End of the Road (Boyz II Men song)

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"End of the Road"
Artwork for North American retail cassette edition, also used for overseas editions
Single by Boyz II Men
from the album Boomerang: Original Soundtrack Album and Cooleyhighharmony (Reissue)
B-side"Remix"
ReleasedJune 30, 1992 (1992-06-30)
Genre
Length
  • 5:48 (album version)
  • 4:13 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Antonio "L.A." Reid
  • Daryl Simmons (co.)
Boyz II Men singles chronology
"Please Don't Go"
(1992) 		"End of the Road"
(1992) 		"In the Still of the Nite (I Remember)"
(1992)
Music video
"End of the Road" on YouTube
"End of the Road"
"End of the Road" from Cooleyhighharmony (1993 re-release)
"Al Final Del Camino"
Spanish language version from the same album
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"End of the Road" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Boomerang soundtrack. It was released in June 1992 by LaFace, Arista and Motown, and is written by Babyface, Antonio L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is written and composed in the key of E-flat major[1] and is set in time signature of 6/8 with a tempo of 150 beats per minute. The song achieved domestic and international success. In the United States, it spent a then record breaking 13 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, a record broken later in the year by Whitney Houston's 14-week number one hit "I Will Always Love You"; Boyz II Men would later match Houston's record with "I'll Make Love to You", which spent 14 weeks at number one in 1994, and then reclaim the record with "One Sweet Day" (a duet with Mariah Carey), which spent 16 weeks at number one from 1995 to 1996.

"End of the Road" was the number one single of 1992 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1992. It was also ranked by Billboard as the sixth most successful song of the decade 1990–1999.[2] Internationally, it reached number one in Australia, the United Kingdom and on the Hot 100 Eurochart, among others. The music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin.[3][4] "End of the Road" has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of over one million units in the United States.[5] The song also won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song at the 1993 Grammy Awards.

The music video was the last to be played on Magic TV, after which it closed on June 30, 2024, alongside other Channel 4-owned music channels. [6]

Release and chart performance

"End of the Road" was released on June 30, 1992. It was released as a single from the Boomerang soundtrack and did not originally appear on Boyz II Men's debut album, Cooleyhighharmony. It was released after all singles from their debut had been released, and was their fifth single overall. However, Cooleyhighharmony was re-issued in 1992 and 1993 to include "End of the Road" due to the success of the single. In 1993 the Spanish version of the song ″Al Final Del Camino″ was released as a single alongside producer Rex Salas.

The single debuted at number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on July 18, 1992, jumping to number 30 the following week. The next week the song reached the top ten at number eight, and reached the top five the week after at number four. The following week, the song peaked at number one, holding the position for 13 consecutive weeks from August 15, 1992 to November 7, 1992. On November 14, the song was finally succeeded by "How Do You Talk to an Angel" by the Heights. It also spent four weeks atop of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard commented, "Good to hear something new by this wonderfully talented group." He described the song as a "retrominded pop/R&B tune", adding that "those now-recognizable harmonies glide over a swaying, doo-wop melody, making the track the perfect complement to a romantic evening. Has the markings of a major multiformat smash."[7] British magazine Music Week wrote, "A superior if stylised ballad, with some classically soulful crooning and a smoothly polished finish, it looks set for major success here too. Cute acapella end adds to appeal."[8] Jonathan Bernstein from Spin called it "lugubrious".[9] In 2024, Forbes magazine ranked "End of the Road" number 38 in their list of "The 50 Best Songs of the 1990s", naming it "a soulful ballad that captured the pain of heartbreak and loss."[10]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "End of the Road" was directed by American music video director, film director and VJ Lionel C. Martin.[3][4] It was made in both black-and-white and colors, featuring Boyz II Men performing the song while sitting on chairs in a room, standing outside a train station, or walking in a hallway. The video was later made available in remastered HD on the group's official YouTube channel in 2009, and had generated almost 300 million views in early 2024.[11]

Awards and nominations

1993 Grammy Awards[12]

  • Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal – Boyz II Men – "End of the Road" (winner)
  • Best R&B Song – Babyface, Daryl Simmons, L.A. Reid – "End of the Road" (winner)

Track listings

  • US 7" single
  1. "End of the Road" (Radio edit w/ Acapella End) – 4:13
  2. "1-4-All-4-1" East Coast Family – 4:14
  • Europe/UK/Australia CD
  1. "End of the Road" (Pop Edit) – 3:39
  2. "End of the Road" (Radio Edit w/ Acapella End) – 4:13
  3. "End of the Road" (LP Version) – 5:50
  4. "End of the Road" (Instrumental) – 5:16
  • Cassette single
  1. "End of the Road" (LP Version) – 5:50
  2. "End of the Road" (Instrumental) – 5:16

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "End of the Road"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[58] Platinum 70,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[59] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] 2× Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[62] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers

The song has been covered by various artists both domestically and internationally including the Korean group BTS[63] and the a cappella country group Home Free.[64] and a punk rock group, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their fourth album, Take a Break.

See also

References

  1. ^ Kenneth "Babyface", Edmonds; A, Reid, L.; Daryl, Simmons; Men, Boyz II; Kenneth "Babyface", Edmonds (1999-12-15). "End of the Road". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Boys II Men - End Of The Road (1993)". IMVDb. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  4. ^ a b "Boys II Men: End of the Road (1993)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  5. ^ "RIAA - Certified Awards Search - "End of the Road"]". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  6. ^ (2024-06-30). Final closure of Magic TV (UK) - 01/07/2024 12:00am. Retrieved 2024-07-31 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Flick, Larry (July 18, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 72. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  8. ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. August 29, 1992. p. 6. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  9. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (December 1992). "The Year In Pop". Spin. p. 42. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  10. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (March 9, 2024). "The 50 Best Songs Of The 1990s". Forbes. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  11. ^ "Boys II Men - End Of The Road". YouTube. 2009-12-25. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  12. ^ "allmusic ((( Boomerang > Charts & Awards > GRAMMY Awards )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  13. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  14. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  15. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1890." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 49. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  18. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 5. January 30, 1993. p. 44. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  19. ^ Billboard – Google Books
  20. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 41. October 10, 1992. p. 36. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 48. 28 November 1992. p. 30. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road" (in French). Les classement single.
  23. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  24. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie Archived 2009-06-02 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Boyz II Men - End Of The Road" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  26. ^ "Boyz II Men – End Of The Road" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  27. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road". VG-lista.
  29. ^ "Discos más populares en Latinoamérica". El Siglo de Torreón. November 29, 1992. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  30. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road". Singles Top 100.
  31. ^ "Boyz II Men – End of the Road". Swiss Singles Chart.
  32. ^ "Boyz II Men: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  33. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 26, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  34. ^ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  35. ^ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  36. ^ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  37. ^ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  38. ^ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  39. ^ Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  40. ^ 1992 Australian Singles Chart aria.com Archived July 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved August 2, 2008)
  41. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992". Ultratop. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992". Ultratop. 30 March 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  43. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hits Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56, no. 25. December 19, 1992. p. 8. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  44. ^ Billboard – Google Books
  45. ^ "1992 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  46. ^ "1992 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Hit Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 18. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  48. ^ "Single top 100 over 1992" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  49. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  50. ^ "End of Year Charts 1992". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  51. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 8.
  52. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1992". Archived from the original on 2009-07-08. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  53. ^ "R&B Rap Hip-Hop Year-End Charts - 1992 - Soul System".
  54. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  55. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  56. ^ "End of Year Charts 1993". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  57. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  58. ^ "1992 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  59. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Boyz II Men – End of the Road" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved August 3, 2021. Enter End of the Road in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1992 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  60. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Boyz II Men – End of the Road". Radioscope. Retrieved February 9, 2025. Type End of the Road in the "Search:" field.
  61. ^ "British single certifications – Boyz II Men – End of the Road". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  62. ^ "American single certifications – Boyz II Men – End of the Road". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  63. ^ "The end of Taehyung’s 210724 먹방 Vlive featuring Namjoon". Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road”. July 24, 2021.
  64. ^ "Boyz II Men - End of the Road (Home Free Cover)". Jan 11, 2019