Crying (Roy Orbison song)

"Crying"
Single by Roy Orbison
from the album Crying
B-side"Candy Man"
PublishedAugust 16, 1961 (1961-08-16) Acuff-Rose Publications, Inc.[1]
ReleasedJuly 1961 (1961-07)
RecordedJune 26, 1961[2]
StudioRCA Victor Studio B, Nashville[2]
GenreCountry
Length2:46
LabelMonument 447
Songwriters
ProducerFred Foster
Roy Orbison singles chronology
"Running Scared" / "Love Hurts"
(1961)		 "Crying"
(1961)		 "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)"
(1962)

"Crying" is a song written by American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Roy Orbison and Joe Melson for Orbison's third studio album of the same name (1962). Released in 1961, it was a number-two hit in the United States for Orbison and was covered in 1978 by Don McLean, whose version reached number one in the United Kingdom in 1980. Orbison later re-recorded the song as a duet with Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang, giving them a number-two hit in Canada.

Composition

Dave Marsh calls the song a "rock-bolero" with "blaring strings, hammered tympani, a ghostly chorus, the gentle strum of a guitar, [and] a hint of marimba".[3] Billboard observes an "expressive reading" on the "country-flavored ballad."[4] The personnel on the original recording included Orbison session regulars Bob Moore on bass; Floyd Cramer on piano; Buddy Harman on drums; and Boudleaux Bryant, Harold Bradley,[5] and Scotty Moore[6] on guitar.

Release and reception

The song was released as a 45-rpm single by Monument Records in mid-July 1961[7] and reached No. 1 on the United States Cashbox chart for a week on October 7, 1961. On the rival Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at No. 2, where "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles and his Orchestra kept it from No. 1.[8] Despite not reaching the summit in the latter publication, Billboard ranked the record as the No. 4 song of 1961.[9]

In 2002, "Crying" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked it 69th on their list of the "500 greatest songs of all time".[10]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Don McLean version

"Crying"
Single by Don McLean
from the album Chain Lightning
B-side"Genesis (In the Beginning)"
Released1980
Genre
Length3:35
LabelMillennium
Songwriters
Don McLean singles chronology
"Since I Don't Have You"
(1978)		 "Crying"
(1980)		 "It's Just the Sun"
(1981)

Don McLean's recording of the song went to No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1981.[17] It also reached No. 2 adult contemporary and No. 6 Country. It fared even better in the UK, where it reached No. 1 in 1980, spending three weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart.[18] "Crying" was taken from his 1978 album, Chain Lightning. It became his second biggest hit in America.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1980–1981) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19]1
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 7
Canada Country (RPM) 1
Ireland (IRMA)[20]1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 1
New Zealand (New Zealand Singles Chart)[22] 11
South Africa (Springbok)[23] 3
UK Singles (OCC) 1
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 5
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 2
US Country (Billboard) 6
US Cash Box Top 100[25] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Rank
Australia[26] 119
Netherlands[27] 5
South Africa[28] 19
UK Singles[29] 15
Chart (1981) Rank
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[30] 49
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 40
US Cash Box Top 100[32] 52

Sales and certifications

Certifications for "Crying"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[33] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Roy Orbison and k.d. lang version

"Crying"
Single by Roy Orbison and k.d. lang
from the album King of Hearts and Hiding Out soundtrack
B-side"Falling"
Released1987
Length3:48
LabelVirgin
Songwriters
Producers
Roy Orbison singles chronology
"In Dreams"
(1987)		 "Crying"
(1987)		 "Handle with Care"
(1988)
k.d. lang singles chronology
"Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray"
(1987)		 "Crying"
(1987)		 "Honky Tonk Angels Medley"
(1988)

Orbison rerecorded the song as a duet with k.d. lang as part of the soundtrack to the motion picture Hiding Out and released it as a single in 1987. Their collaboration won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. It reached No. 2 in Lang's native Canada, and No. 28 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 42 on the Hot Country Singles chart in the US. In 1992, it reached the charts in the UK and Ireland, peaking at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 9 on the Irish Singles Chart. It returned to the US Adult Contemporary chart in 1993, peaking at No. 40.

Track listings

  1. "Crying" (with k.d. lang) – 3:48
  2. "Falling" – 2:22
  • UK CD1 and Australian CD single (1992)[38]
  1. "Crying" (with k.d. lang)
  2. "Falling"
  3. "Oh, Pretty Woman"
  4. "She's a Mystery to Me"
  1. "Crying" (with k.d. lang)
  2. "Falling"
  3. "Only the Lonely"
  4. "It's Over"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[40]2
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[41]5
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[42]25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[43]47
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[44]28
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[45]42
Chart (1992–1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[46] 71
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[47] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[20]9
UK Singles (Official Charts)[48]13
UK Airplay (Music Week)[49] 13
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[50] 40

Year-end charts

Chart (1988) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[51] 45

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States November 1987 7-inch vinyl Virgin
Canada
Australia February 1988
United Kingdom August 10, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD1
  • cassette
 [52]
August 17, 1992 CD2 [53]
Australia October 5, 1992
  • CD
  • cassette
 [54]
Japan November 18, 1992 Mini-CD [55]

Notable cover versions

References

  1. ↑ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1961). Catalog of Copyright Entries 1961 Music July-Dec 3D Ser Vol 15 Pt 5. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
  2. 1 2 Weize, Richard (2001). Orbison 1955-1965 (7-CD Deluxe Box Set) (booklet). Bear Family Records. BCD16423. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  3. ↑ Marsh, Dave (1999). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Da Capo Press. pp. 75–76. ISBN 030680901X.
  4. ↑ "Spotlight Singles of the Week". Billboard. July 31, 1961. p. 27. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ Full Committee Hearing on Assessing the Impact of the Copyright Royalty Rates on Recording Artists and Webcasters. U.S. Government Printing Office. 2007. ISBN 9780160802638.
  6. ↑ "RIP Scotty Moore". Royorbison.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ Orbison, Roy Jr. (2017). The Authorized Roy Orbison. Orbison, Wesley,, Orbison, Alex,, Slate, Jeff (First ed.). New York: Center Street. ISBN 9781478976547. OCLC 1017566749.
  8. ↑ "Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.
  9. ↑ "Chart Toppers". Billboard. December 25, 1961. p. 10.
  10. ↑ "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ "CHUM Hit Parade, week of October 09, 1961".
  12. 1 2 "Roy Orbison Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  13. ↑ "Roy Orbison Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  14. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles week ending October 7, 1961". cashboxmagazine.com.
  15. ↑ "Chart Toppers - Hot 100 for 1961 - Top Sides of the Year" (PDF). The Billboard. January 6, 1962. p. 33.
  16. ↑ "British single certifications – Roy Orbison – Crying". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 3, 2025. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Crying Roy Orbison in the "Search:" field.
  17. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 Chart History : "Crying" - Don McLean". Song-database.com. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  18. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 382. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  19. ↑ "Don Mclean – Crying" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Crying | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Top 40-lijst van week 10, 1980". Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  22. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. October 19, 1980. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  23. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (M)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  24. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002
  25. ↑ "Top 100 1981-03-28". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Australian Chart Books". Australianchartbooks.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl.
  28. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1980". Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  29. ↑ "UK Singles of the Year" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications. December 27, 1980. p. 30. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  30. ↑ The 1981 Top 100 Singles chart is identified by the RPM Year-End article "Top 100 Singles (1981)". RPM. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1981". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Dutch single certifications – Roy Orbison – Crying" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved July 16, 2022. Enter Crying in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  34. ↑ "British single certifications – Don McLean – Crying". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 26, 2024. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Crying Don McLean in the "Search:" field.
  35. ↑ Crying (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Virgin Records. 1987. 7-99388.
  36. ↑ Crying (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Virgin Records. 1992. VUS 63, 7243 8 90012 73.
  37. ↑ Crying (UK cassette single sleeve). Virgin Records. 1992. VUSC 63, 7243 8 90012 42.
  38. ↑ Crying (UK CD1 liner notes). Virgin Records. 1992. VUSCD 63, 7243 8 90012 28.
  39. ↑ Crying (UK CD2 liner notes). Virgin Records. 1992. VUSCX 63, 7243 8 90025 22.
  40. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 0941". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  41. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 8898". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Image 0945". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Roy Orbison with k.d. lang – Crying". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  44. ↑ "Roy Orbison Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Roy Orbison Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  46. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 161.
  47. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 37. September 12, 1992. p. 15. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 29/8/1992 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  49. ↑ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. September 12, 1992. p. 14. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  50. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 180.
  51. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  52. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 8, 1992. p. 19.
  53. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 15, 1992. p. 21.
  54. ↑ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 05/10/92: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 140. October 4, 1992. p. 21.
  55. ↑ "クライング | ロイ・オービソン" [Crying | Roy Orbison] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  56. ↑ Whitburn, p. 179
  57. ↑ Whitburn, p. 279
  58. ↑ Whitburn, p. 472
  59. ↑ Taubin, Amy (September–October 2001). "In Dreams", Film Comment, 37 (5), p. 51–55.
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