In 1991, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” was released on Bonnie Raitt’s 11th studio album, Luck of the Draw. It became one of Raitt’s most successful singles, reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was so successful that in 2016 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, along with 24 other songs. Raitt recorded the song in just one take, saying that it was almost a sacred moment sharing that depth of pain. In fact, the song is so sad that when she was asked to record another take, she responded, “You know, that ain’t gonna happen.” Regardless of the gut-wrenching lyrics, Raitt has continued to sing the song in all of her concert tours, acknowledging that she does it because the audience loves the song.
