Rogers and Parton’s Live Performance
Kenny Rogers had a duet with Dolly Parton live in 1985. In 2017, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill performed it live in their Soul2Sould World Tour.
Before telling you who sang it better, let us just have a brief history of this classic hit.
We’ve Got Tonight is Roger’s fourteenth studio album released in 1983. The said album was also his last with Liberty Records before moving to RCA Nashville.
The title cut with a Sheena Easton duet was the debut single and became one of Rogers’ signature hits. It soared high to the #1 spot on the country charts, #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #6 on the Hot 100 chart. The two other singles: “All My Life” peaking at #13 on the country charts and #3 in Canada and “Scarlet Fever” reaching #5 in the US and #4 in Canada were also there.
The title of the album comes from its signature track. Bob Seger is the writer and it originated from his album, Stranger in Town. To compare, Seger’s only reached #13 on the Hot 100 while Rogers made a version better-known after half a decade since of its writing.
McGraw and Hill’s Version
“You Are So Beautiful”, another song from the album, never became a single yet became one of Rogers’ most powerful songs. From the title itself, it was a tribute to his legions of female fans—a track placed at the end of the album as a symbol of gratitude. Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher were the names behind this song. It initially appeared on the 1974 Preston album The Kids and Me.
Lionel Richie, another name behind Rogers’ success, submitted the track “How Long” to this album.
We’ve Got Tonight hit #3 on the country charts and #18 on the Billboard 200 charts. Despite lower rankings compared to his earlier releases, the album was still platinum certified in the USA and Canada.
Now, who sang it better? It is up to you to decide.