Long before “Another Night” was the title of a Real McCoy song, and even longer before that very same tune inspired the name of the current ’90s club night run in the UK by Popservations’ fave Bright Light Bright Light and David Oh, “Another Night” was a hit for Aretha Franklin.

The fourth single from Aretha’s platinum-selling mid-’80s comeback album, Who’s Zoomin’ Who?, “Another Night” was produced by Narada Michael Walden. The singer-songwriter turned sought-after studio wiz notched hits in the decade for Whitney Houston (“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “So Emotional”), Jermaine Stewart (“We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off”), Starship (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”), and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin (“Freeway Of Love”). I could always spot a Narada Michael Walden production by its airy, sparkling sound (that, and the fact that he was often associated with acts on the Arista and RCA labels).

This week in January 1986, Aretha debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Another Night,” eventually reaching #22 that March. The following year, Aretha would chart the second #1 of her career (after 1967’s “Respect”) with “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” her Grammy-winning duet with George Michael — another Narada Michael Walden production.

There’s so much I still love about Aretha’s “Another Night,” another in a long line of favorite female-fronted survival anthems. There’s the bridge (“Out where the music is loud, and the people are la-a–aughing”), and a fantastic talky bit (which I can’t believe I forgot when compiling this list). But those great bits are topped off by this dressing-down, which Aretha brilliantly delivers in staccato: “My man, I don’t need you to keep me bringing me down.” It’s her total investment in the lyrics that sells it all so well. A singer’s singer, if ever there was one.

The music video for “Another Night” was filmed at Taboo Club, which Aretha co-owned at the time:

The 69-year-old Franklin, who endured a health scare last year and subsequently lost a bit of weight, recently announced her engagement to longtime companion, William “Willie” Wilkerson. The two plan to wed this summer.

Purchase Aretha Franklin – “Another Night” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.