The Right Thing (song)

"The Right Thing"
"The Right Thing"
Single by Simply Red
from the album Men and Women
B-side	"There's A Love"
Released	2 February 1987
Recorded	1986
Genre	Blue-eyed soul, funk
Length	4:18
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Mick Hucknall
Producer(s)	Alex Sadkin
Simply Red singles chronology
Music video
	"The Right Thing” on YouTube

"The Right Thing" is a song by the British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the first single from their second album, Men and Women (1987). The song reached #11 on the UK charts in early 1987 and #27 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Critical reception

Wayne Hussey of Smash Hits panned "The Right Thing", stating he "detest[ed] this kind of white soul".^[2]

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan.^[3]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "The Right Thing"
Chart (1987)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[4]	4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[5]	17
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[6]	4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[7]	5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[8]	9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[9]	10
UK Singles (OCC)^[10]	11
US Billboard Hot 100^[11]	27
West Germany (GfK)^[12]	27

Year-end charts

1987 year-end chart performance for "The Right Thing"
Chart (1987)	Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[13]	43
European Top 100 Singles (Music & Media)^[14]	56
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[15]	50
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[16]	53

References

^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 47.
^ Hussey, Wayne (28 January – 10 February 1987). "Singles reviewed by Wayne Hussey" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 2. p. 49. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
^ "Simply Red - 'The Right Thing'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
^ "Simply Red – The Right Thing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Simply Red". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 235. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Simply Red – The Right Thing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Simply Red – The Right Thing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Simply Red – The Right Thing". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Simply Red: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Simply Red Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Simply Red – The Right Thing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Jaaroverzichten 1987". Ultratop. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "European Charts of the Year 1987: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 December 1987. p. 34. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

This 1980s R&B/soul music song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Music Week" (PDF). p. 47.

[2] Hussey, Wayne (28 January – 10 February 1987). "Singles reviewed by Wayne Hussey" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 2. p. 49. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via World Radio History.

[mvdbase-3] "Simply Red - 'The Right Thing'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 31 October 2015.

[sc_Flanders_Simply_Red-4] "Simply Red – The Right Thing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[5] Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Simply Red". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 235. Retrieved 5 July 2022.

[sc_Dutch40_-6] "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[sc_Dutch100_Simply_Red-7] "Simply Red – The Right Thing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[sc_New_Zealand_Simply_Red-8] "Simply Red – The Right Thing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[sc_Switzerland_Simply_Red-9] "Simply Red – The Right Thing". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[sc_UKsinglesbyname_Simply_Red-10] "Simply Red: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Simply_Red-11] "Simply Red Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[sc_West_Germany_Simply_Red-12] "Offiziellecharts.de – Simply Red – The Right Thing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[13] "Jaaroverzichten 1987". Ultratop. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[14] "European Charts of the Year 1987: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 December 1987. p. 34. Retrieved 9 April 2022.

[15] "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

[16] "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

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