100% Pure Love

1994 single by Crystal Waters July 2025 100% Pure Love 100 percent pure love.jpg yes single Crystal Waters Storyteller 1994 4 11 HouseSam Steele https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53135372765/ Singles NME April 16, 1994 39 August 23, 2023 dance-pophttps://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-04-09-N.pdf Larry Flick Billboard: Single Reviews Billboard April 9, 1994 January 23, 2018 Larry Flick 4 40 Mercury Crystal Waters Teddy Douglas Thomas Davis Jay Steinhour Teddy Douglas Jay Steinhour Makin' Happy 1991 Ghetto Day/What I Need 1994 zQX2q6WCrbE "100% Pure Love" "100% Pure Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Crystal Waters from her second studio album, Storyteller (1994). It was released on April 11, 1994, by Mercury Records as the album's lead single. The song was written by Waters with Basement Boys, who produced it, and became a worldwide hit. It reached the top 20 in Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The single is certified platinum in Australia and gold in the US. In 1995, it was awarded the prize for Top ASCAP Dance Song.Congratulations To Our Winners https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-07-01.pdf Billboard July 1, 1995 16 November 28, 2022 The accompanying music video, directed by Marcus Nispel, was nominated for Best Dance Video at both the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards and the 1994 Billboard Music Video Awards. Background and release The song is inspired by her relationship at the time. The singer says she chose the stylings of the song as a reaction to the popularity of gangsta rap during the mid-1990s in the United States.Glitterbox Ibiza Glitterbox Radio Show 011: w/ Crystal Waters June 14, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAHqcE7jhEI https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/mAHqcE7jhEI December 12, 2021 live August 29, 2017 Looking to write a positive song, she sent an early draft to her production team Basement Boys who "hated the hook" but "loved the verses." Originally the song was built on the lyrics "the beat goes boom" before she went back to the drawing board and considered the reasons she was writing the song in the first place. "From the back to the middle and around again, I'm going to be there 'til the end, 100% pure love" emerged in the next draft and became the lyrics in the completed version of the song. Crystal Waters also signed and debuted as a model with the Ford Modeling Agency in August 1994. They included her as a special guest in fashion collections in both Europe and the United States. "100% Pure Love" was the theme of Ford's “Supermodel of the World" contest that year.M.R. Martinez https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-08-13.pdf Urban — The Rhythm Cash Box August 13, 1994 March 6, 2022Larry Flick https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-08-13.pdf#page=20 Dance Trax: Secret Of Kris Needs' Success; Prescription's 'Gift' Billboard August 13, 1994 22 May 30, 2025 Larry Flick Critical reception Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote that here, the "enigmatic voice" behind the 1991 smash "Gypsy Woman" "returns with a percussive pop/dance twirler from her new Storyteller opus. Though it seemed impossible to come up with a hook as catchy as la-da-di, la-di-da, Waters and cohorts the Basement Boys have done exactly that, and wrapped it with dramatic strings and butt shagging cowbells." M.R. Martinez from Cash Box felt that Waters' "smokey vocals" worked best on uptempo material, like "100% Pure Love".M.R. Martinez https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-06-11.pdf Urban — Reviews Cash Box June 11, 1994 February 28, 2022 Anderson Jones from Entertainment Weekly stated that the "hip-swaying infectious grooves" of the track "can't be denied." Anderson Jones Storyteller Entertainment Weekly May 20, 1994 November 11, 2020 https://ew.com/article/1994/05/20/storyteller/ Bradley Stern from Idolator noted that it is "armed with a real subtle earworm of a chorus", calling it a "campy house anthem".Stern, Bradley The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1994 (Featuring New Interviews with Ace of Base, TLC, Lisa Loeb, Real McCoy & Haddaway) Idolator November 20, 2014 April 7, 2020 https://www.idolator.com/7569924/50-best-pop-singles-1994-interview-ace-of-base-tlc-lisa-loeb-real-mccoy-haddawayAugust 2025 medicmedic Howard Cohen from Knight-Ridder Newspapers commented, "Waters' jazz-inflected voice merges with hard-edged house instrumentation, while the song's dark and heady synthesizer intro is a hard-to-decline signal to hit the dance floor."Cohen, Howard (August 6, 1995). "Can't duck disco". p. 4E. Wisconsin State Journal. Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel felt the "smoky grooved" song showed that Waters vocal is "stronger and more confident" than on her previous hit "Gypsy Woman".Campbell, Chuck (June 10, 1994). "David Byrne': Talking Head Repeats Himself". Knoxville News Sentinel. In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "The lady with possibly the most unusual voice in dance music is back." He also described the song as "more of the same kind of left-field nonsense".Masterton James Week Ending April 23rd 1994 https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1994/week-ending-april-23rd-1994 Chart Watch UK April 17, 1994 September 6, 2021 James Masterton Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it a score of four out of five, complimenting it as "an impressive comeback", stating that "boasting a strong garage production from The Basement Boys and a catchy vocal hook, this could cross over." Andy Beevers https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-09.pdf Market Preview: Dance Music Week April 9, 1994 15 April 16, 2021 Wendi Cermak from The Network Forty said it is "100% fierce!"https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-Network-40/94/Network-40-1994-05-06.pdf Wendi Cermak Crossover The Network Forty May 6, 1994 26 March 29, 2020 Sam Steele from NME wrote, "'100' is a clubby house stomper with big beats and a huge catchy chorus. A breezy backdrop to a drunken evening in an Ibiza/Essex discotheque." Orla Swift from Record-Journal deemed it a "bright, dynamic number", that is "displaying a knack both for catchy melodies and innovative arrangements".https://books.google.com/books?id=N61HAAAAIBAJ Orla Swift Off the Record Record-Journal April 15, 1994 March 16, 2020 Tim Jeffery from the Record Mirror Dance Update noted that it "features a catchy 'Back to the middle and round again' hook that should be enough to propel it into the charts." Tim Jeffery https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-02.pdf Hot Vinyl Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) April 2, 1994 7 April 16, 2021 In his weekly Record Mirror dance column, James Hamilton named it a "catchily chorused jiggly chugger".James Hamilton https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-16.pdf DJ directory Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) April 16, 1994 7 May 7, 2025 James Hamilton (DJ and journalist) Jonathan Bernstein from Spin viewed it as a "potential successor" to Waters' signature singles.Jonathan Bernstein Spins Spin June 1994 99 January 27, 2023 https://books.google.com/books?id=fT3PkoU5ylcC Eddie B. Allen Jr. from Toledo Blade considered it the "most forceful" of the dance singles on the album.https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8_tS2Vw13FcC&dat=19940703&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Eddie B. Allen Jr. Sounds: "Storyteller" Crystal Waters Toledo Blade July 3, 1994 March 16, 2020 Chart performance The single reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and number 38 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. It spent a total of 45 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming one of the longest-charting singles in the US. The song won a Billboard Music Award for Top-Selling Hot Dance Music Club Play Single at the 1994 Billboard Music Awards. The song was certified gold in the United States. In Europe, it entered the top 20 in Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the UK, the single peaked at number 15 during its second week on the UK Singles Chart, on April 24. On the Music Week Dance Singles chart, it reached number one. Additionally, it was a top-30 hit in Austria and Iceland and a top-40 hit in Belgium and Germany. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "100% Pure Love" reached number 49, and it also topped the European Dance Radio Chart. The song proved to be most popular in Australia. It first entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number 40 on June 26, 1994, then reached number three three weeks later. On July 31, the song reached its peak position of number two. It dropped to number three the next week, then spent four more weeks at that position before falling to number four on September 11. Afterwards, it remained in the chart for a further seven weeks before dropping out of the top 50 on November 6. It finished 1994 as Australia's 11th-best-selling single and has since received a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments exceeding 70,000 copies. Music video The music video for "100% Pure Love" was directed by German director Marcus Nispel. The choreography was done by then-unknown Michael K. Williams. The video was nominated for Best Dance Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards and for Best Clip of the Year in the category for Dance at the 1994 Billboard Music Video Awards.Deborah Russell https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-10-15-P.pdf#page=12 Music Video Award Nominees Named Billboard October 15, 1994 12 May 30, 2025 In Europe, it was put on "break out" rotation on MTV Europe in June 1994.https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-06-18.pdf Station Reports: MTV Europe Music & Media 11 25 June 18, 1994 22 December 19, 2025 One month later, the video was B-listed on France's MCM and Germany's VIVA.https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-07-30.pdf Station Reports: MCM Music & Media 11 31 July 30, 1994 14 December 19, 2025https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-07-16.pdf Station Reports: VIVA Music & Media 11 29 July 16, 1994 26 December 19, 2025 "100% Pure Love" was later made available remastered in HD by Vevo on YouTube in 2009,Crystal Waters - 100% Pure Love (Official Music Video) YouTube October 9, 2009 February 29, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQX2q6WCrbE having generated more than 36 million views as of late 2025. Impact and legacy ASCAP awarded "100% Pure Love" the prize for Top ASCAP Dance Song in 1995. Australian music channel Max included it in their list of the "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2011. Top 1000 Greatest Songs Of All Time – 2011 Max 2011 April 26, 2020 https://www.maxtv.com.au/top-1000-greatest-songs-of-all-time-3 April 25, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200425183513/https://www.maxtv.com.au/top-1000-greatest-songs-of-all-time-3 dead Idolator ranked it one of "The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1994" in 2014. Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo of BuzzFeed ranked it number nine in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017.Matt Stopera Brian Galindo https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/jump-to-the-rhythm-jump-jump-to-the-rhythm-jump The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s BuzzFeed May 11, 2017 October 7, 2018 Matt Stopera In 2021, the same publication ranked it number five in their list of "The 50 Best '90s Songs of Summer", naming it "the greatest '90s dance song of the '90s dance genre".Matt Stopera Brian Galindo The 50 Best '90s Songs Of Summer BuzzFeed https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/1990s-songs-of-summer June 29, 2021 August 23, 2021 Matt Stopera Billboard magazine ranked "100% Pure Love" number 500 in their list of the "Top Songs of the '90s" in 2019 and number 81 in "The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time" in 2025.Greatest of All Time: Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s Billboard https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-billboards-top-songs-90s/ 2019 April 22, 2022Joe Lynch Stephen Daw Hannah Dailey Glenn Rowley Hannah Jocelyn Lucas Villa https://www.billboard.com/lists/lgbtq-anthems-queer-pride-songs/ The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time Billboard June 4, 2025 June 20, 2025 British band Years & Years released a cover of the song in 2022 that Target would use for its holiday campaign that year.https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-to-years-years-liberating-cover-of-crystal-waters-100-pure-love-3341173 Listen to Years & Years' "liberating" cover of Crystal Waters' '100% Pure Love' NME Skinner Tom November 2, 2022 November 5, 2022 Track listings CD maxi "100% Pure Love" (radio mix) – 3:06 "100% Pure Love" (club mix) – 8:15 "100% Pure Love" (Gumbo mix) – 5:22 US CD maxi-single (858711–2) "100% Pure Love" (Club Mix) – 8:15 "100% Pure Love" (Radio Mix) – 3:06 "100% Pure Love" (Gumbo Mix) – 5:22 "100% Pure Love" (Hump Mix) – 5:33 "100% Pure Love" (DJ EFX's Tribal Pump Mix) – 6:41 "100% Pure Love" (PG Tips Anthem Mix) – 7:42 "100% Pure Love" (Trance Vox) – 6:40 Charts Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "100% Pure Love"Chart (1994)PeakpositionAustralia 2 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love true "aus"Austria 26 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love trueFlanders 31 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love trueCanada Retail Singles (The Record)https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-08-20.pdf Hits of the World: Canada Billboard August 20, 1994 70 May 20, 2025 4Canada RPM 42 1572 trueCanada RPM Dance 2 9178 trueEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-05-07.pdf Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Music & Media 11 19 11 May 7, 1994 March 31, 2018 49Europe (European Dance Radio)https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-05-14.pdf European Dance Radio Top 25 Music & Media 11 20 22 May 14, 1994 December 20, 2019 1Europe (European Hit Radio)https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-05-28.pdf#page=29 EHR Top 40 Music & Media 11 22 May 28, 1994 29 January 8, 2026 21Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)Timo Pennanen 2006 Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 fi 1st Tammi 978-951-1-21053-5 Helsinki 14Germany 33 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love 2832 trueIceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)https://timarit.is/page/2628073#page/n1/mode/2up Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 20.01.1994 – 26.01.1994 Dagblaðið Vísir is 16 June 30, 1994 February 1, 2018 25Ireland2 30 100% Pure Love trueIsrael (Israeli Singles Chart)https://israelcharts.com/ Israeli Charts July 5, 1994 August 19, 2026 June 26, 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260626205604/https://israelcharts.com/ live Search "100% Pure Love" for Israeli chart history. 27Dutch40 11 1994 24 trueDutch100 15 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love trueNew Zealand 44 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love trueQuebec (ADISQ)https://web.archive.org/web/20151129063315/http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec BAnQ fr July 30, 1994 September 11, 2019 November 29, 2015 dead 11Scotland 19 19940423 trueSwitzerland 20 Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love trueUK 15 19940430 true "uk"UK Airplay (Music Week)https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-05-21.pdf The Airplay Chart Music Week May 21, 1994 24 May 23, 2025 13UK Dance (Music Week)https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-23.pdf Dance Singles Music Week 30 April 23, 1994 April 25, 2021 1UK Club Chart (Music Week)https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-16.pdf The RM Club Chart Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) April 16, 1994 4 May 15, 2023 3Billboardhot100 11 Crystal Waters trueBillboarddanceclubplay 1 Crystal Waters trueBillboarddancesales 2 Crystal Waters true June 24, 2021Billboardrandbhiphop 38 Crystal Waters trueBillboardpopsongs 7 Crystal Waters trueBillboardrhythmic 10 Crystal Waters trueUS Cash Box Top 100https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-10-15.pdf Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles Cash Box October 15, 1994 February 19, 2018 5 Year-end charts +1994 year-end chart performance for "100% Pure Love"Chart (1994)PositionAustralia (ARIA)https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1994/singles-chart ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1994 ARIA October 27, 2018 11Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?IdNumber=6736&app=rpm Top 50 Dance Tracks on 1994 RPM Library and Archives Canada April 14, 2018 20Europe (European Dance Radio)https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-12-24.pdf 1994 in Review: European Dance Radio Music & Media 11 52 8 December 24, 1994 February 28, 2024 4Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)http://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1994.html Jaarlijsten 1994 Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 nl November 30, 2019 95Netherlands (Single Top 100)https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1994&cat=s Jaaroverzichten – Single 1994 MegaCharts nl March 27, 2019 98UK Singles (OCC)1994 – Singles Hit Music 31 January 7, 1995 129UK Club Chart (Music Week)https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-12-24.pdf The RM Club Chart of the Year Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) December 24, 1994 10 May 20, 2023 51US Billboard Hot 100http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994 Billboard Top 100 – 1994 August 27, 2010 March 1, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090301121519/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994 dead 46US Dance Club Play (Billboard)https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA48 The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Club Play Singles Billboard 106 52 YE-74 December 24, 1994 April 1, 2025 1US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA50 The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales Billboard 106 52 YE-76 December 24, 1994 April 1, 2025 3US Cash Box Top 100 The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1994 Cash Box http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/90s_files/1994YESP.html October 10, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121010231529/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/90s_files/1994YESP.html 34 +1995 year-end chart performance for "100% Pure Love"Chart (1995)PositionUS Billboard Hot 100http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1995 Billboard Top 100 – 1995 August 27, 2010 August 15, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090815124541/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1995 dead 82 Certifications Certifications and sales for "100% Pure Love" Australia single Platinum 1994 1994 October 27, 2018 United States single Crystal Waters 100% Pure Love Gold 1994 1994 April 14, 2018 certus true Release history +Release dates and formats for "100% Pure Love"RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref. ReferenceUnited KingdomApril 11, 19947-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassetteA&M AM PMhttps://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-09.pdf Single Releases Music Week 23 April 9, 1994 June 24, 2021AustraliaJune 6, 1994CD cassetteMercuryNew Release Summary – Product Available from : 06/06/94: Singles The ARIA Report 225 19 June 5, 1994 Years & Years version On November 1, 2022, Olly Alexander-helmed Years & Years released a cover of the song.https://music.apple.com/gb/album/100-pure-love-single/1650435559 100% Pure Love - Years & Years Apple Music November 1, 2022 November 5, 2022 Charts +Weekly chart performance for "100% Pure Love" by Years & YearsChart (2022)Peakposition Croatia (HRT)https://api.hrt.hr/media/41/4d/arc-100-2022-11-28-20221129123135.pdf HRT Airplay Radio Chart No. 1055 - Issue Date: November 28th 2022 November 30, 2022 November 29, 2022 en Hrvatska Radiotelevizija 54 Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=d_and_a_overseas&year=2022&month=11&day=21 Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of November 16, 2022 Billboard Japan ja November 16, 2022 9 Keke Palmer version In December 2023, actress and singer Keke Palmer teamed up with search engine Google to promote black-owned businesses with a modified cover of Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love titled for the occasion “100% Black Owned”. A music video was shot for the occasion with appearance and vocals by Crystal Waters. The performance promoted a new search engine highlighting small black owned businesses on the internet.https://sacobserver.com/2023/11/keke-palmer-keeps-minding-her-black-owned-business/ Keke Palmer Keeps Minding Her Black-Owned Business November 23, 2023 September 2, 2024 en The Sacramento Observer References Category:1994 singles Category:1994 songs Category:A&M Records singles Category:Crystal Waters songs Category:Mercury Records singles Category:Music videos directed by Marcus Nispel Category:Music Week number-one dance singles