When LeAnn Rimes released "How Do I Live" in May 1997, she was only 14 years old.
Just months shy of her 15th birthday, the young country singer delivered a vocal performance far beyond her years. Although the song faced unusual competition upon its release, it ultimately became one of the biggest crossover hits in music history and is now recognized as one of Billboard's greatest songs of all time.
The song's journey was anything but ordinary.
"I was actually in a restaurant, and [songwriter] Diane [Warren] came up to me and said, 'I have the song,'" Rimes told Smooth Radio years later. "I ended up back up at her studio that night and recorded these three demos, and she was trying to pitch that song, or she had pitched it for [the movie] Con Air."
However, the filmmakers ultimately opted to use a version by Trisha Yearwood in the movie, leading to two competing recordings being released almost simultaneously.
"No harm, no foul! [My version] became huge," Rimes continued.It was one of those things that just, it worked out the way it was supposed to."
Although it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, "How Do I Live" spent an astonishing 69 weeks on the chart, setting a longevity record at the time. Its remarkable staying power helped it become one of the defining crossover hits of the late 1990s, earning success across the pop, country, and adult contemporary formats.
Its chart legacy has endured for decades.
"How Do I Live" remains one of the greatest songs in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to its unprecedented longevity and sustained popularity. Even as newer hits have rewritten chart records, Rimes' signature ballad continues to rank among the most successful songs ever to appear on the Hot 100.
The recording also transformed Rimes into an international superstar.
Already a country sensation following "Blue," she successfully crossed into the pop world while still in her teens, paving the way for a career that would include multiple Grammy Awards and millions of records sold worldwide. "How Do I Live" remains the song most closely associated with her remarkable rise.
"When 'How Do I Live' crossed over into the Top 40 and was a huge success… I think people thought I was leaving country music, and that wasn’t the case," Rimes told Vice. "I kind of feel like I got pushed out in a lot of ways. So we had that success with that song, 'I Need You,' and 'You Light Up My Life,' and we were feeling out that territory for actually making a record that way. But I think it was a natural progression and a natural experimentation… I mean I started so young that I had to experiment! I would have been a real boring artist if I didn't. I'm glad I dabbled in everything."
Nearly 30 years after its release, "How Do I Live" continues to resonate with listeners through its timeless melody and emotional performance. Featuring a 14 year-old LeAnn Rimes at the beginning of an extraordinary career, the 1997 ballad has earned its place among the greatest songs in Billboard history, a testament to a performance that has truly stood the test of time.
Related: 1968 Rock Song, With 21-Year-Old Singer Linda Ronstadt, Is Still a Powerful Hit 58 Years Later
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