"When She Was My Girl" is a 1981 single released by American vocal group the Four Tops. The song, their first release off Casablanca Records, helped to return the former signature Motown act to the American pop Top 40 charts, peaking at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 on the Cashbox chart, and reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts.
Internationally, it reached No. 9 in Canada, No. 6 in New Zealand, and also became their first top 10 hit in the UK in ten years, reaching No. 3. Their top 40 showing made the group one of the few acts to have top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in three consecutive decades. Record World called it an "infectious dancer." "When She Was My Girl" was a Grammy nominee for best R&B song. Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen recorded the song for his 2022 studio album, Only the Strong Survive.
Chart performance
Weekly charts Chart (1981)PeakpositionCanadian RPM Adult Contemporary3Canadian RPM Top Singles9Ireland The Irish Charts, November 8, 19817New Zealand (RIANZ)6UK3US Billboard Hot 10011US Billboard Adult Contemporary9US Cashbox Top 10010US Billboard R&B1
Year-end charts Chart (1981)RankUK"Chartfile Top 100" Record Mirror 26 December 1981: 2759US American Top 4088US Cash Box Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 26, 198177
Certifications
Credits Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs and Renaldo "Obie" Benson Background vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir and Lawrence Payton Music Contractor Frank DeCaro
References
External links Lyrics of this song