Foreigner had performed the song decades earlier at Farm Aid 1985, with Gramm leading the band during what the source describes as the height of its powers. That recording documents the qualities associated with his voice in his prime: a low range characterized as both husky and sonorous, contrasted with a creamy upper register. A choir also featured in the bridge and made a substantial contribution to that version of the performance.

November 21, 1984, was the release date for Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The band selected the power ballad as the first single from Agent Provocateur, its fifth album. It subsequently reached the top of the charts on each side of the Atlantic and became Foreigner’s biggest hit. The song’s history therefore encompassed the original release, the group’s Farm Aid rendition the following year, and the later induction performance that reunited Gramm with Foreigner alongside Clarkson.

Rolling Stone also included the song in two editions of its ranking, The Greatest Songs of All Time. On the list published in 2004, “I Want to Know What Love Is” appeared at number 476. The magazine selected it again when it issued the ranking in 2010, placing the Foreigner song at number 479.