On December 21 1996, Madonna’s You Must Love Me (the lead single from EVITA) spent its final week on Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay Chart in the USA. The hit single spent a total of 9 weeks on the chart.
Peter Keough of the Boston Phoenix had this to say about the song:
“You Must Love Me is an aching farewell that dispels the illusion of a romance-of-convenience to reveal the inescapable love and tragedy beneath”.
On December 12 1996, Madonna attended a press conference to promote EVITA at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey, California.
On November 16 1996, Madonna’s You Must Love Me debuted at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. You Must Love Me was the first single released from the EVITA soundtrack. The track was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Jay’s Note: The success of this single is proof that Madonna’s power over radio and sales was un-stoppable. Imagine a song like this becoming a hit at radio and retail today? Not possible!
On November 9 1996, the EVITA soundtrack debuted at #7 on the UK albums chart.
On November 1 1997, Buenos Aires peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Play chart.
The promo-only set of remixes by Madonna, Pablo Flores & Javier Garza were serviced to clubs by Warner Bros. Records to promote the home video release of Evita. Produced in the summer of 1996 during the same sessions that yielded the hit remixes for Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, the percussion-heavy Buenos Aires club mixes again featured re-recorded vocals by Madonna and additional harmonies provided by Donna De Lory & Niki Haris.
On October 27 1996, Madonna’s You Must Love Me (the lead single from Evita) was released.
Kathleen Guerdo’s review for Billboard:
“Madonna delivers what is by far one of the strongest vocal performances of her career, comfortably scaling to the song’s demanding soprano heights while infusing it with delicate, heart-rending emotion. This bodes well for the creative potency of the rest of the soundtrack, which is due Nov. 14. Prepare for wall-to-wall airplay of this flawless ballad on pop and AC radio.”
On October 8 1996, Madonna’s You Must Love Me music video premiered on MTV.
You Must Love Me was released by Warner Bros. as the first single from the Evita soundtrack. The song was written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and it won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997.
Madonna filmed the music video for You Must Love Me on 31 August 1996 in California, while she was eight months pregnant with her daughter Lourdes. Madonna stood behind a piano to hide her pregnancy.
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