1988 single by Starship
"Set the Night to Music" is a song written by Diane Warren and recorded by American rock band Starship for their second LP, No Protection (1987). It became a major hit for American singer Roberta Flack in 1991. Starship's original version became a Top-10 hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, reaching number nine in the spring of 1988,[1] and also charted minorly in Canada.[2] The song appeared at the end credits of the 1988 fantasy-comedy film Vice Versa starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage.
Cash Box said of the Starship version that "punctuated by lush strings and acoustic guitars, it's as warm and appealing a ballad as they have ever put on record."[3]
Roberta Flack cover
[edit]Roberta Flack covered "Set the Night to Music" as a duet with Maxi Priest. The song is the title track to Flack's album Set the Night to Music (1991).
Flack's rendition reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number nine in Canada;[4] it was her final charting Billboard Hot 100 hit. The song was a bigger Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number two in the US and number one in Canada.[5]
- Roberta Flack – lead vocals
- Robbie Kondor – keyboards, programming, arrangements
- Sammy Merendino – drum programming
- Errol "Crusher" Bennett – percussion
- Arif Mardin – string arrangements and conductor
- Gene Orloff – concertmaster
- Jerry Barnes – backing vocals
- Katreese Barnes – backing vocals
- Maxi Priest – lead vocals
Starship
|
Roberta Flack
|
| Chart (1991)
|
Rank
|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[16]
|
67
|
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[17]
|
17
|
| Chart (1992)
|
Rank
|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[18]
|
38
|
| US Cash Box Top 100[19]
|
48
|
|
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 120.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. April 23, 1988. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. February 20, 1988. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ RPM Top Singles, November 23, 1991
- ^ RPM Adult Contemporary, December 7, 1991
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. April 23, 1988. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 120.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ RPM Top Singles, November 23, 1991
- ^ RPM Adult Contemporary, December 7, 1991
- ^ "European Hit Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 46. November 16, 1991. p. 35. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
- ^ "Playlist Chart" (PDF). Music Week. October 26, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
- ^ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ "Roberta Flack Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991 Archived December 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
- ^ "1992 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 52. December 26, 1992. p. YE-38. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 1992[permanent dead link]
