How “Save the Best for Last” Came to Vanessa Williams

During an interview on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s *Dinner’s on Me* podcast, Vanessa Williams disclosed that the Grammy-nominated ballad “Save the Best for Last” was first offered to Bette Midler, who declined, and then to Barbra Streisand, who also passed. Williams was the third artist approached and ultimately recorded the track for her 1991 album *The Comfort Zone*. The single became her sole Billboard Hot 100 number-one, holding the top spot for five weeks and ranking fourth on the year-end chart for 1992.

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“Save the Best for Last,” a romantic pop ballad, was written by renowned songwriters and pitched to major vocalists before reaching Williams. Its success helped define her music career, complementing later hits such as “The Comfort Zone,” “Colors of the Wind,” “The Sweetest Days,” and “Love Is.” The song’s prominence coincided with other 1992 chart-toppers like Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

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• Vanessa Williams – Singer-actress; recorded “Save the Best for Last” for *The Comfort Zone* (1991).

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• Bette Midler – First artist offered the song; declined.

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• Barbra Streisand – Second artist offered the song; declined.

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• Five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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• Two Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year.

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• Ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s 1992 year-end Hot 100 list.

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• “They gave it to Bette Midler, who passed,” — Vanessa Williams

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These details illustrate the near-misses that led to Williams’ signature hit and underscore how a song’s path through multiple top performers can shape pop-music history.

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