The Most Beautiful Girl


"The Most Beautiful Girl" is a song recorded by Charlie Rich and written by Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson, and Rory Bourke. The countrypolitan ballad reached No. 1 in the United States in 1973 on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart, the country chart, and the adult contemporary chart, as well as in Canada on three RPM charts: the RPM 100 Top Singles chart, the Country Tracks chart, and the Adult Contemporary chart. Billboard ranked it as the Billboard Year-End [Hot 100 singles of 1974|No. 23 song for 1974].
It is actually a merging of two songs previously recorded by Wilson: "Hey Mister". which forms a major part of the song; and "Mama McCluskie”, used in part in the chorus.
The B-side, Rich's own "I Feel Like Going Home”, was later covered by Rita Coolidge and was released on her 1974 album Fall into Spring.
British pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck covered "The Most Beautiful Girl" on his 1973 album Engelbert: King of Hearts.
"The Most Beautiful Girl" was also recorded by Slim Whitman and released on his 1974 album Happy Anniversary, and the same year by Andy Williams on his album The Way We Were. In 1975 ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad recorded a Swedish-language version called "Vill du låna en man?" on her solo album Frida ensam. Sergio Franchi recorded the song on his 1976 DynaHouse album 20 Magnificent Songs. Country music boy band South 65 recorded an updated version of the song, titled "The Most Beautiful Girl ”. on their 2001 album Dream Large.
The song receives a very brief airing by Brenda Fricker in the film So I Married an Axe Murderer. Jason Alexander offered a rendition as his character George Costanza on the December 16, 1992, episode of the sitcom Seinfeld titled "The Pick", where he bemoaned the loss of his girlfriend, Susan. The song is featured prominently in the 2018 horror film The Ranger.

Personnel

Chart performance

Year-end charts

Chart Rank
Australia 57
UK25
US Billboard Hot 10023
US Cash Box3