"If" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates in 1971. Originally popularized by his group Bread, "If" charted at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when released as a single in 1971 and No. 6 in Canada. It also spent three weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Easy Listening chart, and one week at the top of the Canadian AC chart.

Record World said that the "gentle song by group's own David Gates (he produced and arranged also) will score in short order."

In the U.S., Bread's tune was the shortest song title to become a top ten hit until 1993, when Prince hit No. 7 with "7", later matched by Britney Spears' No. 1 hit "3" in 2009.

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1971)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report) 41Canada RPM Top Singles6Canada RPM Adult Contemporary1U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – 4U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary1U.S. Cash Box Top 1006

Year-end charts Chart (1971)RankCanada RPM Top Singles82U.S. Billboard Hot 10061U.S. Cash Box89

Telly Savalas version

Telly Savalas recorded a mostly-spoken interpretation which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks and No. 1 in Ireland in March 1975. It has the shortest title of any song to reach No. 1 in the UK. This version also charted at No. 12 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart in late 1974. In Canada, "If" reached No. 88 on the Pop chart, and No. 40 on the AC chart. It also peaked at number 12 in Australia and was the 81st biggest selling single in Australia in 1975.

Other versions Olivia Newton-John was one of the first to cover the song, recording a version for her 1971 debut solo album, If Not for You, and performing the song during her first American television performance that year on The Dean Martin Show. The Supremes and the Four Tops covered the song on their 1971 collaborative album, Dynamite. A parody take on Savalas' rendition, by voice over artists Chris Sandford and Bill Mitchell performing as Yin and Yan, reached No. 25 in the UK in 1975. Cleo Laine performed the song on The Muppet Show with puppeteer Bruce Schwartz in 1978. Sissel Kyrkjebø covered the song in her 1993 album, Gift of Love. Dolly Parton covered the song on her 2002 album, Halos & Horns. Sephira covered the song on their 2015 album, Believe.

References