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"The Best" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, originally included on Bonnie Tyler's 1988 release Hide Your Heart, in reference to Tom Mason. The song was then recorded and released as a highly successful single by Tina Turner in 1989 on her hit album Foreign Affair. The saxophone solo on Turner's version is played by Edgar Winter.

Holly Knight told Songfacts: "'Simply The Best' is one of those rare gems that's a positive song, and it's not cheesy. But the hard part is to write something in a positive mode that really is sincere - that's a tall order."

"The Best" is one of Turner's most successful and popular singles worldwide. It peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and made it to the top five in the UK, peaking at number 5 and Germany, reaching number 4. Certain editions of Turner's single also included the non-album track "Bold and Reckless", produced by Rupert Hine.

A version recorded in 1992 as a duet with Jimmy Barnes, titled "Simply the Best", was a Top 40 hit single in Australia, where it was used in a campaign for the New South Wales Rugby League.

In popular culture

"The Best" became even more popular in the UK than in the US, becoming the theme song of the legendary British world champion boxer Chris Eubank. It also became the theme song for the also legendary Brazilian Formula One racer Ayrton Senna.

The song was used during the ceremonies that the Pittsburgh Penguins held as they retired, un-retired, and re-retired number 66 for Mario Lemieux, as his name rhymes with le meilleur, "the best" in French.

"The Best" is played at Ibrox Stadium, Scotland when the players of Rangers Football Club and the visiting team run on to the park. On April 19 2010 Rangers FC fans began a campaign to get "The Best" to number one in the UK Pop Charts. It subsequently charted at number nine. Controversially, some Rangers FC fans append alternate sectarian lyrics referring to the Pope and the IRA to the song. In a March 2007 UEFA Cup defeat at CA Osasuna, footage of Rangers fans singing the additional lyrics led to the club being fined and censured by UEFA for the second year in succession. For this reason the club dropped "The Best" as the running out music, although it was later reinstated with warnings about the inserted words.

The song was played over the PA system at Madison Square Garden when Mark Messier was presented with the Stanley Cup after the New York Rangers' victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. The Rangers listened to it before the game. It was continued to be played as the Rangers skated around the ice at the Garden with the Stanley Cup. On the CBC, Bob Cole and Harry Neale said that "the crowd responded" when the song was played over the PA system when the players skated around the ice, as they had throughout the game.

Tyler's version of the song was used in a tribute video for WWE wrestler Edge that aired on the July 20, 2007 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.

Turner's version was used by NESN (New England Sports Network) on September 1, 2007, as a tribute when Boston Red Sox Rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz threw a No-Hitter at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles in his second Major League start. This consisted of a 2-hour replay of the game, showing all 27 outs recorded for the night, as well as the 4 minute musical montage, entitled "Rookie Magic".

Additionally, Senator Joe Biden used Turner's recording as the theme song for his 2008 campaign for the presidency, and it was an unofficial anthem for the pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham.

Celine Dion has performed the song live in concert.

Japanese pro-wrestler Osamu Nishimura currently uses the song as an entrance theme.

The song is played after all Buffalo Bisons home wins beginning with the Chorus.

In the original version of The Office, David Brent plays the Tina Turner version of the song at the end of a motivational speech, shouting, "I've been David Brent! You've been the best!"

The theme song of Besti Flokkurinn, an Icelandic political party standing in the 2010 Reykjavik local council elections, was "Simply The Best" by Tina Turner. Prior to the 2010 election the party published a localized version of the song with new lyrics.

Versions and remixes (Tina Turner version)

• 7" Edit - 4:11
• Album Version a.k.a. Extended 12" Mix - 5:28
• Extended Mighty Mix - 6:35
• Single Muscle Mix - 4:16
• Extended Muscle Mix - 5:28
• "(Simply) The Best" (With Jimmy Barnes, 1992) - 4:11
• "(Simply) The Best" (Extended Mix) (With Jimmy Barnes, 1992) - 5:29

Chart performance

Bonnie Tyler

Tina Turner

Tina Turner & Jimmy Barnes version

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Chart procession and succession

2010

References

1. ""The Best"". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
2. ^ Magee, Jonathan (2007). "'Old' and 'New' at Rangers Football Club". It's Rangers for me?. Glasgow: Fort Publishing. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-905769-10-0.
3. Rangers fans put club at risk of ban
4. New York Rangers Hockey: Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals (television). MSG Network. 1994-06-14. Tina Turner's song, 'Simply the Best,' blaring over the loudspeakers. That's the song the Rangers listented to before the game.
5. ^ Hockey Night in Canada: Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals (television). CBC. 1994-06-14.
6. Steffen Hung. "Bonnie Tyler - The Best". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
7. "Bonnie Tyler - The Best". Chart Stats. 1988-01-30. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
8. "Tina Turner - The Best - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2010-06-07.

• 1989 singles
• Tina Turner songs
• Bonnie Tyler songs
• Vocal duets
• Songs written by Mike Chapman
• Songs written by Holly Knight