^ abBreihan, Tom (November 3, 2021). "The Number Ones: Surface's "The First Time". Stereogum. Retrieved December 19, 2023. Consider the chorus of "The First Time," a tender R&B ballad that was the only #1 hit for the group known as Surface...and "The First Time" sounded like a relic of the smoothed-out quiet storm '80s.
^ abWhitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 559.
^ abWhitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 237.