The song "I Drove All Night" was written and composed by American songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. It was originally meant for Roy Orbison, who recorded it in 1987, the year before his death. His version of the song was not released until 1991. Before that, Cyndi Lauper recorded the song and released it as a single from her album A Night to Remember. Her version reached the top 10 on music charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom in 1989 and was her final top 40 hit on the American pop charts. Lauper continues to perform the song during her live concerts. In 2003, Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded the song, and her version reached number one on the Canadian Singles Chart and number seven on the US Adult Contemporary chart. That same year, country music band Pinmonkey released a version of the song, which reached the top 40 on the US Hot Country Songs chart.
Cyndi Lauper version
The song "I Drove All Night" was recorded by American singer and songwriter Cyndi Lauper for her third solo album, A Night to Remember (1989). Lauper explained she wanted to record the song because she liked the idea of a woman driving and being in control. The song reached the top 10 in the United States, becoming her 8th and final top-10 single and her 10th and final top-40 single. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also popular in other countries. The song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. The music video, directed by Lauper and Scott Kalvert, includes the opening lines from the song "Kindred Spirit," scenes of an old car, Lauper’s energetic dancing, and movie film projected onto her body.
Billboard magazine’s reviewer described the music as "yearning crystalline pop/rock" and noted Lauper’s mature vocal style. New Musical Express praised the song for its "modern European sounds" and highlighted Lauper’s emotional singing, calling it an atmospheric "night-time driving" anthem. Jerry Smith of Music Week said Lauper had a "good ear" for music and praised her confident and dramatic performance, believing the "passionate ballad" could help her return to the charts. Tim Nicholson of Record Mirror called the song "a punchy stab at power-driven west coast rock." Edem E. Ephraim and Dennis Fuller of London Boys were disappointed by the lack of "real Cyndi Lauper touch" and suggested that songwriters like Steinberg and Kelly, who wrote "Eternal Flame" for The Bangles, created something too simple for anyone to perform. A Melody Maker review called the song "typically bland" and said Lauper’s unique style and feminist themes were not present. The single sold 100,000 copies in France.
The song was released on multiple formats, including 7-inch and cassette versions for the US and Japan, and mini-CDs for the US and Europe. The tracks included:
7-inch and cassette (US and Japanese mini-CD):
1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
2. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
12-inch (European mini-CD and UK CD):
1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
2. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
3. "Boy Blue" (live at Le Zenith) – 5:36
UK limited-edition picture disc CD:
1. "I Drove All Night" – 4:08
2. "What's Going On" (club version) – 6:35
3. "Maybe He'll Know" (remix) – 3:41
4. "Time After Time" – 3:53
Roy Orbison version
Jeff Lynne used parts of Roy Orbison's 1987 recordings for the 1992 album King of Hearts, which included the song "I Drove All Night." Orbison's version of the song first appeared on the 1991 album Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin', which was based on Super Mario World. The song was released as a single in June 1992 and became a major success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. This matched the highest position reached by Lauper's version of the song three years earlier. In the United States, King of Hearts and "I Drove All Night" were well received, helping Orbison return to the Billboard charts and earning a Grammy Award. A music video featuring Jason Priestley and Jennifer Connelly was created for the single. It included old footage of Orbison and had quiet references to the Mario series and the album's name. The song is also in the movie Paperback Hero, which stars Hugh Jackman.
Celine Dion version
"I Drove All Night" was recorded by Celine Dion for her eighth English-language studio album, One Heart (2003), and released as the lead single on January 21, 2003. The song was used in a Chrysler advertisement. The music video for the song was directed by Peter Arnell and released in February 2003. It was included on the United Kingdom enhanced double A-side single "One Heart /I Drove All Night." The song was very successful. It reached number 1 in Canada for five weeks and also topped the charts in Belgium (Flanders) and Sweden.
In 2003, Chrysler signed Dion to a $14 million deal to promote their cars. They wanted a song for their campaign and to release as a single. Billy Steinberg, who knew Dion and had written her song "Falling into You," sent a copy of Roy Orbison's version of "I Drove All Night" to her record company. The company liked it and had Dion record it with Swedish producer Peer Åström. Dion used the song in her Las Vegas show, and it became the center of the Chrysler campaign. The commercials helped sell many albums, but they did not sell enough cars. Chrysler ended the deal after dealers complained and it became clear the ads were not working. Dion kept her $14 million fee.
Dion's version of "I Drove All Night" is a dance-pop song. It was also described as "a little bit dance-club, a little bit rock and roll." In the second verse, Dion repeats a line from Orbison's original recording. Instead of singing, "no matter where I go I hear the beating of our heart," she sings, "our one heart," which is where the album One Heart gets its name. Like the original, the chorus is sung twice, ending the single.
Dion's version of "I Drove All Night" is in the key of G♯ minor. It has a moderately fast tempo of 135 beats per minute, and her vocals range from F♯3 to E5.
The song received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it a "tongue-in-cheek, neo-house cover" and named it one of the best tracks on the album. Rebecca Wallwork of Amazon praised it as "the car-commercial-driven tempo," while Jam!'s Darryl Sterdan compared it to a "Cher-style eurodisco." Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani said Dion "gets the Cher treatment on the blazing cover." People's Chuck Arnold noted that Dion "shows surprising restraint for a diva who just had a coliseum custom-built for her."
However, The Guardian's Betty Clarke wrote a negative review, saying the song "reveals a fundamental lack of sincerity" and made Dion "threatening when trying for tender." David Browne of EW gave the cover a C+ grade, calling her delivery "frigid" and the arrangement "blandly competent."
In Canada, the song debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and stayed there for five weeks. It was Dion's third airplay-only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 45. The commercial single was released five months later, reaching number 26 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales. Club remixes, mainly by Hex Hector, helped the song peak at number 2 on the Hot Dance Club Play.
In Australia, the song debuted at number 22 on the ARIA Charts on March 16, 2003. It fluctuated on the chart for several weeks before spending 10 weeks total and being certified gold. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 48 on the RIANZ chart on March 2, 2003, and peaked at number 24 after 9 weeks on the chart.
The song was very successful in Belgium (Flanders), where it topped the charts and was certified platinum for selling 50,000 copies. In Sweden, it debuted at number 1 on the Swedish Singles Chart but later fluctuated, spending 17 weeks on the chart. In Denmark, the song debuted at number 2 and spent three weeks there before falling to number 5 and 6.
In France, the song did not reach the top 20 but spent 11 non-consecutive weeks on the SNEP chart. It re-entered the chart at number 22 on April 26, 2003.
The music video, filmed in Las Vegas on February 2, 2003, was directed by Peter Arnell and shot by Rolf Kestermann. It was a black and white video featuring Dion and other scenes. It was included on the UK enhanced CD single of One Heart and was nominated for the MuchMoreMusic Award in 2003.
Dion appeared in four Chrysler commercials, all using songs from One Heart, including "I Drove All Night." The ads were directed by Arnell and edited by Bee Ottinger, with Darius Khondji as director of photography.
Dion performed "I Drove All Night" during her A New Day… show and included it on the A New Day… Live in Las Vegas CD (2004) and DVD (2007). A bonus DVD called One Year…One Heart included the song and video-making footage.
The song was also the opening track for the 2008-09 Taking Chances World Tour, with a remix of the song used in an introduction video. The performance was included in the Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert CD/DVD. In October 2008, "I Drove All Night" was added to My Love: Essential Collection, a greatest hits album. The song was also performed during Dion's 2017 European tour.
European CD maxi-single.
Pinmonkey version
In 2003, the American country music band Pinmonkey included a cover of the song on their self-titled debut album. Group member Chad Jeffers said the idea to create a country version of the song came from his girlfriend, who liked Cyndi Lauper's version. To ensure their cover was unique, the band chose not to listen to Lauper's version and instead based their recording on an acoustic version sung by Jeffers. The cover was released as the second single from the album and reached number 36 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Jack Leaver of The Grand Rapids Press praised the cover for its vocal harmony and country rock sound. Deborah Evans Price, in a Billboard review, noted that the band "successfully made it their own." She wrote that Reynolds' vocals clearly showed the emotional urgency in the lyrics, and Worley's production allowed the group to display the smoother side of their country rock style.