Save the Best for Last

The song is performed in the key of E♭ major with a tempo of 96 beats per minute in common time. Williams' vocals span from F₃ to C₅ in the song.[4][5]

AllMusic editor Michael Gallucci called the song a "glorious ballad" and added that when she is "handed torch songs that emphasized her natural slow burn", Williams is a "genuinely sexy and capable performer."[6] Billboard described it as a "nicely orchestrated pop/soul ballad", noting that it "proves that she is possibly best suited to such soothing fare, as her crystalline voice is caressed by soft and wafting strings. A beautiful offering from the excellent Comfort Zone collection."[7] Cashbox stated that it "is beautifully sung by Williams and tastefully produced and arranged by Keith Thomas."[8] Arion Berger from Entertainment Weekly wrote that Williams "closes Act One with the show-stopping happy tears of "Best for Last"".[9] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report noted that "every artist needs that "career record", and while Vanessa is by now accustomed to chart success, this effort takes her to a whole new level. It deserves to become her biggest hit to-date and it's well on the way with Top Ten status..."[10] Another editor, John Martinucci said that Williams "gives this beautiful ballad a simple and delicate presentation that'll lift any romantic spirit."[11] Insider described the song as "a gorgeous ballad" and stated that "this song has stood the test of time."[12] The Orlando Sentinel described it as a "a sophisticated ballad".[13] R. LaMont Jones Jr. from The Pittsburgh Press picked the song as the album's "centerpiece", calling it "a real-life, down-to-earth song" that Barbra Streisand "will no doubt wish she had been given. But with Williams' soulful delivery, it's hard to imagine anyone doing it better."[14] Steve Pick from St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that "the first thing to notice is that Williams can really sing. I'm talking phrasing and dynamics that could stand up to fine jazz singers. Then, we realize that this is a nice little tune".[15]

The song was immortalized in the United Kingdom in a series of 1990s adverts for Bisto Best gravy granules. The adverts featured slow motion shots of gravy being poured over a roast dinner while the song played in the background.

The single was Williams's third number one on the Soul singles chart and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in 1992.[2] "Save the Best for Last" was ranked fourth in the Billboard Top 100 hits of 1992, becoming the biggest success of Williams's music career. The song also went to number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary and R&B charts; it remained atop these charts for three weeks apiece. Internationally, the single reached number one in Australia and Canada, number two in Ireland, and number three in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

ASCAP named it as its Song of the Year, meaning it was performed more than any other song in 1992; it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1993, losing to Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" in both categories.[3]

There are two versions of the music video for this single. The original version of the music video, which primarily aired on MTV, begins with Williams walking around in a winter landscape for the first few seconds, then intercuts between black-and-white footage of Williams singing in front of a dark curtain, an orchestra playing along to the blue-tinted footage as it is being projected on a screen, and Williams singing in a living room with candles, a fireplace and a sofa. A "behind the scenes" cut was also later made of the video, which primarily aired on VH1, predominantly zooming on the orchestra scenes and the blue-tinted footage of Williams as well as showcasing footage from the making of the video. The original version of the music video was released on VEVO and YouTube.

Europe single

1. "Save the Best for Last" 3:39
2. "2 of a Kind" 5:15
3. "Dreamin'" 5:25

US maxi-CD

1. "Save the Best for Last" 3:39
2. "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)" (LP Version) 4:13
3. "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)" (Free Your Body Club Mix) 6:59
4. "Freedom Dance (Get Free!)" (Vanessa's Sweat Mix) 5:21
5. "The Right Stuff" (UK Mix) 6:18

UK vinyl, 7-inch

• A "Save the Best for Last" 3:39
• B "2 of a Kind" 5:15

Netherlands 12-inch, promo

• A "Save the Best for Last" 3:39
• B1 "2 of a Kind" 5:15
• B2 "Dreamin'" 5:25

• In 1994, saxophonist Marion Meadows covered the song for his album Forbidden Fruit,[45] Filipino singer Kuh Ledesma recorded a version with jazz violinist Noel Pointer on her album The Voice and the Violin, jazz singer Ethel Ennis included a version on her self-titled album.
• In 1995, then new-age/new adult contemporary pianist Brian Culbertson covered the song for his album Modern Life.
• In 1996, the song was covered by Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda in both English and Japanese for the mini album Guardian Angel.
• In 2003, the song was released by Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy on the 2003 album When the Spirit Returns but was recorded Oct. 1997, and by the band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on the album Take a Break.
• In 2014, Alexandra Shipp sang the song in the Lifetime television film Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, a biopic about R&B star Aaliyah, whom Shipp portrays in the film,[46] though Aaliyah never covered the song herself.

The tune is the basis of Märchenland Gefühl (German: Fairy Tale Feeling) and Iets Heeft je Zachtjes Aangeraakt (Flemish/Dutch: Something you softly touched), both by Belgian artiste Dana Winner. Hong Kong cantopop singer Shirley Kwan also has a Cantonese cover version entitled "Why Us" (為何是我們).

• List of number-one R&B singles of 1992 (U.S.)
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1992 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1992 (U.S.)

• SingerUniverse Magazine account of the song's writing
• Save the Best for Last. Discogs.com.
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics