{{About|the song|the episode|One Bad Apple (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)}} {{Infobox song | name = One Bad Apple | cover = One Bad Apple-The Osmonds cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Osmonds | album = Osmonds | B-side = He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother | released = November 14, 1970 | recorded = October 26, 1970 | studio = FAME Studios (Muscle Shoals, Alabama) | genre = Bubblegum<ref name=Warner>{{cite book |title=The Da Capo Book Of American Singing Groups |last=Warner |first=Jay |date=2000 |publisher=Da Capo Press|page=501 |isbn=978-0306809231}}</ref> | length = 2:45 | label = MGM | writer = George Jackson | producer = Rick Hall | prev_title = I've Got Loving on My Mind | prev_year = 1970 | next_title = Double Lovin' | next_year = 1971 }} "'''One Bad Apple'''" is a song by the Osmonds, released as a single on November 14, 1970. It debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on January 2, 1971. It hit the top of the chart on February 13, 1971 and stayed there for five weeks. It also reached No. 6 on the R&B chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=445}}</ref> ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1971.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> Both "One Bad Apple" and the Donny Osmond-credited single "Sweet and Innocent" are on the 1970 album ''Osmonds''. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on February 4, 1971.
The song was written by George Jackson, who originally had the Jackson 5 in mind when he wrote it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=9173 |title=One Bad Apple by The Osmonds Songfacts |website=Songfacts.com |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> According to Donny Osmond, Michael Jackson later told him that the Jackson 5 almost recorded this song first, but chose to record "ABC" instead.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acm64edbk7I Reference starts at 0:36</ref> Rick Hall recorded and produced the song at his FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals; to determine who would sing lead, he lined up all of the brothers (including Jimmy) and had each one sing the opening line, choosing Merrill and Donny. Ultimately, songs led primarily by Merrill would be released as being by the Osmonds, while those by Donny would be released under Donny's name (with the brothers still accompanying him). MGM Records head Mike Curb then brought it to Terry Manning in Memphis to mix.
"One Bad Apple" was also used as the theme to ''The Osmonds'' cartoon show on ABC-TV.
Aaron Carter covered the song for his self-titled debut album in 1997.
==Charts== {{col-begin|width=65%}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+Weekly chart performance for "One Bad Apple" !scope="col"|Chart (1970–1971) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- !scope="row"|Australia KMR<ref name="austchartbook1970">{{cite web|url=http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ |title=Australian Chart Book |website=Austchartbook.com.au |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|35 |- !scope="row"|Canada ''RPM'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5231&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5231.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5231|title=RPM 100 Singles - Volume 15, No. 2|website=Library and Archives Canada|date=17 July 2013 |access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- !scope="row"|New Zealand (''Listener'')<ref>[http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=875#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 12 April 1971]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|17 |- !scope="row"|UK (''Melody Maker'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/99945-melody-maker-singles-charts-1970s?97549= |title=Melody Maker Singles Charts 1970s |website=UKMix.org |date=12 February 2014 |access-date=2021-08-09 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|38 |- !scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- !scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' R&B/Soul<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=445}}</ref> |{{center|6}} |- !scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-osmonds/chart-history/asi/ | title=The Osmonds Chart History (Adult Contemporary) | magazine=Billboard | access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|37 |- !scope="row"|US ''Cash Box'' Top 100<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/_0s_files/196_0_XX.html |title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MONTH DD, 19YY |access-date=2016-10-16 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''Cash Box'' magazine. Retrieved 16 June 2016.</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+1988 weekly chart performance for "One Bad Apple" !scope="col"|Chart (1988) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- !scope="row"|UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tsort.info/music/yr1971.htm |title=Songs from the Year 1971 |website=Tsort.info |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|89 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+Year-end chart performance for "One Bad Apple" !scope="col"|Chart (1971) !scope="col"|Rank |- !scope="row"|Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.7590&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|20 |- !scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|4 |- !scope="row"|US R&B/Soul (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQ8EAAAAMBAJ&q=another+day+paul+mccartney&pg=RA1-PA15 |title=Billboard |page=15 |date=1971-12-25 |access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> |{{center|48}} |- !scope="row"|US ''Cash Box''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html |title=Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1971 |website=Tropicalglen.com |date=1971-12-25 |access-date=2016-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006205612/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html |archive-date=2016-10-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|9 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "One Bad Apple"}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United States|artist=The Osmonds|title=One Bad Apple|award=Gold|relyear=1970|certyear=1971|refname=riaa}} {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/the-osmonds/one-bad-apple Lyrics of this song] * {{YouTube|30Cxl5bVmVU|The Osmonds - One Bad Apple}}
{{The Osmonds}}
Category:1970 songs Category:1970 singles Category:Songs written by George Jackson (songwriter) Category:The Osmonds songs Category:Aaron Carter songs Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Category:Cashbox number-one singles Category:MGM Records singles Category:Bubblegum pop songs Category:Apples in culture