The Sweetest Taboo Explained

The Sweetest Taboo
Cover:	Sade - The Sweetest Taboo.png
Border:	yes
Type:	single
Artist:	Sade
Album:	Promise
B-Side:	You're Not the Man
Released:	^[1]
Genre:	Quiet storm^[2] soft rock^[3] jazz^[4]
Length:	4:37
Label:	Epic
Composer:	Sade Adu Martin Ditcham
Lyricist:	Sade Adu
Producer:	Robin Millar
Prev Title:	Hang On to Your Love
Prev Year:	1984
Next Title:	Is It a Crime?
Next Year:	1985

"The Sweetest Taboo" is a song by English band Sade from their second studio album, Promise (1985). It was released in October 1985 as the album's lead single. While the song peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart, it fared considerably better in the United States, where it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1986, remaining in the top 40 for 13 weeks. It also became the band's second consecutive number-one single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, following "Smooth Operator".

Music Video

The music promo for the song, directed by Brian Ward, features the band playing in a New York jazz lounge whilst Sade reflects on a man who was a former lover. The storyline was continued in the video to follow-up single "Is It a Crime?".

Reception

Tanya Rena Jefferson of AXS stated, "The group allows the song to shine with its mellow and uptempo flavor. Sade sings proudly and boldly about how she is given love which brings out the best in her. The quiet storm vibe allows one to stand and groove dance to the soulful peaceful sound of the song."^[5]

Track listings

• 7-inch single (UK and Portugal)

A. "The Sweetest Taboo" – 4:25

B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:20

• 7-inch single (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and select European countries)

A. "The Sweetest Taboo" – 4:24

B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:09

• 12-inch single (UK, Australia and Japan)

A. "The Sweetest Taboo" (extended version) – 5:30

B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:20

• 12-inch single (select European countries)

A. "The Sweetest Taboo" (extended version) – 5:27

B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:09

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985–1986)! scope="col"

Peak position
Argentina (CAPIF)^[6]	2
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]	65
Europe (European Top 100 Singles)^[8]	12
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[9]	9
Italy (Musica e dischi)^[10]	12
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles^[11]	8
US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)^[12]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)! scope="col"

Position
US Billboard Hot 100^[13]	55
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[14]	16
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[15]	22
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles^[16]	68
US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)^[17]	7

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1986 (U.S.)

Notes and References

1. Book: Great Rock Discography. 6 March 1995 . 712. 978-0-86241-541-9 .
2. Web site: Pitchfork Staff . The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s . . August 24, 2015 . "Quiet storm" had existed as an idea since Smokey Robinson, and there it is at the heart of the song’s chorus: "There’s a quiet storm, and it’s never felt like this before.". October 18, 2022.
3. Book: Eddy, Chuck. The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music. Refried Dreams. 22 March 1997. Da Capo Press. 0-306-80741-6. 185. ...bossa nova did manage to mingle with soft rock tunes like...Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo"....
4. Book: Considine. J.D.. Coleman. Mark. Evans. Paul. McGee. David. Sade. DeCurtis. Anthony. Henke. James. George-Warren. Holly. 1992. Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. New York. 263.
5. Web site: Jefferson . Tanya Rena . Sade's 10 best songs . . 21 June 2019.
6. News: Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica. La Opinión (Los Angeles). es. 2 November 2023. 7 April 1986. 22.
7. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . illustrated . St Ives, N.S.W. . Australian Chart Book . 1993 . 263 . 0-646-11917-6.
8. European Top 100 Singles . . 2 . 44 . 4 November 1985 . 12 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
9. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . fi . 1st . Helsinki . . 2006 . 978-951-1-21053-5.
10. Web site: Classifiche . . it . 2 June 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Sade" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
11. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 8, 1986 . . 7 October 2019.
12. Web site: The Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary – Week ending February 8, 1986 . Cash Box . 21 January 2021.
13. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1986 . Billboard . 7 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210123143356/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-100-songs . 23 January 2021.
14. Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1986 . Billboard . 7 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210521212235/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/adult-contemporary-songs . 21 May 2021.
15. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1986 . Billboard . 7 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210717134016/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs . 17 July 2021.
16. Web site: The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 100 Pop Singles . Cash Box . 27 December 1986 . 3 October 2019.
17. Web site: The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1986 – Top 50 Black Contemporary Singles . Cash Box . 27 December 1986 . 4 June 2022.