The 20 Best David Foster Songs, from Hard to Say I'm Sorry to The Prayer

What songs did David Foster write?

David Foster co-wrote "After the Love Has Gone" for Earth, Wind and Fire, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "You're the Inspiration" for Chicago, "The Glory of Love" for Peter Cetera, "I Have Nothing" for Whitney Houston and "The Prayer" for Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. He also produced huge hits he did not write, including Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" and Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart".

Songs David Foster wrote or co-wrote

1. "After the Love Has Gone", Earth, Wind and Fire, 1979: a Grammy-winning R&B ballad.
2. "Got to Be Real", Cheryl Lynn, 1978: a disco-funk classic he co-wrote.
3. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", Chicago, 1982: the power ballad that relaunched the band.
4. "You're the Inspiration", Chicago, 1984: a soaring love song.
5. "Hard Habit to Break", Chicago, 1984: a big, emotional ballad.
6. "Look What You've Done to Me", Boz Scaggs, 1980: a ballad from the film Urban Cowboy.
7. "Through the Fire", Chaka Khan, 1984: a soulful ballad of devotion.
8. "Who's Holding Donna Now", DeBarge, 1985: a smooth R&B hit.
9. "The Glory of Love", Peter Cetera, 1986: a number one from The Karate Kid Part II.
10. "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire", David Foster, 1985: his own instrumental top 20 hit.
11. "The Best of Me", 1985: a ballad recorded by Kenny Rogers and by Foster himself.
12. "Winter Games", David Foster, 1988: the theme of the Calgary Winter Olympics.
13. "I Have Nothing", Whitney Houston, 1992: a powerhouse ballad from The Bodyguard.
14. "Grown-Up Christmas List", 1990: a Christmas ballad later made famous by Amy Grant.
15. "The Prayer", Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, 1998: a Golden Globe-winning duet.

Hits David Foster produced

16. "I Will Always Love You", Whitney Houston, 1992: the record-breaking ballad from The Bodyguard.
17. "Unforgettable", Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole, 1991: the duet that won Record of the Year.
18. "I Swear", All-4-One, 1994: an eleven-week number one.
19. "Because You Loved Me", Celine Dion, 1996: a Diane Warren ballad from the film Up Close and Personal.
20. "Un-Break My Heart", Toni Braxton, 1996: another Diane Warren ballad and a number one.

Who is David Foster?

David Foster was born on November 1, 1949, in Victoria, British Columbia. A gifted pianist, he played in the band Skylark and then became one of Los Angeles' busiest session players and arrangers in the 70s, forming the duo Airplay with Jay Graydon. As a producer and songwriter he went on to win 16 Grammys from 45 nominations, worked as an executive at Warner Music Group and chairman of Verve, and produced the major-label debut albums of Michael Bublé and Josh Groban.

The Foster sound

David Foster's productions are known for big, polished ballads: lush piano and strings, a dramatic key change near the end, and space for a singer to soar. That sound defined Chicago's 80s comeback, Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year, and Celine Dion's biggest hits, and it made him the go-to producer for wedding and movie ballads for three decades.

Chicago's 80s comeback

By the early 80s Chicago's horn-driven sound had fallen out of fashion. Foster produced their album Chicago 16 in 1982 and co-wrote "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" with singer Peter Cetera, and the ballad went to number one. He stayed on for Chicago 17, with "You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break", turning the band into one of the biggest ballad acts of the decade.

The Bodyguard and Unforgettable

Foster produced two of the biggest albums of the early 90s. Natalie Cole's Unforgettable... with Love, built around a virtual duet with her late father, Nat King Cole, won Album of the Year, and The Bodyguard soundtrack, with Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing" and "I'm Every Woman", became the best-selling soundtrack of all time. For more, see our top songs of 1993.

David Foster songs for a wedding

Many of Foster's ballads are wedding classics. "The Prayer" is a moving ceremony song, "Because You Loved Me" and "You're the Inspiration" are favorite first dances, "I Swear" is a heartfelt choice for a vow renewal, and "Unforgettable" is perfect for an anniversary. For more, see our first dance songs and old love songs.

More great songwriters

If you love David Foster's songs, explore our Neil Sedaka songs, Boz Scaggs songs and famous piano songs.

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