I Want to Know What Love Is
Foreigner
1985
Annual listening-list association, not an original-release-date field. Original release year reconciled with reviewed recording-specific Artist Essentials evidence in v3.6.
Release: 1984
Release: 1984Source checked | Recent carryover
V3.6 reconciles the original release year with the reviewed Artist Essentials entry for this exact retained recording ID. Year precision is used; an album-first release is not silently replaced by a later single, reissue or annual-list year. The original studio recording was released in 1984 and belongs to the original Agent Provocateur program. Year precision does not assign an album day to a single or a later reissue.
The large badge identifies this listening list, not a newly issued recording. Later reissues and renewed chart popularity do not replace an original release date. How years are assigned.
Owner-supplied release annotations
Reported dates in 1984.html, 1985.html, 1985.html. Not independently established; neighboring dates can reflect album/single or regional differences.
Foreigner - original album programs and separately labeled editions
Original Agent Provocateur (1984) program and year in the label album collection. Modern mastering, bonus recordings and other original album programs are not substituted for the selected recordings.
Foreigner - original Atlantic studio album chronology
Rhino explicitly dates the original albums Foreigner 1977, Double Vision 1978, Head Games 1979, 4 1981, Agent Provocateur 1984 and Inside Information 1987. Original studio hits are separated from later deluxe-edition demos, live tracks and nearly unplugged performances. The 2014 box date is not used as first release.
Inspiration and background
Documented songwriting inspiration
Mick Jones described writing the song late at night while reflecting on divorce, a new relationship and pressures within the band. He wanted the arrangement to convey a spiritual dimension; the New Jersey Mass Choir helped give the recording that character. This is Jones' account, not an attribution of the song to Lou Gramm's personal life.
Evidence scope: Reviewed primary interview account; scope is limited to this paragraph
Sources for this information
Henry Yates / Classic Rock: Mick Jones on I Want to Know What Love Is
Background/composition section; paraphrased, not a quotation | Retrieved 2026-10-11
Other appearances and versions
catalog version unspecified
Textual identity reconciliation, not audio-fingerprint or exact-pressing verification. Version labels are catalog safeguards.
An annual chart year and an original release date are different. Similar titles may be covers or different masters; no audio fingerprint has been performed.
Sources and scope
Source-backed annual association (secondary source; not a complete discographic review)
Editorial artist-repertoire classification
Billboard year-end 1985 table (Wikipedia transcription)
Secondary chart transcription reviewed for title, artist and annual association. Not proof of release date, genre or inspiration.
Browse by year
1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.