Nobody Knows (Tony Rich song)

"Nobody Knows"
Single by the Tony Rich Project
from the album Words
ReleasedNovember 7, 1995 (1995-11-07)
StudioLaCoCo (Atlanta, Georgia)
GenreSoul[1]
Length5:06
Label
Songwriters
  • Joe Rich
  • Don DuBose
ProducerTony Rich
The Tony Rich Project singles chronology
"Nobody Knows"
(1995) 		"Like a Woman"
(1996)
Music video
"Nobody Knows" on YouTube

"Nobody Knows" is a song by American R&B singer Tony Rich (then known as the Tony Rich Project) from his 1996 debut album, Words. Released as his debut single on November 7, 1995, by LaFace and Arista Records, the song peaked at number two on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.[2] It also became a hit in several other countries, topping the Irish Singles Chart and reaching number two in Australia and Canada, number four in the United Kingdom, and the top 20 in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. Rich received a nomination for the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.[3][4]

Critical reception

James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described the song as a "mushily harmonised US smash crossover smoocher melodically reminiscent of Chairmen Of The Board's 'Patches'."[5]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the US CD single liner notes.[6]

Studios

Personnel

  • Joe Rich – writing
  • Don DuBose – writing
  • Tony Rich – vocals, all instruments except acoustic guitar, production, arrangement
  • Peter Moore – acoustic guitar
  • Neal H Pogue – recording
  • John Frye – recording assistance
  • Jon Gass – mixing
  • Danny Berniny – mixing assistance
  • Herb Powers – mastering
  • Antonio M. Reid – executive production
  • Davett Singletary – creative direction
  • Angela Skouras – art direction
  • Daniel Soder – photography
  • Derick Procope – stylist
  • Barry White – hair stylist and make-up

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[49] Platinum 1,300,000[48]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States November 7, 1995
  • CD
  • cassette
[50]
December 5, 1995
[51]
United Kingdom April 22, 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 [52]

Kevin Sharp version

"Nobody Knows"
Single by Kevin Sharp
from the album Measure of a Man
ReleasedSeptember 23, 1996
GenreCountry
Length3:26
LabelAsylum
Songwriters
  • Joe Rich
  • Don DuBose
ProducerChris Farren
Kevin Sharp singles chronology
"Nobody Knows"
(1996) 		"She's Sure Taking It Well"
(1997)

American country music artist Kevin Sharp recorded a cover version of the song on his 1996 debut album, Measure of a Man. It was released in September 1996 as his debut single. It became his only number-one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, spending four weeks on the chart.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that his "smooth, melodic voice and sensitive interpretation of the lyric signal show promise for this talented new artist."[53]

Music video

The music video was directed by Jeffrey Phillips and premiered in late 1996.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996–1997) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[54] 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[55] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1997) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[56] 22
US Country Songs (Billboard)[57] 51

Other versions

In 1997, saxophonist Richard Elliot covered the song from his album Jumpin' Off.[58][59] Eli Mattson delivered a piano/vocal cover on the third season of America's Got Talent in 2008. British boyband JLS also recorded a cover of the song; it was leaked onto the internet in June 2010 and has now appeared as the B-side to their single She Makes Me Wanna. British pop singer Shayne Ward included a cover on his third album, Obsession. The song is featured on the Boyzone album, BZ20, released in November 2013.

References

  1. ^ Eames, Tom (July 31, 2024). "The 100 greatest songs of the 1990s, ranked". Smooth Radio. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 203.
  3. ^ "The Complete List of Nominees". Los Angeles Times. January 8, 1997. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "1996 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  5. ^ Hamilton, James (April 27, 1996). "DJ Directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Nobody Knows (US CD single liner notes). LaFace Records. 1995. 73008-24116-2.
  7. ^ Nobody Knows (US cassette single sleeve). LaFace Records. 1995. 73008-24115-4.
  8. ^ Nobody Knows (European CD single liner notes). LaFace Records, Arista Records. 1996. 74321 31477 2.
  9. ^ Nobody Knows (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). LaFace Records, Arista Records. 1996. 74321 35642 2.
  10. ^ Nobody Knows (UK cassette single sleeve). LaFace Records. 1995. 74321 35642 4.
  11. ^ "The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 9194". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 2934". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 23. June 8, 1996. p. 20. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  15. ^ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 24. June 15, 1996. p. 15. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  16. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  17. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.6. – 7.6. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). June 1, 1996. p. 26. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  18. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Nobody Knows". Irish Singles Chart.
  19. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 29, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  20. ^ "The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  21. ^ "The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". Top 40 Singles.
  22. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 1/6/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  23. ^ "The Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". Singles Top 100.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 1/6/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  25. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 25/5/1996 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  26. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. March 23, 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  27. ^ "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. April 27, 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  28. ^ "Adult Pop Airplay". Billboard. June 1, 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  29. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. March 30, 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  30. ^ "Pop Airplay". Billboard. April 6, 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  31. ^ "Rhythmic Airplay". Billboard. February 17, 1996. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  32. ^ a b "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1996". ARIA. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  33. ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved July 10, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  34. ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Retrieved July 10, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  35. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1996". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  36. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1996" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  37. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. January 18, 1997. p. 25.
  39. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  40. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-84. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  41. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-86. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  42. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-40. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  43. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30.
  44. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 32.
  45. ^ "Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-20. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  46. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  47. ^ "British single certifications – Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 10, 2019. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Nobody Knows Tony Rich Project in the "Search:" field.
  48. ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 3. January 18, 1997. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  49. ^ "American single certifications – Tony Rich Project – Nobody Knows". Recording Industry Association of America.
  50. ^ "Nobody Knows". Amazon. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  51. ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1123. December 1, 1995. pp. 33, 39. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  52. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. April 20, 1996. p. 27. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  53. ^ Billboard, October 12, 1996.
  54. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Image 9797". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  55. ^ "Kevin Sharp Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  56. ^ "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Country Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 15, 1997. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  57. ^ "Best of 1997: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  58. ^ "Jumpin' Off overview". Allmusic.com.
  59. ^ "Jumpin' Off - Richard Elliot". JazzTimes.com.
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