{{Short description|1985 single by Stevie Wonder}} {{Distinguish|Night Time Lover|Part-Time Love}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox song | name = Part-Time Lover | cover = Part-Time Lover.png | type = single | artist = Stevie Wonder | album = In Square Circle | B-side = Instrumental | released = August 24, 1985 | genre = {{hlist|Synth-pop|R&B|soul}} | length = 4:12 (album version)<br />3:43 (7" version)<br />8:20 (12" version) | label = Tamla | writer = Stevie Wonder | producer = Stevie Wonder | prev_title = We Are The World | prev_year = 1985 | next_title = That's What Friends Are For | next_year = 1985 }}
"'''Part-Time Lover'''" is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder, released as the first single from his twentieth studio album, ''In Square Circle'' (1985). The song reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, R&B, dance, and adult contemporary charts, becoming Wonder's final number one hit to date. The song's simultaneous chart successes made Wonder the first artist to score a number-one hit on four different ''Billboard'' charts. The song was also released as a special 12" version. Lyrically, it tells the story of a man who is cheating on his wife with a mistress, only to find out in the end that his wife is cheating on him as well.
"Part-Time Lover" also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, thanks in large part to a performance by Wonder on ''Top of the Pops'' in late 1985.
The song featured R&B singer Luther Vandross singing the ad-libs and backing vocals, in addition to Syreeta Wright and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire. Wonder earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1986, for the song. Wonder is noted in the liner notes of the four-CD set ''Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection Volume 2 1972-1992'' as describing the music for the song as an ode to "You Can't Hurry Love" and "My World Is Empty Without You", both by the Supremes, former Motown labelmates of Wonder.
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !scope="col"|Chart (1985–1986) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- |Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="Australian Chart Book 1970–1992">{{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|type=doc|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W |year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|title-link=Kent Music Report}}</ref> |align="center"|3 |- {{singlechart|Austria|11|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}} |- |Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)<ref>{{cite web |url= http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1645 |title= part time lover - stevie wonder |work= VRT |publisher= Top30-2.radio2.be |language= nl |access-date= July 25, 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120409063716/http://top30-2.radio2.be/#/song-info/1645 |archive-date= April 9, 2012 }} Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 1</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |Canada Retail Singles (''The Record'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hits of the World: Canada|magazine=Billboard|volume=97|issue=41|page=69|date=October 12, 1985}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |Canada 100 Singles (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0560&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |title= Top Singles - Volume 42, No. 22, September 10, 1985 |publisher= Library and Archives Canada |access-date= June 1, 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141129045438/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0560&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |archive-date= November 29, 2014 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |Canada Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref name="govofcanada">{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0594&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0594.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0594|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=November 9, 1985 |access-date=August 8, 2019}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf#page=284|first=Timo|last=Pennanen|year=2021|title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021|section=Stevie Wonder|page=284|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|access-date=July 14, 2022|language=fi}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|4 |- {{singlechart|France|3|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover|access-date=21 July 2013}} |- {{singlechart|Ireland2|1|song=Part Time Lover|artist=Stevie Wonder}} |- {{singlechart|Dutch40|11|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}} |- {{singlechart|Dutch100|17|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}} |- {{singlechart|New Zealand|1|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover|access-date=21 July 2013}} |- {{singlechart|Norway|5|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}} |- |Portugal (Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa)<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.laurentpons.com/charts/portugal/80s.htm | title=TOP 20 TMP Portugal - number one in the 80's airplay charts | access-date=August 9, 2019 | archive-date=August 30, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830094830/http://www.laurentpons.com/charts/portugal/80s.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |South Africa (Springbok)<ref>{{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(W).html|access-date=September 5, 2018}}</ref> |align="center"|7 |- |Spain (AFYVE)<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 1985|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- {{singlechart|Sweden|3|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}} |- {{singlechart|Switzerland|5|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover}} |- |UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/God%27s%20Home%20Movie |title=Official Charts Company - |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=March 28, 2014 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|3 |- {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=Stevie Wonder}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|1|artist=Stevie Wonder}} |- {{singlechart|Billboarddanceclubplay|1|artist=Stevie Wonder}} |- {{singlechart|West Germany|12|artist=Stevie Wonder|song=Part Time Lover|songid=1321}} |}
{|class="wikitable" !Chart (2025) !Peak<br/>position |- |Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olis.pl/charts/oficjalna-lista-airplay|title=OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay|publisher=OLiS|language=pl|access-date=August 11, 2025|type=Select week 02.08.2025–8 August 2025.}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|66 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1985) ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- |Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name="aus85">{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/SN2evHp.jpg|title=Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985|publisher=Kent Music Report|via=Imgur|access-date=January 23, 2023}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|29 |- |Canada<ref>{{cite magazine|title= RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985 |magazine= RPM |volume= 43 |issue= 16 |date= December 28, 1985 |access-date= July 30, 2017 |url= http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0619&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0619.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0619}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|9 |- |New Zealand<ref>{{cite web|title= End of Year Charts 1985 |publisher= Recorded Music NZ |access-date= July 16, 2017 |url= https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1985-12-31}}</ref> |align="center"|34 |- |UK<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 100 Singles |magazine=Music Week |publisher=Spotlight Publications |location=London, England |page=24 |date=January 24, 1987}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|37 |- |US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1985.htm Musicoutfitters.com]</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|22 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Part-Time Lover|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|award=Gold|source=infodisc}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Part Time Lover|award=Gold|relyear=1985|certyear=2023|source=radioscope|access-date=April 25, 2025}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Stevie Wonder|title=Part-Time Lover|award=Silver|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|id=5004-3788-1|access-date=February 18, 2022}} {{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}
==Personnel== *Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, synthesizers, drums *Luther Vandross – lead vocal, background vocal *Syreeta Wright, Philip Bailey (Earth Wind & Fire), Keith John, Melody McCully, Billy Durham, Peter Byrne (Naked Eyes), Renee Hardaway, Darryl Phinnessee - background vocal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Stevie-Wonder-In-Square-Circle/release/745459 |title=In Square Circle on |year=1985 |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=December 22, 2011}}</ref>
==Cover versions== *Puerto Rican salsa musician Bobby Valentin covered the song in 1986. His cover peaked at number 23 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=bobby valentín|chart=all}}|title=Bobby Valentin: Hot Latin Songs|date=September 27, 1986|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media}}</ref>
==See also== *List of RPM number-one singles of 1985 *List of number-one singles of 1985 (Ireland) *List of number-one singles in 1985 (New Zealand) *List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985 (U.S.) *List of number-one R&B singles of 1985 (U.S.) *List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1985 (U.S.) *List of number-one dance singles of 1985 (U.S.)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{YouTube|MpDM6ygsb20|Listen to "Part-Time Lover"}}
{{Stevie Wonder}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1985 singles Category:1985 songs Category:American synth-pop songs Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Category:Cashbox number-one singles Category:Dance-pop songs Category:Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Category:The Lost Fingers songs Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand Category:The Record Retail Singles number-one singles Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles Category:Song recordings produced by Stevie Wonder Category:Songs about infidelity Category:Songs written by Stevie Wonder Category:Stevie Wonder songs Category:Tamla Records singles