
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 57
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard) 55
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 25
US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard) 33
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard) 23

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) Gold 30,000‡
United States (RIAA) Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States August 9, 1999 Motown
August 10, 1999
September 13, 1999 Smooth jazz radio
November 5, 2002 Digital download

Mark Wills version

"Back at One"
Single by Mark Wills
from the album Permanently
B-side"Because I Love You"
ReleasedOctober 29, 1999 (1999-10-29)
GenreCountry
Length4:06
LabelMercury Nashville
SongwriterBrian McKnight
ProducerCarson Chamberlain
Mark Wills singles chronology
"She's in Love"
(1999)		 "Back at One"
(1999)		 "Almost Doesn't Count"
(2000)

American country music artist Mark Wills covered "Back at One" on his 2000 album Permanently, also releasing it as that album's first single. Released in October 1999 (two months after McKnight's version), Wills' cover peaked at number two on the Billboard country singles charts for a week. Despite not reaching the top spot in the US, the song did manage to reach number one on the Canadian RPM country tracks. In addition to his country chart success, "Back at One" also became his fifth entry on the Hot 100 charts, peaking at number 36 there.

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Hershleder.

Charts

Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Canada Country Singles (RPM)1
US Billboard Hot 10036
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)2

Year-end charts

Chart (2000) Position
US Hot Country Singles & Tracks (Billboard) 22

Other versions

McKnight also performed the song with Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo on her album Festa (en: Party).

In 2000, keyboardist Bob Baldwin released a cover of the song from the album BobBaldwin.com. Also in 2000, Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer Sanchez recorded a reggae cover version of the song over the "Fi Wi Rock" rhythm produced by King Jammy which became a popular dancehall hit in Jamaica and the US.

In 2001, UK music artist Lulu recorded the song for her album Together with a duet with Irish pop band Westlife and performed it live subsequently.

In 2003, Smooth jazz guitarist and musician Paul Jackson, Jr. covered the song as the closing track from the album Still Small Voice.

Another instrumental rendition of this song has been performed by saxophonist Warren Hill, from his album 2005 PopJazz.

In 2006, British pop singer Shayne Ward also performed this song on his debut album Shayne Ward.

Singer Mijares covered it in his 2009 Spanish album Vivir Así.

References

  1. ↑ Back at One
  2. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Production Notes". Billboard. October 23, 1999. p. 94. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  4. ↑ Hay, Carla (April 1, 2000). "With Eight, Lauryn Hill Tops Nominees for MVPA Awards". Billboard. p. 102. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  5. ↑ Snetiker, Marc (June 17, 2014). "Everything mentioned from 2000 and 2001 in VH1's I Love the 2000s". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Brian McKnight – Back at One". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  7. ↑ "Top Singles. Volume 70, Issue 10 (2000-01-10)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Adult Contemporary. Volume 70, Issue 13 (2000-01-31)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Canadian Top 20 in 1999" (PDF). Cross Canada Countdown. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2005. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  11. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (10.2– 16.2 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). February 11, 2000. p. 12. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Brian McKnight" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  13. ↑ "Brian McKnight – Back at One" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Brian McKnight – Back at One". Top 40 Singles.
  15. ↑ "Brian McKnight – Back at One". Swiss Singles Chart.
  16. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Brian McKnight Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1999". Archived from the original on July 9, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  23. ↑ "1999 The Year in Music: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-57.
  24. ↑ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 54.
  25. ↑ "Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 53.
  26. ↑ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2000". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. April 3, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 2000". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  28. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-98. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 48.
  30. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-56. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54.
  32. ↑ "Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 56.
  33. ↑ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. December 30, 2000. p. YE-99. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Brian McKnight – Back at One" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  35. 1 2 "American single certifications – Brian Mc Knight – Back at One". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1311. August 6, 1999. pp. 82, 86.
  37. ↑ "Gavin AC/Hot AC: Impact Dates". Gavin Report. No. 2266. August 2, 1999. p. 28.
  38. ↑ "Going for Adds / AddVance Notice". Radio & Records. No. 1311. August 6, 1999. pp. 46, 61, 68.
  39. ↑ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1316. September 10, 1999. p. 98.
  40. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 470–471. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  41. ↑ "Radio & Records October 29, 1999" (PDF).
  42. ↑ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Country Singles. Volume 70, Issue 17 (2000-02-21)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  44. ↑ "Mark Wills Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  45. ↑ "Mark Wills Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  46. ↑ "Best of 2000: Country Songs". Billboard. 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  47. ↑ "BobBaldwin.com overview". Allmusic.com.
  48. ↑ "Bob Baldwin - BobBaldwin.com". Allaboutjazz.com.
  49. ↑ "Warren Hill PopJazz". Allmusic.com.
  50. ↑ "Warren Hill - PopJazz". SmoothViews.com.