ʌnlˈaɪk ðə bˈændz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː hˈɪt "aɪ ɹˈæn sˈoʊ fˌɑːɹ ɐwˈeɪ", lˈɑːɹdʒli ɐ juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ænd ɔːstɹˈeɪliən hˈɪt, "wˈɪʃɪŋ" pɚfˈɔːɹmd stɹˈɔŋli ɪnðə bˈændz hˈoʊm kˈʌntɹi, ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd kˈɪŋdəm, ænd ɹˈiːtʃt ðə tˈɑːp tˈɛn ʌvðə jˌuːkˈeɪ sˈɪŋɡəlz tʃˈɑːɹt; ɪnðə jˌuːˈɛs, ɪt ɹˈiːtʃt ðə tˈɑːp θˈɜːɾi ɔnðə bˈɪlboːɹd hˈɑːt wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd ɪn mˈɪd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː.
Unlike the band's 1982 hit "I Ran (So Far Away)", largely a United States and Australian hit, "Wishing" performed strongly in the band's home country, the United Kingdom, and reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart; in the US, it reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1983.