On this day (October 20) in 1960, Roy Orbison topped the Official UK Singles Chart with “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel).” It retained the top spot for two consecutive weeks and became one of the biggest hits of his career. Moreover, the single helped establish him in the United States.
Orbison released his first solo single, “Chicken-Hearted,” in 1957. It failed to chart. Finally, two years later, he charted at No. 72 with “Up-Town.” He started the 1960s with “Only the Lonely,” and it shot to No. 2 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 in the United Kingdom. More importantly, it introduced the sound that helped Orbison leave his mark on the music world.
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Roy Orbison Didn’t Plan to Record “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)”
In the late 1950s, Roy Orbison was living in a small Nashville apartment with his wife and new baby. As a result, he often wrote in his car, which was one of the only quiet places he could find.
One day in 1958, rockabilly singer Joe Melson found Orbison in his car working on new material. He knocked on his friend’s window and asked if he wanted a co-writer. Together, they wrote several songs that appeared on Orbison’s Lonely and Blue. Among those was the album-opener “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel).”
Initially, though, Orbison and Melson planned to pitch the song to Elvis Presley. When the King passed on the song, they took it to the Everly Brothers, who also passed.
However, according to Songfacts, the Everly Brothers didn’t just pass on the song. They encouraged Orbison to record it. He eventually agreed to follow their advice. When he released it as the album’s lead single, it became one of the biggest hits of his career.
He followed his first hit with classics like “Blue Angel,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and his first Hot 100 No. 1 “Running Scared.”
Featured Image by Evening Standard/Getty Images
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