Nothing cuts deeper than unrequited love, and evidently, the topic has been the subject of many a great ballad.
When Prince, George Michael, Phil Collins, Adele and Rolling Stone Mag state that a song is one of the greatest ever written, it's pretty hard to argue with that. And, we wouldn't, because it's the absolute truth.
"I Can't Make You Love Me" written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin, was intended to be pitched to a strong female vocalist, with Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt all up for consideration. It was decided that Bonnie Raitt would get the song and she recorded it on her 1991 album Luck Of The Draw. We think either Bette or Linda would have recorded stunning versions of this song, however, the emotion expressed by Bonnie is simply untouchable.
In particular, her 1992 Grammy performance of the song, accompanied by Bruce Hornsby on piano, which left a room full of songwriters, musicians and industry folk speechless. Her delivery is so full of pain that it's completely rational to believe she wrote the song herself about her own heartbreaking unrequited love. It may not have won a Grammy that night, but it certainly stole the show. It's worth noting that Bonnie has won a total of ten Grammy's of thirty-six nominations, and she holds the record for most live performances at the Grammy's with nine.
If this doesn't hit you right in the feels, you may need to check your pulse!
For more Bonnie Raitt greatness, including the Grammy-winning "Something To Talk About" and "Nick Of Time", check out this excellent playlist on Spotify...
