"Power of Love/Love Power" is a song by American singer-songwriterLuther Vandross, released on April 9, 1991 byEpic Records as the lead single from his 1991album of the same name. The song spent two weeks at number one on the US R&B chart, and peaked at number four on the US pop chart, becoming his biggest pop solo hit.[2]
The song is amedley of the songs "Power of Love," written by Vandross and Marcus Miller, and "Love Power," a minor hit in1968 for the one-hit wonder R&B groupThe Sandpebbles. The Sandpebbles version of "Love Power" had made it number 22 on theBillboard Hot 100, and number 14 on the R&B singles chart.[3]
In 1995, the song was re-recorded for the compilationGreatest Hits 1981–1995. It was released as a single with remixes byFrankie Knuckles and Uno Clio.[4]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine fromAllMusic named the song one of the "high points" of thealbum.[5]Larry Flick fromBillboard magazine deemed it "a tasty blend of influences: pleasing pop melodies, funky guitars,gospel-tinged backing vocals, and (naturally) effectiveR&B vocals. Thoroughly satisfying."[6]Ken Tucker fromEntertainment Weekly said it is "as paradoxically playful and ambitious as its title." He added, "Here is a perfect example of the way pop improvisation can combine with technical precision to revitalize verbal clichés. In this case, Vandross has joined two different songs, both featuring gliding, colliding melodies that offer the singer an opportunity to apply his delicatetenor to witty, chanted variations on the songs' titles."[7]
James Hamilton fromRecord Mirror noted its "gentleswingbeat jiggle", naming it a "pleasant 0-92.2bpm smoochy swayer".[8] After the song was remixed in 1995, British magazineMusic Week gave it a score of four out of five and named it Single of the Week, writing, "Not typical Luther, but sumptuous all the same. This upbeat groover, taken from the soul meister's new greatest hits album, has all the ingredients of a chart hit."[4]Music Week editor Alan Jones commented, "The underlying melodic strength is surrendered to the rhythm, which takes the form of a briskhouse beat. Vandross is a singer of great finesse and exercises like this do him no favours."[9]
^Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 21, 1991). "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles".Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. p. YE-14.{{cite magazine}}:|last1= has generic name (help)
^"1991 The Year in Music"(PDF).Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-36. RetrievedAugust 9, 2021.
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