Wilson Phillips is an American pop vocal group formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The group consists of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas.
Wilson Phillips | |
|---|---|
 Wilson Phillips at Cerritos Performing Arts Center, Cerritos, California, August 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, pop rock, soft rock |
| Years active |
|
| Labels | SBK, Columbia, Sony Masterworks |
| Members | Chynna Phillips Wendy Wilson Carnie Wilson |
Their 1990 eponymous debut album sold over 10 million copies worldwide and included five major US hit singles, four of which cracked the Top 10, with three peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
The group has been nominated for five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, Album of the Year for Wilson Phillips, and Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "Hold On" at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards, as well as Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "You're in Love" at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards. The group has also been nominated for two American Music Awards,[1] and in 1990, won the Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year for "Hold On".
History
edit1989–1991: Formation and Wilson Phillips
editThe Wilson sisters and Phillips grew up together in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s and 80s. The three shared a love of music, and developed their singing and vocal harmonies. In 1989, the trio landed a deal with SBK Records. All three are the offspring of prominent musicians; Chynna is the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas, and Carnie and Wendy are the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Marilyn Rovell of the Honeys. Wilson Phillips released their debut album, Wilson Phillips, in 1990. Their debut single, "Hold On," hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1990.[2] The single was also number one on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary and became a hit in several other countries; peaking at number two in Australia, number six in the UK, number seven in Ireland, number 10 in Sweden, and number 15 in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland.[3] The single also won Wilson Phillips the Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year for 1990.[4] The second single, "Release Me", spent two weeks at number one. Their third single, "Impulsive, became another top ten hit, peaking at number four on the Hot 100, while fourth single "You're in Love" hit number one in the US for one week. The fifth single, "The Dream Is Still Alive", peaked at number twelve on the Hot 100.[5]
In 1991, the group contributed a version of the song "Daniel" to the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin. While not released as a single, it peaked at number seven on the US Adult Contemporary chart due to strong airplay.[6] Their single "You're in Love" was released that same year, which scored as a number one (and to date, their last top ten) pop single.[7] In 1992, Wilson Phillips also made history as Billboard declared their debut album, at that time, the best-selling album of all time by an all female act; the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 album chart, while it had sales of 5 million copies in the US, with a total of 8 million copies sold worldwide. That achievement, however, was later surpassed with the 1996 album Spice by the Spice Girls.[8]
1992–1993: Shadows and Light and breakup
editIn June 1992, Wilson Phillips released their second album, Shadows and Light. The album was deeply personal and adopted a more serious tone, with tracks exploring issues such as child abuse ("Where Are You") and their estrangement from their fathers ("Flesh and Blood", "All the Way From New York"). The first single, "You Won't See Me Cry," peaked at number 20 in the US and number 18 in the UK, the first time they had a higher-ranking single in the UK than in the US. The single gave them a hit in the US and the UK, and saw the album peak at number four on the US Billboard 200, and it was eventually certified platinum in the US. However, the second single "Give It Up" became a moderate hit, peaking at number thirty, and third single "Flesh and Blood" failed to crack the Hot 100. Shortly after, the group decided to break up, parting just after their second album. Chynna Phillips announced plans for a solo career,[9] however, the group performed the US national anthem in a baseball stadium.[10]
Less than a year after the release of their second album, the group had gone their separate ways. In 1993, Wendy and Carnie Wilson released the Christmas album Hey Santa!, a collection of classic Christmas songs which included an original song, "Hey Santa". In 1995, Chynna Phillips released a solo album, Naked and Sacred. Also in 1995, Carnie went on to host her own short-lived syndicated television talk show titled Carnie![11] In 1997, Carnie and Wendy, along with their father Brian Wilson, released the album The Wilsons and the single "Monday Without You."[12] Capitol Records released a Wilson Phillips Greatest Hits album in 2000.
On March 29, 2001, the group reunited to perform The Beach Boys' song "You're So Good to Me" at a tribute show to Brian Wilson held at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Chynna Phillips also dedicated the performance to her father John Phillips, who had died a few days earlier.[citation needed]
2004: First reunion
editWilson Phillips reunited in 2004 to release a new album, California, a collection of cover songs. A single, "Go Your Own Way," a song originally recorded by Fleetwood Mac, peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The album fared moderately well on the charts, debuting and peaking at number 35 on the US Billboard 200 chart with 31,000 copies sold in its first week of release. In New Zealand, the album reached the top 10 and amassed gold status after "Go Your Own Way" topped the country's adult contemporary radio chart.[13] The group parted ways once again.
2010–present: Second reunion
editOn October 12, 2010, Wilson Phillips released a Christmas album, Christmas in Harmony. The album yielded a single, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day," a cover of the popular seasonal tune that first was a hit in 1973 for English glam-rock band Wizzard. The group had a cameo appearance in the film Bridesmaids (2011) and performed "Hold On".[14][15][16] Bandmember Chynna was a contestant on season 13 of ABC's Dancing With the Stars and explained that "Hold On" was written by herself, Carnie, and Wendy about Chynna's recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Chynna made it to week four of the competition.[17]
On March 20, 2012, the group appeared on QVC to promote their release Dedicated, a studio album composed of covers of songs by both The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. On April 3, 2012, the group released Dedicated, which peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200 chart.[18] The trio appeared in their own reality show, Wilson Phillips: Still Holding On, which debuted on TV Guide Network in April 2012.[19] In 2015, Wilson Phillips contributed backup vocals to the song "FourFiveSeconds" by Rihanna, Paul McCartney, and Kanye West for Rihanna's eighth studio album.[20]
In July 2016, Wilson Phillips reunited and performed on ABC's Greatest Hits.[21] In 2017, the group performed on the season finale of NBC's The New Celebrity Apprentice.[22]
In 2022, Wilson Phillips competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as the "Lambs". Chynna portrayed the Lamb by the name of "Blueberry", Carnie portrayed the Lamb by the name of "Rose", and Wendy portrayed the Lamb by the name of "Lilac". They became the first group act to advance to the finale and finished as the runners-up to Amber Riley as "Harp". As an encore, they performed "Hold On". For the Seasonal Sing-A-Long Spectacular!, they performed the Christmas classic "Sleigh Ride".
In November 2022, the group released a cover version of Harry Styles’s song “Boyfriends”.[23]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [24] |
AUS [25] |
AUT [26] |
CAN [27] |
GER [28] |
NL [29] |
NZ [30] |
SWE [31] |
SWI [32] |
UK [33] | |||
| Wilson Phillips |
|
2 | 7 | 19 | 1 | 15 | 51 | 10 | 27 | 16 | 7 | |
| Shadows and Light |
|
4 | 30 | 34 | 8 | 13 | 59 | 19 | 20 | 3 | 6 | |
| California |
|
35 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 197 |
|
| Christmas in Harmony |
|
135 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Dedicated |
|
29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Best of Wilson Phillips |
|
| Greatest Hits |
|
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [42] |
US AC [43] |
AUS [25] |
CAN [27] |
CAN AC [27] |
GER [28] |
NL [29] |
NZ [30] |
SWI [32] |
UK [33] | |||||
| 1990 | "Hold On" | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 6 | 15 | 6 | Wilson Phillips | ||
| "Release Me" | 1 | 1 | 57 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 14 | 18 | — | 36 |
| |||
| "Impulsive" | 4 | 2 | 103 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 42 | ||||
| 1991 | "You're in Love" | 1 | 1 | 108 | 3 | 1 | 54 | 32 | — | — | 29 | |||
| "The Dream Is Still Alive" | 12 | 4 | 190 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 79 | ||||
| "Daniel" | — | 7 | — | 26 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | Two Rooms | |||
| 1992 | "You Won't See Me Cry" | 20 | 4 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 61 | 46 | 11 | 18 | Shadows and Light | ||
| "Give It Up" | 30 | 12 | 206 | 16 | 11 | 54 | — | — | — | 36 | ||||
| "Flesh and Blood" | 119 | 17 | — | 33 | 12 | — | 51 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | "Go Your Own Way" | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | California | ||
| "Already Gone" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Get Together" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2012 | "Good Vibrations" | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Dedicated | ||
| 2022 | "Boyfriends" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Boyfriends | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Other charted songs
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US AC [43] | |||
| 2010 | "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" | 22 | Christmas in Harmony |
| "Little Drummer Boy" | 13 | ||
| "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" | 14 |
Awards and nominations
editGrammy Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Wilson Phillips | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| Wilson Phillips | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Hold On" | Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated | ||
| 1991 | "You're in Love" | Nominated |
American Music Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Wilson Phillips | Favorite New Artist – Pop/Rock | Nominated |
| "Hold On" | Favorite Single – Pop/Rock | Nominated |
Billboard Music Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Hold On" | Hot 100 Single of the Year | Won |
References
edit- ^ "33rd Annual Grammy Awards – 1991". Rock on the Net. February 20, 1991. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
- ^ "What's The Most Common Hot 100 Song Title? (Updated)". billboard.com. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Album artist Wilson Phillips". tsort.info. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs of 1990 - Billboard Year End Charts". bobborst.com. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Billboard Chart History
- ^ "'Daniel' peaked at number seven in the US Adult Contemporary chart". Billboard.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips Gets Third No. 1". Orlando Sentinel. 19 April 1991. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Billboard 1995. Billboard. 1995. p. 8.
- ^ Betts, Graham (2005). Complete UK Hit Albums 1956-2005. Harper Collins. p. 447. ISBN 978-0007205325.
- ^ "1992 ASG: Wilson Phillips performs national anthem". YouTube. 3 February 2015.
- ^ "Carnie Wilson". IMDb.
- ^ "Carnieandwendywilson.com". Carnieandwendywilson.com. January 1, 2004. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips | Music Videos, Songs, News, Photos, and Lyrics". MTV. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips Gets New Boost from 'Bridesmaids' Movie". Billboard. 22 May 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "How 'Bridesmaids' Landed '90s Girl Group Wilson Phillips". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips Talk 'Dedicated,' Their New Reality Show, 'Bridesmaids' + More". MTV Buzzworthy. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "Chynna Phillips Voted Off 'Dancing With the Stars' in Week Four of Season 13". ABC News. October 11, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips Chart History Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^ Nguyen, Hanh (January 14, 2012). "Bridesmaids Scene-Stealers Wilson Phillips Launch Reality Show for TV Guide Network". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (March 31, 2015). "Wilson Phillips' Carnie Wilson Dishes On Singing Backup Vocals for Rihanna's 'FourFiveSeconds'". billboard.com. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ "Watch Greatest Hits TV Show - ABC.com". ABC.
- ^ "I Don't Have Time for Anyone's Ego Except My Own" – via www.nbc.com.
- ^ Martoccio, Angie (2022-11-25). "Hold On…Wilson Phillips' First New Song in 10 Years Is a Harry Styles Cover". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
- Top 50 peaks: "AUS Charts > Wilson Phillips". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- Top 100 peaks to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 304.
- All peaks to December 22, 2017: "Wilson Phillips ARIA chart history, received from ARIA on December 22, 2017". N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ^ "AUT Charts > Wilson Phillips". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c "CAN Charts > Wilson Phillips". RPM. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "GER Charts > Wilson Phillips". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "NL Charts > Wilson Phillips". Dutch Charts. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "NZ Charts > Wilson Phillips". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "SWE Charts > Wilson Phillips". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "SWI Charts > Wilson Phillips". Swiss Hitparade. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "UK Charts > Wilson Phillips". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "American certifications – Wilson Phillips". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 304.
- ^ a b c "British certifications – Wilson Phillips". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 19, 2022. Type Wilson Phillips in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Wilson Phillips)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Wilson Phillips)". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "Canadian certifications – Wilson Phillips". Music Canada. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Wilson Phillips – Wilson Phillips". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Wilson Phillips – California". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ "Wilson Phillips Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
- ^ a b "Wilson Phillips Chart History – Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
