"The Right Stuff" is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released as the first single from her 1988 debut studio album of the same name. The crossover single was very successful and became a top-five hit on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as making the Billboard Hot 100. "The Right Stuff" also went to number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for one week. It peaked at number 71 on the UK Singles Chart and re-entered the charts in 1989, this time peaking at number 62 with a remixed version. At the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, but lost to Anita Baker's "Giving You The Best That I Got".

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine Music & Media picked "The Right Stuff" as Single of the Week. They wrote, "Excellent dance-pop/new jack swing/R&B mixture from this hot new artist, or Miss America in 1983. The groove has a definite Jam/Lewis much, but with the dry synthesized percussion and the effective use of vocals and sampling, the overall atmosphere is irresistible and bound for the clubs."

Music video

The accompanying video for "The Right Stuff" was filmed in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Track listing and formats

Usage in media

The song was featured in the premiere of the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race, being performed by contestants Venus D-Lite and Shangela in a "lipsync for your life". It was featured again in the eighth episode of the fifteenth season in the second round of the Lip Sync LaLaPaRuZa Smackdown, being performed by contestants Luxx Noir London, Anetra and Jax.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts