Top 10 Everly Brothers Songs
The Everly Brothers were pop music pioneers. They straddled, country, R&B, and rock and roll to create some of the most legendary pop recordings of all time in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These are their best songs.
Although the song "Bye Bye Love" had been rejected by 30 other artists, it was the song that blasted the Everly brothers, Phil and Don, in to national chart, and it remains their best. The recording is not completely country and not completely rock and roll either. As a result, "Bye Bye Love" topped the country chart, went to #2 on pop charts and even climbed into the R&B top 5 making the duo superstars in all three genres.
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"Cathy's Clown" was the first single released by the Everly Brothers after moving to the Warner Bros. label. The towering chorus made it into the biggest hit single of the pair's career. The persistent drum rolls also add to the power of the emotions experienced by the song's protagonist who can't seem to rid himself of a manipulative girlfriend. The rhythmic elements of "Cathy's Clown" helped it hit #1 on both the pop and R&B singles charts.
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The Everly Brothers returned to songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who wrote "Bye Bye Love," for this story song. "Wake Up Little Susie" was banned from some radio stations who believed the tale of falling asleep at a boring movie was sexually suggestive. That didn't stop the song from becoming a big hit hitting #1 on country, R&B, and pop singles charts.
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"Bird Dog" rocks a bit harder than the Everly Brothers earlier hits. It is memorable for the spoken word segments that add up to the main character in the song being a "bird dog." The song was another smash hit for the duo reaching #1 on the country chart as well as #2 on both pop and R&B charts.
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"When Will I Be Loved" finds the Everly Brothers in swaying rockabilly style. The song is best known today in its hit version by Linda Ronstadt. However, the original recording carries plenty of its own charms including the harmonies that lead into and carry through the song's chorus. Phil Everly wrote the song and it peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
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This sweet rock and roll ballad continued the Everly Brothers' fertile collaboration with married songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The romantic, lightly rocking chorus helped the song be the second and last by the duo to top the pop, country, and R&B charts.
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Reportedly, when songwriter Sonny Curtis played this song for the Everly Brothers, he had only written one verse of lyrics. The duo told him they would record the song if he wrote another. However, the Everly Brothers were so into the song they made a recording with the sole verse repeated before Sonny Curtis had a chance to finish a second one. Nevertheless, "Walk Right Back" was a another top 10 pop smash for the duo.
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The song "Crying In the Rain" is the result of a one off collaboration between songwriters Howard Greenfield and Carole King. The pair had switched away from their usual collaborators for a day and "Crying In the Rain" is the result. The pair never wrote together again. The Everly Brothers hit the pop top 10 with this song shortly before their service in the US Marines that signaled a shift in the pair's commercial pop fortunes.
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Country star Chet Atkins, an early supporter of the Everly Brothers' career, plays guitar on this classic. With its gentle bounce, "(Til) I Kissed You" was the Everly Brothers' final top 10 hit on the country chart. It also peaked inside the top 10 on the pop chart.
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Originally recorded in French, the song "Let It Be Me" was the first single the Everly Brothers worked on in New York instead of Nashville. It has a more lush orchestration than previous hits.
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1. "Bye Bye Love" - 1957
Although the song "Bye Bye Love" had been rejected by 30 other artists, it was the song that blasted the Everly brothers, Phil and Don, in to national chart, and it remains their best. The recording is not completely country and not completely rock and roll either. As a result, "Bye Bye Love" topped the country chart, went to #2 on pop charts and even climbed into the R&B top 5 making the duo superstars in all three genres.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
2. "Cathy's Clown" - 1960
"Cathy's Clown" was the first single released by the Everly Brothers after moving to the Warner Bros. label. The towering chorus made it into the biggest hit single of the pair's career. The persistent drum rolls also add to the power of the emotions experienced by the song's protagonist who can't seem to rid himself of a manipulative girlfriend. The rhythmic elements of "Cathy's Clown" helped it hit #1 on both the pop and R&B singles charts.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
3. "Wake Up Little Susie" - 1957
The Everly Brothers returned to songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who wrote "Bye Bye Love," for this story song. "Wake Up Little Susie" was banned from some radio stations who believed the tale of falling asleep at a boring movie was sexually suggestive. That didn't stop the song from becoming a big hit hitting #1 on country, R&B, and pop singles charts.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
4. "Bird Dog" - 1958
"Bird Dog" rocks a bit harder than the Everly Brothers earlier hits. It is memorable for the spoken word segments that add up to the main character in the song being a "bird dog." The song was another smash hit for the duo reaching #1 on the country chart as well as #2 on both pop and R&B charts.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
5. "When Will I Be Loved" - 1960
"When Will I Be Loved" finds the Everly Brothers in swaying rockabilly style. The song is best known today in its hit version by Linda Ronstadt. However, the original recording carries plenty of its own charms including the harmonies that lead into and carry through the song's chorus. Phil Everly wrote the song and it peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
6. "All I Have To Do Is Dream" - 1958
This sweet rock and roll ballad continued the Everly Brothers' fertile collaboration with married songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The romantic, lightly rocking chorus helped the song be the second and last by the duo to top the pop, country, and R&B charts.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
7. "Walk Right Back" - 1961
Reportedly, when songwriter Sonny Curtis played this song for the Everly Brothers, he had only written one verse of lyrics. The duo told him they would record the song if he wrote another. However, the Everly Brothers were so into the song they made a recording with the sole verse repeated before Sonny Curtis had a chance to finish a second one. Nevertheless, "Walk Right Back" was a another top 10 pop smash for the duo.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
8. "Crying In the Rain" - 1962
The song "Crying In the Rain" is the result of a one off collaboration between songwriters Howard Greenfield and Carole King. The pair had switched away from their usual collaborators for a day and "Crying In the Rain" is the result. The pair never wrote together again. The Everly Brothers hit the pop top 10 with this song shortly before their service in the US Marines that signaled a shift in the pair's commercial pop fortunes.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
9. "(Til) I Kissed You" - 1959
Country star Chet Atkins, an early supporter of the Everly Brothers' career, plays guitar on this classic. With its gentle bounce, "(Til) I Kissed You" was the Everly Brothers' final top 10 hit on the country chart. It also peaked inside the top 10 on the pop chart.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »
10. "Let It Be Me" - 1960
Originally recorded in French, the song "Let It Be Me" was the first single the Everly Brothers worked on in New York instead of Nashville. It has a more lush orchestration than previous hits.
Watch Video
Purchase / DownloadBuy from Amazon »