What a Wonderful World

For the Sam Cooke song, see Wonderful World (Sam Cooke song). For other uses, see Wonderful World (disambiguation).
"What a Wonderful World"
Single by Louis Armstrong
from the album What a Wonderful World
B-side "Cabaret"
Released October 18, 1967
Format 7"
Recorded August 16, 1967
Genre Traditional pop
Length 2:21
Label ABC 10982, HMV
Writer(s) Bob Thiele (as George Douglas)
George David Weiss[1]
Producer(s) Bob Thiele[1]
Louis Armstrong singles chronology
"Mi va de cantare"
(1967)		 "What a Wonderful World"
(1967)		 "Hello Brother"
(1968)

"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single, which topped the pop charts in the United Kingdom.[1] Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world (Thiele as a producer and Weiss as a composer/performer).[2] Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The publishing for this song is controlled by Memory Lane Music Group, Carlin Music Corp. and BMG Rights Management.

History

Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate of everyday life in the United States, the song also has a hopeful, optimistic tone with regard to the future, with reference to babies being born into the world and having much to look forward to. The song was initially offered to Tony Bennett, who turned it down.[3] Thereafter, it was offered to Louis Armstrong. George Weiss recounts in the book Off the Record: Songwriters on Songwriting by Graham Nash that he wrote the song specifically for Louis Armstrong. Weiss was inspired by Armstrong's ability to bring people of different races together. The song was not initially a hit in the United States, where it sold fewer than 1,000 copies because ABC Records head Larry Newton did not like the song and therefore did not promote it,[4] but was a major success in the United Kingdom, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart.[1] In the US, the song hit No. 116 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Chart. It was also the biggest-selling single of 1968 in the UK where it was among the last pop singles issued by HMV Records before becoming an exclusive classical music label.[5] The song made Louis Armstrong the oldest male to top the UK Singles Chart, at sixty-six years and ten months old.[1] Armstrong's record was broken in 2009 when a cover version of "Islands in the Stream" recorded for Comic Relief—which included the 68-year-old Tom Jones—reached number one in that chart. Tony Bennett did go on to cover "What A Wonderful World" several times, as in 2003 with k.d. lang, paying homage to Bennett's friend Armstrong.

ABC Records' European distributor EMI forced ABC to issue a What a Wonderful World album in 1968 (catalogue number ABCS-650). It did not chart in the US, due to ABC not promoting it,[6] but charted in the UK where it was issued by Stateside Records with catalogue number SSL 10247 and peaked on the British chart at No. 37.

The song gradually became something of a standard and reached a new level of popularity. In 1978, Armstrong's 1967 recording was featured in the closing scenes of the first series of BBC radio's cult hit, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and was repeated for BBC's 1981 TV series of the same. In 1988, Armstrong's recording was featured in the film Good Morning, Vietnam, in which DJ Adrian Cronauer (portrayed in the film by Robin Williams) played it on the radio in 1965—two years before it was recorded—and was re-released as a single, hitting No. 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1988. The single charted at number one for the fortnight ending June 27, 1988 on the Australian chart. It is also the closing song for the 1995 movie 12 Monkeys.

In 2001, rappers Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and The Alchemist released "The Forest," a song that begins with three lines of lyric adapted from "What a Wonderful World", altered to become "an invitation to get high" on marijuana.[7] The rappers and their record company, Sony Music Entertainment, were sued by the owners of "What a Wonderful World," Abilene Music. The suit was thrown out of court after Judge Gerard E. Lynch determined that the altered lyric was indisputably a parody, transforming the uplifting original message to a new one with a darker nature.[7][8]

As of April 2014, Louis Armstrong's 1967 recording has sold 2,173,000 downloads in the US after it was released digitally.[9]

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Chart (1967/68) Peak
position
Australia[10] 29
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 6
Denmark[13] 2
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 6
Ireland[15] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 15
Netherlands (MediaMarkt)[17] 14
New Zealand 15
Norway (VG-lista)[18] 6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 7
U.K. Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 116
U.S. Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 12
Chart (1976) Peak
position
Italy (FIMI)[20] 11
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[21] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 7
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[22] 1
Canada (RPM Magazine) 13
Ireland[15] 30
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 5
Netherlands (MediaMarkt)[17] 2
New Zealand 8
Poland 22
U.S. (Billboard) 32
U.S. Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 7
U.S. (Radio & Records) 37
U.S. (Cashbox) 37
U.S. (Rock on the Net - ARC Weekly Top 40)[23] 28

Certifications

Region Certification
Italy (FIMI)[24] Gold

Other notable versions

Appearances in film and television

Film

Title Performer Year Source
Range 15 Louis Armstrong 2016 1
Finding Dory Louis Armstrong 2016 1
Un gallo con muchos huevos Louis Armstrong 2015 1
Mein Salzburg Louis Armstrong 2015 1
Back to the Sea Louis Armstrong 2012 1
New Year's Eve Louis Armstrong 2011 1
Head Over Heels Louis Armstrong 2010 1
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Louis Armstrong 2008 1
Madagascar Louis Armstrong 2005 1
Swing Girls Louis Armstrong 2004 1
Bowling for Columbine Louis Armstrong 2002 1
Madeline Louis Armstrong 1998 1
Wrestling with Alligators Louis Armstrong 1998 1
Twelve Monkeys Louis Armstrong 1995 1
The Kennedy Years (JFK Remembered) Louis Armstrong 1993 1
Ciao, Professore! Louis Armstrong 1992 1
Good Morning, Vietnam Louis Armstrong 1987 1
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (trailer only) Louis Armstrong 2005 1

Television

Series Episode Performer Year Source
MythBusters The Reunion Special Louis Armstrong 2016 1
The Simpsons Every Man's Dream The Clarks 2015 1
Strictly Come Dancing Week 9 Results Louis Armstrong 2014 1
Inspector George Gently The Lost Child Louis Armstrong 2012 1
The Mentalist Blinking Red Light Louis Armstrong 2011 1
An Idiot Abroad Karl Comes Home Louis Armstrong 2010 1
So You Think You Can Dance (Canada) Top 8 Perform Louis Armstrong 2009 1
The Simpsons The Good, the Sad and the Drugly Louis Armstrong 2009 1
20 to 1 Greatest Songs of All Time Louis Armstrong 2006 1
Life on Mars #1.6 Louis Armstrong 2006 1
House, MD DNR Louis Armstrong 2005 1
Hinter Gittern Fahrte aufgenommen Louis Armstrong 2004 1
Racheengel Louis Armstrong 2001 1
Lust & Suhne Louis Armstrong 2001 1
Hahn im Korb Louis Armstrong 1999 1
Die Lugners #1.9 Louis Armstrong 2003 1
#1.3 Louis Armstrong 2003 1
Dawson's Creek Hopeless Louis Armstrong 2001 1
Gilmore Girls Rory's Birthday Parties Louis Armstrong 2000 1
The King of Queens Head First Louis Armstrong 1998 1
Cybill Cybill Discovers the Meaning of Life Louis Armstrong 1995 1
Vamp Louis Armstrong 1991 1
Florida Lady Lauf dem Leben nicht davon Louis Armstrong 1994 1
Twin Peaks #2.7 Louis Armstrong 1990 1
The Green Man Louis Armstrong 1990 1
Moonlighting A Womb with a View Louis Armstrong 1988 1
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy #1.6 Louis Armstrong 1981 1
The Muppet Show Don Knotts (#2.1) Rowlf (Jim Henson) 1977 2

Sources

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 117. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  2. ↑ "What A Wonderful World". The Pop History Dig. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  3. ↑ "Sundance Channel : Video: : SPECTACLE: Season 1 - Episode 5 (clip)". SundanceChannel.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-07. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  4. ↑ Black, Johnny (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Thunder Bay Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-1592236510.
  5. ↑ "45 Discography for HMV Records - UK - POP series 1001-1617". Globaldogproductions.info. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  6. ↑ "ABC-Paramount Album Discography, Part 6". Bsnpubs.com. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  7. 1 2 Chang, Samantha (November 1, 2003). "Court: Ghostface Rap Was 'Fair Use'". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 115 (44): 22. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. ↑ Kohn, Al; Kohn, Bob (2010). Kohn on music licensing (4 ed.). Aspen Publishers. pp. 1647–1648. ISBN 0735590907. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  9. ↑ Grein, Paul (April 16, 2014). "Chart Watch: "Happy" tops 4M". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!.
  10. ↑ "Go-Set Australian Charts". Go-Set. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Danske Hitlister.dk". Danske Hitlister.dk. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "The Irish Charts - All there is to know".
  16. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "MediaMarkt Top 40". Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  18. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World". VG-lista. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: S" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  22. ↑ "What A Wonderful World – LOUIS ARMSTRONG" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved 4 August 2014. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1
  23. ↑ "Rock on the Net". Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  24. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Louis Armstrong – What a Wonderful World" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved March 17, 2014. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Louis Armstrong in the field Filtra. The certification will load automatically
  25. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
  26. ↑ Grein, Paul (2010-09-24). "Chart Watch Extra: Songs From The Last Century". Nielsen Business Media. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
  27. ↑ "Rod Stewart - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  28. ↑ "Abertura de Sete Vidas traz pequenas cenas que remetem a nossa memória afetiva". Globo.com. 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  29. ↑ "Louis Armstrong". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  30. ↑ "5/25/1977 – 'Don Knotts (MS)'". Retrieved 2016-04-30.
Preceded by
"Congratulations" by Cliff Richard		 UK number one single
Louis Armstrong version
24 April 1968 (for 4 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Young Girl" by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
Preceded by
"Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
(Katie Melua & Eva Cassidy version)
December 16, 2007 - December 22, 2007 		Succeeded by
"When You Believe" by Leon Jackson
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