Only If...

"Only If..."
Single by Enya
from the album Paint the Sky with Stars
B-side
Released10 November 1997 (1997-11-10)
Length3:18
Label
Songwriters
ProducerNicky Ryan
Enya singles chronology
"On My Way Home"
(1996)		 "Only If..."
(1997)		 "Only Time"
(2000)
Music video
"Only If" on YouTube

"Only If..." is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Enya, released on 10 November 1997, by WEA and Reprise Records, as the first single from her first greatest hits compilation, Paint the Sky with Stars (1997). The song charted in several countries, and its accompanying music video was noted for its creative direction. Enya promoted the song with interviews and performances on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Royal Variety Performance.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Enya delivers yet another great single. 'Only If' is as peaceful and memorably melodic as any other of her inspirational, soul-purifying songs, which traditionally are etched with a unique combination of background voices with drums and violin lines. It's a combination that makes all her songs seem antique, almost, if not angelic. Enya can many times take her listeners into another dimension altogether, and this single is a fine example of that."[1] British magazine Music Week gave the song three out of five, noting that it "is the closest Enya has come to a traditional pop arrangement, though the trademark orchestral layers and oceanic sonics are still in place."[2]

Track listings

UK and US CD single, US cassette single[3][4][5]
No.TitleLength
1."Only If..."3:18
2."Willows on the Water"3:02
3."Oíche Chiún (Silent Night)"3:45
UK cassette single and US 7-inch single[6][7]
No.TitleLength
1."Only If..."3:18
2."Oíche Chiún (Silent Night)"3:45

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Only If..."
Chart (1997–1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 94
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[9]16
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 23
Germany (GfK)[11]68
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[12] 30
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[13] 6
Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40)[14] 19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15]78
Poland (Music & Media)[16] 4
Scottish Singles Sales (Official Charts)[17]44
UK Singles (Official Charts)[18]43
US Billboard Hot 100[19]88

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Only If..."
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Europe 10 November 1997 CD WEA [11]
Japan 25 November 1997 [20]

References

  1. ↑ Flick, Larry (6 December 1997). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 85. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 8 November 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Only If... (UK CD single liner notes). WEA. 1997. WEA143CD, 3984 21009 2.
  4. ↑ Only If... (US CD single liner notes). Reprise Records. 1997. 9 17266-2.
  5. ↑ Only If... (US cassette single sleeve). Reprise Records. 1997. 9 17266-4.
  6. ↑ Only If... (UK cassette single sleeve). WEA. 1997. WEA143C, 3984 21010 4.
  7. ↑ Only If... (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Reprise Records. 1997. 7-17266.
  8. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  9. ↑ "Enya – Only If..." (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Enya". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 74. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (4.12.–11.12.1997)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 5 December 1997. p. 30. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "Major Market Airplay: Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 4. 24 January 1998. p. 43.
  14. ↑ "Enya - Only If..." Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Enya – Only If..." (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. ↑ "Major Market Airplay – Week 48/1997" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 48. 29 November 1997. p. 27. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 13/12/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 13/12/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "Enya Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  20. ↑ "オンリー・イフ | エンヤ" [Only If | Enya] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
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