1987 Iconic Pop Duet Hit No. 1 39 Years Ago Today
Aretha Franklin and George Michael's duet "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" hit No. 1 on the charts 39 years ago today!
On April 18, 1987, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after steadily climbing the charts after its release in January 1987, staying there for two consecutive weeks.
The song marked Franklin's first No. 1 hit in nearly 20 years, breaking the record for the longest gap between No. 1 songs. It would also mark the iconic singer's second and last number one single in the United States.
In 1984, three years before the song's release, Michael was approached to write and produce a song for Franklin. However, his busy schedule with Wham! made it impossible at the time.
Michael first offered the song to Michael Jackson and then to Stevie Wonder, as he was nervous to team up with Franklin-who was one of his idols.
Nevertheless, the song ended up in Franklin's hands, and the duo recorded it over two days at a studio in Detroit in May 1986.
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The song gave Michael his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. As for Franklin, in 2018, Billboard listed the song as Franklin's all-time biggest Hot 100 single.
Franklin and Michael famously performed "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" live together on August 29, 1988, at the Auburn Hills arena in Detroit during Michael's Faith tour.
Following Michael's death at age 53 in December 2016, Franklin reflected on the lasting impact of recording "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)."
"The first time I heard George was with Wham! and I liked it then. He had a very unique sound, very different from anything that was out there," she told Entertainment Weekly in January 2017. "When Clive [Davis, Franklin's producer and label boss] suggested we get together for 'I Knew You Were Waiting,' I was all ready."
"It reminded me of [working with producer] Jerry Wexler," she continued. "We'd go in the studio and cut songs. If we were happy with what we recorded, Jerry would say, 'Let's wait until tomorrow. If we feel the same way [then] that we do now, maybe we have a hit.' 'I Knew You Were Waiting' had that. Musically, it does not grow old."
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 11:00 PM.