It is consistently ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the [500 Greatest Songs of All Time](https://www.rolling stone.com).
Released in November 1984 as the lead single from Foreigner's fifth album, Agent Provocateur , "" remains one of the most iconic power ballads in music history. The Story & Inspiration Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is
Seeking an emotional "universal feeling," Jones added the New Jersey Mass Choir to the track. Legend has it that the choir only nailed the perfect take after gathering in a circle to say the Lord’s Prayer. It is consistently ranked by Rolling Stone as
Lead singer Lou Gramm was initially hesitant about the song, fearing its soft, gospel-tinged sound would move the band too far away from their rock roots. Chart Success & Impact Legend has it that the choir only nailed
The song became Foreigner's biggest hit, reaching #1 in both the U.S. and the UK. In the U.S., it famously ended the six-week reign of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" in February 1985.
Songwriter and guitarist Mick Jones has famously stated that the song felt like a gift from a "higher force," written at 3:00 a.m. during a deeply introspective period following several failed relationships.