7 Things to Know About ‘I Believe,’ The 1953 Hit That First Set the Just-Tied Record for Most Weeks at No. 1 in the UK

Drake co-wrote “Good Morning Heartache,” which jazz legend Billie Holiday recorded in 1946, and single-handedly wrote “It Was a Very Good Year,” which The Kingston Trio recorded on their 1961 album Goin’ Places and which Frank Sinatra made famous on his 1965 album September of My Years. Sinatra’s recording of the song won a Grammy for best vocal performance – male.

Drake was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983. He died in 2015 at age 95.

Stillman had a long career as a popular songwriter. His many hits include Perry Como’s “Home for the Holidays,” The Four Lads’ “Moments to Remember,” Johnny Mathis’ “Chances Are” and “It’s Not for Me to Say” and Cher’s “The Way of Love.”

Stillman died in 1979 at age 77. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame posthumously in 1982.

Concerned about the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, singer Jane Froman asked the songwriters to come up with a song that would offer hope and faith. They completed the song in the fall of 1952. Laine’s version charted in February 1953 and reached No. 2. Froman’s version charted six weeks later and reached No. 11. Froman performed the song on her TV show U.S.A. Canteen.

Froman had a long career, despite chronic health problems due to injuries sustained in a 1943 plane crash. Her dramatic life story was told in the 1952 film With a Song in My Heart. Froman was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for an Oscar for best actress for her performance. Froman died in 1980 at age 73.

Laine’s recording of the song reached No. 2 on Billboard‘s Best Sellings Singles chart, stuck behind Patti Page’s popular but notoriously inane novelty song “The Doggie in the Window.” It also reached No. 2 on Most Played by Jockeys.

Laine had three No. 1 hits on those pre-Hot 100 pop charts in 1949-50: “That Lucky Old Sun,” “Mule Train” and “The Cry of the Wild Goose.” He also had the biggest hit version of the Oscar-winning ballad “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me),” even though another singer, Tex Ritter, sang it on the film soundtrack.

Laine’s biggest hit of the Hot 100 era was “You Gave Me a Mountain,” which reached No. 24 in 1969. His final Hot 100 hit, later that same year, had a wonderful title: “Dammit Isn’t God’s Last Name.” He also recorded “Blazing Saddles,” which was heard on the soundtrack of Mel Brooks’ classic 1974 film of the same name.

Laine died in 2007 at age 93.

The Bachelors, a pop trio from Dublin, Ireland had the biggest hit version of “I Believe” in the Hot 100 era. Their recording reached No. 33 on the Hot 100 in August 1964. It also reached No. 2 on the Official UK Singles Chart.

“I Believe” was the group’s follow-up to “Diane,” which made the top 10 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 in the UK.

The song has appeared on two albums that have topped the Billboard 200 – Elvis Presley’s Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957) and Barbra Streisand’s Higher Ground (1997), on which the singer performed it in a medley with another classic inspirational song, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

The song also appeared on Tom Jones’ hit live album Tom Jones Live! (1969) and on Gladys Knight & the Pips’ holiday album That Special Time of Year (1982).

Other artists who have recorded it, not already mentioned in the opening discussion, include Jimmie Rodgers, Andy Williams, Brook Benton & Dinah Washington, Johnnie Ray & Timi Yuro, Louis Armstrong and Cissy Houston.

Robson & Jerome’s version of the song went to No. 1 in November 1995 as part of a double A-Side (alongside “Up on the Roof”). Their version was at the top for four consecutive weeks, and blocked Oasis’ megahit “Wonderwall” from hitting the top spot.

As noted above, The Bachelors’ version reached No. 2 in the UK in 1964 (kept out of the top spot by The Searchers’ “Don’t Throw Your Love Away”), so the song very nearly reached No. 1 in the U.K. three times.