On this date, November 14, 1982, the Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warnes showcase hit "Up Where We Belong" , began it's 3 week straight reign on the Billboard US Hot 100. The song was specifically written as a song track for the movie " An officer and A Gentleman". Song and movie won multiple Academy, Golden Globe, Grammy, and other world awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjrOcrisGyI Original video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpYxZ-1PnlAChart (1982–1983) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[44] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[45] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[46] 32
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[47] 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[48] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[49] 13
Ireland (IRMA)[50] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[51] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[52] 3
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[53] 1
Spain (AFYVE)[54] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[55] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[57] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[23] 3
US Cash Box Top 100[58] 1
West Germany (Offiziele Deutsche Charts)[59] 6
Certifications and sales
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[66] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[67] Gold 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[68] Gold 45,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[69] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[70] Platinum 1,000,000^
Accolades
Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards Best Actress Debra Winger Nominated [36]
Best Supporting Actor Louis Gossett Jr. Won
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen Douglas Day Stewart Nominated
Best Film Editing Peter Zinner Nominated
Best Original Score Jack Nitzsche Nominated
Best Original Song "Up Where We Belong"
Music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie;
Lyrics by Will Jennings Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Score for a Film Jack Nitzsche Nominated [37]
Best Original Song Written for a Film "Up Where We Belong"
Music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie;
Lyrics by Will Jennings Won
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Taylor Hackford Nominated [38]
Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama Nominated [39]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Richard Gere Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Debra Winger Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Louis Gossett Jr. Won
David Keith Nominated
Best Original Song – Motion Picture "Up Where We Belong"
Music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie;
Lyrics by Will Jennings Won
New Star of the Year – Actor David Keith Nominated
New Star of the Year – Actress Lisa Blount Nominated
Grammy Awards Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal "Up Where We Belong" – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes Won [40]
Japan Academy Film Prize Outstanding Foreign Language Film Won
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Motion Picture Won
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Louis Gossett Jr. Won
National Board of Review Awards Top Ten Films 4th Place [41]
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Drama – Written Directly for the Screen Douglas Day Stewart Nominated [42]
Louis Gossett Jr. became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the fourth Black Oscar winner overall (after Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, and Isaac Hayes).
Producer Don Simpson complained about the song "Up Where We Belong", "The song is no good. It isn't a hit," and unsuccessfully demanded it be cut from the film. It later became the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions—#29[43]
2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
"Up Where We Belong"—#75[44]
2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers—#68[45]
On the Songs of the Century list compiled by the RIAA in 2001, the song was listed at number 323.[12] In 2004, it finished at number 75 on AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema, and in 2016, one of the duo's live renditions of the song was listed at number 18 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 20 Greatest Best Song Oscar Performances.[31] In 2020, it was included on Billboard magazine's list of the 25 Greatest Love Song Duets.[32]
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