If Wishes Came True

"If Wishes Came True"
Single by Sweet Sensation
from the album Love Child
B-side	"LP Preview"
Released	June 1990
Genre	Pop rock[1] freestyle[2]
Length	5:12 (album version) 4:49 (radio edit)
Label	ATCO
Songwriter(s)	Deena Charles Robert Steele Russ DeSalvo
Producer(s)	Steve Peck
Sweet Sensation singles chronology
"Love Child" (1990) "If Wishes Came True" (1990) "Each and Every Time" (1990)

"If Wishes Came True" is a song by American musical trio Sweet Sensation from their second studio album, Love Child (1990). It was released as the album's second single in June 1990 by ATCO Records. It was written by Deena Charles, Robert Steele and Russ DeSalvo, and produced by Steve Peck. It is the biggest hit of the group's career, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1990. The song also peaked within the top 30 in Canada and New Zealand.

According to The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, the members of the group "cried for days" after learning that their song had hit number one.[3] Billboard named the song number 87 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time".[4]

Composition

The album version of the song begins with strings and a flamenco guitar, then quickly picks up into a synthesizer line, an electric guitar solo, and the vocal begins soon afterward. The edited version omits the strings-and-guitar intro.

Music video

The video was filmed in New York City and alternates studio shots of the trio singing with outdoor shots of lead singer Betty LeBron walking in the rain and reminiscing, with flashbacks to sunny scenes of better days with her former boyfriend.

Track listings

US 7-inch and cassette single[5][6] Canadian cassette single[7] Australian 7-inch and cassette single[8][9] "If Wishes Came True" – 5:12 "LP Preview" – 5:24 UK and European 7-inch single[10][11] A. "If Wishes Came True" (edit) – 4:15 B. "Love Child" (original version) – 4:10

UK and European 12-inch single[12][13] European maxi-CD single[14] A1. "If Wishes Came True" (LP version) – 5:12 A2. "Love Child" (original version) – 4:10 B1. "Love Child" (Rock the House) – 6:43 Japanese mini-CD single[15] "If Wishes Came True" "Bring It Back"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990–1991) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[16] 68 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 14 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[18] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[19] 19 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 73 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 22 US Billboard Hot 100[22] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[23] 8

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[24] 76 US Billboard Hot 100[25] 25

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	June 1990	7-inch vinyl cassette	ATCO
Japan	September 10, 1990	Mini-CD		[26]

References

1. Smith, Troy L. (October 21, 2020). "Every No. 1 song of the 1990s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
2. Molanphy, Chris (July 16, 2022). "Point of No Return Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
3. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books. ISBN 9780823076772.
4. "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
5. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). ATCO Records. 7-98953.
6. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (US cassette single sleeve). ATCO Records. 4-98953.
7. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (Canadian cassette single sleeve). ATCO Records. 79 89534.
8. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (Australian 7-inch single vinyl disc). ATCO Records. 756798953-7.
9. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (Australian cassette single sleeve). ATCO Records. 756798953 4.
10. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). ATCO Records. B 8905, 7567-98905-7.
11. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (European 7-inch single vinyl disc). ATCO Records. 7567-98905-7.
12. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). ATCO Records. B 8905 T.
13. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). ATCO Records. 7567-96422-0.
14. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (European maxi-CD single liner notes). ATCO Records. 7567-96422-2.
15. Sweet Sensation (1990). If Wishes Came True (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). ATCO Records. AMDY-5029.
16. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 273.
17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1286." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
18. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1295." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
19. "Tipparade-lijst van week 49, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
20. "Sweet Sensation %5BUS%5D – If Wishes Came True" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
21. "Sweet Sensation %5BUS%5D – If Wishes Came True". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
22. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. September 1, 1990. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
23. "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. September 1, 1990. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
24. "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved April 23, 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
25. "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
26. "イフ・ウィッシーズ・ケイム・トゥルー | ニューヨークス・スイート・センセーション" [If Wishes Came True | New York's Sweet Sensation] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 26, 2023.