I Want to Know What Love Is

1984 song by Foreigner
the Julie Ruin song

"I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the love theme and lead single from their fifth album, Agent Provocateur. The song reached number one in both the United Kingdom and the United States and is the group's biggest hit to date. "I Want to Know What Love Is" remains one of Foreigner's best known songs and most enduring radio hits, charting in the top 25 in 2000, 2001, and 2002 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Recurrents chart. The song has continued to garner critical acclaim, and is listed as one of Rolling Stone magazine's greatest songs of all time at number 476 in 2004 and at number 479 in 2010.

"I Want to Know What Love Is" was covered by Australian singer Tina Arena and her recording was released as a single in 1998 from her album In Deep. Arena's version of the song was produced by Foreigner band member Mick Jones, who wrote the song. This version of the song includes a previously unrecorded bridge between the second and third choruses, specifically written for Tina Arena by Mick Jones.

"I Want to Know What Love Is" was covered by American country singer Wynonna Judd and her recording was released on August 24, 2004, from her album What the World Needs Now Is Love as fourth single. Wynonna's version of the song was produced by Narada Michael Walden, known for his work with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and George Michael, and Wynonna. This version of the song was included in a popular Brazilian soap opera, Senhora do Destino.

"I Want to Know What Love Is" was covered by American singer Mariah Carey and released as the second single on September 22, 2009, from her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009). The single, produced by Carey, C. "Tricky" Stewart and James "Big Jim" Wright, was sent to European radio stations on August 28 and first impacted US radio on September 14, 2009.

The single was generally well received by critics; Australian magazine Rhyme & Reason stated that "[While Carey stayed] [ ] true to the original, this piano led remake is less an overhaul of the classic '80s hit than it is a modest but impressive update." Bill Lamb from About. com said that "Mariah Carey's new version could leave you speechless. The diversity of vocal coloring expressed in this recording is stunning. While the single 'Obsessed' remains disappointing, this single is a reminder of just how formidable Carey's talents are given a strong production and arrangement".

Carey debuted "I Want to Know What Love Is" at her Live at the Pearl concerts in the Pearl Arena at The Palms Casino & Resort, Las Vegas, on September 11 and 12, 2009. Carey performed the song live on The Oprah Winfrey Show on September 18. A New York radio station contest featured as its prize a mini concert by Carey at the P. C. Richard Theater in TriBeCa, New York on October 5, where she sang the song as well as "Obsessed" and "H. A. T. E. U. ", also from the album. Carey performed the single on X Factor Italia in Italy on November 11, 2009. Carey performed the single on The X Factor in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2009. Carey performed the song on the Angels Advocate Tour, solely in Brazil, due to her version's massive success there.

Carey filmed a music video for "I Want to Know What Love Is" in September 2009 in New York City, directed by Hype Williams. The video premiered on Mariah's official website on November 13, 2009. The video features Carey singing in Yankee Stadium, intercut with shots of the audience, often accompanied by loved ones, and some glimpses into the tough times in their past, as they grow emotional from the song's performance. A gospel choir joins Carey at the center of the stadium at the video's end. Carey wears the signature curly hairstyle from the initial stages of her career circa 1990–1993, maintaining the Memoirs theme of the album.

The song peaked on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart at number 10 bringing Carey's total number of Top Ten hits on that chart to 20, one short of Celine Dion's record. She has since surpassed this and is now tied with Celine Dion after her single "Oh Santa!" reached number one in 2010. However, it only peaked at #60 on the US Hot 100. On the UK Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 19 on the week ending November 29, 2009, becoming her highest debuting and peaking song since 2008's "Touch My Body", which peaked at number five. "I Want to Know What Love Is" was also a successful hit on the Dance Club Songs chart, peaked at #2 on the week of December 19, 2009. The song debuted at number six in France, selling 1,910 CDs in its first week. In Brazil, the song was boosted for its inclusion in popular telenovela Viver a Vida and stayed at number one for 27 consecutive weeks on the airplay chart, becoming the longest running number one song ever.