"This Night Won't Last Forever" is a song written by Bill LaBounty and Roy Freeland, and originally recorded by LaBounty in 1978, whose version of the song was a minor Adult Contemporary and pop hit, reaching number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The following year, American singer-songwriter Michael Johnson covered "This Night Won't Last Forever", released as the lead single from his fifth album Dialogue, backed with a cover of Parker McGee's "I Just Can't Say No to You", also included on the album. Johnson's version of "This Night Won't Last Forever" reached number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was also a top 10 Adult Contemporary hit in the United States (#5) and Canada (#9).
In 1997, Sawyer Brown covered the song. It was released in June 1997 as the second single from the album Six Days on the Road. Sawyer Brown's version went to number 6 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs charts.
Critical reception
Larry Flick of Billboard reviewed Sawyer Brown's version and wrote, "It's a song that most people will remember and find themselves singing along with. The familiarity and strong performance should make for a potent combination at country radio."[2]