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"Nobody Knows"
Single by the Tony Rich Project
from the album Words
Released	November 7, 1995 (1995-11-07)
Studio	LaCoCo (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre	Soul
Length	5:06
Label	LaFace Arista
Songwriter(s)	Joe Rich Don DuBose
Producer(s)	Tony Rich
The Tony Rich Project singles chronology
"Nobody Knows" (1995) "Like a Woman" (1996)

"Nobody Knows" is a song by R&B singer Tony Rich (then known as the Tony Rich Project) from his 1996 debut album, Words. Released as his debut single on November 7, 1995, the song peaked at number two on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts. It also became a hit in several other countries, topping the Irish Singles Chart and reaching number two in Australia and Canada, number four in the United Kingdom, and the top 20 in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. Rich received a nomination for the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Critical reception

James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described the song as a "mushily harmonised US smash crossover smoocher melodically reminiscent of Chairmen Of The Board's 'Patches'."

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the US CD single liner notes.

Studios

• Recorded at Studio LaCoCo (Atlanta, Georgia, US)
• Mixed and mastered at The Hit Factory (New York City)

Personnel

• Joe Rich – writing
• Don DuBose – writing
• Tony Rich – vocals, all instruments except acoustic guitar, production, arrangement
• Peter Moore – acoustic guitar
• Neal H Pogue – recording
• John Frye – recording assistance
• Jon Gass – mixing
• Danny Berniny – mixing assistance
• Herb Powers – mastering
• Antonio M. Reid – executive production
• Davett Singletary – creative direction
• Angela Skouras – art direction
• Daniel Soder – photography
• Derick Procope – stylist
• Barry White – hair stylist and make-up

Charts

Certifications

Release history

Kevin Sharp version

American country music artist Kevin Sharp recorded a cover version of the song on his 1996 debut album, Measure of a Man. It was released in September 1996 as his debut single. It became his only number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, spending four weeks on the chart.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that his "smooth, melodic voice and sensitive interpretation of the lyric signal show promise for this talented new artist."

Music video

The music video was directed by Jeffrey Phillips and premiered in late 1996.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions

In 1997, saxophonist Richard Elliot covered the song from his album Jumpin' Off. Eli Mattson delivered a piano/vocal cover on the third season of America's Got Talent in 2008. British boyband JLS also recorded a cover of the song; it was leaked onto the internet in June 2010 and has now appeared as the B-Side to their single She Makes Me Wanna. British pop singer Shayne Ward included a cover on his third album, Obsession. The song is featured on the Boyzone album, BZ20, released in November 2013.

References

1. Eames, Tom (July 31, 2024). "The 100 greatest songs of the 1990s, ranked". Smooth Radio. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 203.
3. "The Complete List of Nominees". Los Angeles Times. January 8, 1997. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
4. "1996 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
5. Hamilton, James (April 27, 1996). "DJ Directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
6. ^ Nobody Knows (US CD single liner notes). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace Records. 1995. 73008-24116-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Nobody Knows (US cassette single sleeve). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace Records. 1995. 73008-24115-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Nobody Knows (European CD single liner notes). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace Records, Arista Records. 1996. 74321 31477 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Nobody Knows (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace Records, Arista Records. 1996. 74321 35642 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Nobody Knows (UK cassette single sleeve). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace Records. 1995. 74321 35642 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. "The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9194." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
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14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 23. June 8, 1996. p. 20. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
15. "The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
16. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.6. – 7.6. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). June 1, 1996. p. 26. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
17. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Nobody Knows". Irish Singles Chart.
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28. "The Tony Rich Project Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
29. "The Tony Rich Project Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
30. "The Tony Rich Project Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
31. ^ "1996 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
32. "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved July 10, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
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34. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
35. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
36. "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
37. "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. January 18, 1997. p. 25.
38. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
39. "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-84. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
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41. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
42. "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30.
43. "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 32.
44. Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Retrieved October 15, 2010. {{cite book}}: |magazine= ignored (help)
45. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
46. "British single certifications – Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
47. "Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 3. January 18, 1997. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
48. "American single certifications – Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". Recording Industry Association of America.
49. "Nobody Knows". Amazon. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
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56. "Best of 1997: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
57. "Jumpin' Off overview". Allmusic.com.
58. "Jumpin' Off - Richard Elliot". JazzTimes.com.

• 1995 debut singles
• 1995 songs
• 1996 debut singles
• Arista Records singles
• Asylum Records singles
• Contemporary R&B ballads
• Kevin Sharp songs
• Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
• LaFace Records singles
• Music videos directed by Bille Woodruff
• Song recordings produced by Chris Farren (country musician)
• Songs about loneliness
• Songs about heartache
• Tony Rich songs