When Will I Be Loved (song)

"When Will I Be Loved"
"When Will I Be Loved"
Single by Little River Band
from the album Too Late to Load
Released	June 1989
Label	EMI
Little River Band singles chronology

"When Will I Be Loved"
"When Will I Be Loved"
Single by Linda Ronstadt
from the album Heart Like a Wheel
B-side	"It Doesn't Matter Anymore"
Released	March 25, 1975
Genre	Southern rock; soft rock;
Length	2:04
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Phil Everly
Producer(s)	Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt singles chronology

"When Will I Be Loved"
"When Will I Be Loved"
Single by The Everly Brothers
from the album The Fabulous Style of The Everly Brothers
B-side	"Be-Bop-A-Lula"
Released	May 1960
Recorded	February 18, 1960
Genre	Rockabilly; pop;
Length	2:00
Label	Cadence
Songwriter(s)	Phil Everly
Producer(s)	Wesley Rose
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
Official audio
	"When Will I Be Loved" on YouTube

"When Will I Be Loved" is a popular song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, who had a US top-ten hit with it in 1960. Linda Ronstadt covered the song in 1975, and her version was an even bigger hit in the US, peaking at No. 2. Vince Gill also covered it in 1994 on the soundtrack of the film 8 Seconds.

Quick Facts Single by The Everly Brothers, from the album The Fabulous Style of The Everly Brothers ...

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Background

The Everly Brothers scored a number 8 hit single with "When Will I Be Loved" in the summer of 1960 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track had been recorded in 1960 while the duo were contracted to Cadence Records; they moved to Warner Brothers and rerecorded it in a more mainstream pop/rock style. The belated release by Cadence of "When Will I Be Loved" provided the Everly Brothers with a final rockabilly-style hit.^[2]

Personnel

The session, produced by Archie Bleyer, took place on February 18, 1960, at the RCA Studio in Nashville. Those present at the session included:

Don Everly – guitar, vocals
Phil Everly – guitar, vocals
Chet Atkins, guitar
Hank Garland, guitar
Luther Brandon, guitar
Lightnin Chance, bass
Buddy Harman, drums
Floyd Cramer, piano^[3]

Chart performance

More information Chart (1960), Peak position ...

Weekly charts

Chart (1960)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Chart	3
Canadian RPM Top Singles	16
UK Singles Chart	4
US Billboard Hot 100	8

Year-end charts

Chart (1960)	Rank
US Billboard Hot 100^[4]	91

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Quick Facts Single by Linda Ronstadt, from the album Heart Like a Wheel ...

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Background

The song had its highest profile when Linda Ronstadt covered it on her album Heart Like A Wheel. This version (which is technically a group vocal with Ronstadt, Kenny Edwards, and a then-up-and-coming singer/songwriter, Andrew Gold) rearranges the verses of the Everly Brothers original, transposing the first and fourth verses. Capitol Records was reportedly unsure whether to release "When Will I Be Loved" or "You're No Good" as the lead 45 off Heart Like a Wheel, finally deciding to issue "You're No Good" as the premier single.^[7] "When Will I Be Loved" was issued as the second single in March 1975.^[8]

The song hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June of that year, as well as number 1 in Cash Box;^[2] only the chart dominance of the year's biggest hit, "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille, prevented Ronstadt from having consecutive number 1 hit singles on the Hot 100.^[9] Billboard did afford a number 1 ranking to "When Will I Be Loved" on its C&W chart.^[10] The song has sold 268,000 copies in the United States since becoming available for digital download as of January 2020.^[11]

As Ronstadt's "When Will I Be Loved" descended the charts, its B-side, a remake of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", garnered enough airplay to chart at number 47 Pop, number 20 Adult Contemporary, and number 54 Country.^[2]

Charts

More information Chart (1975), Peak position ...

Weekly charts

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Top Singles	7
US Billboard Hot 100^[12]	2
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[13]	3
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[14]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1975)	Rank
Canada RPM Top Singles^[15]	78
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary^[16]	23
US Billboard Hot 100^[17]	47
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[18]	42
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[19]	28
US Cash Box ^[20]	39

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Quick Facts Single by Little River Band, from the album Too Late to Load ...

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Australian band Little River Band released a version in June 1989 as the only single from the rarities compilation album Too Late to Load. The song peaked at number 169 on the ARIA Charts.^[21]

Track listing

Australian 7" (Capitol Records - CP 1895): A. "When Will I Be Loved" - 2:50; B. "D" - 3:03

Charts

More information Chart (1989), Peak position ...

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA Charts)^[21]	169

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[1]
Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
[2]
Poore, Billy (1998). Rockabilly: a forty-year journey. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Publishing. p. 170. ISBN 0-7935-9142-2.
[3]
"SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY". Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
[4]
"Top 100 Hits of 1960/Top 100 Songs of 1960". Musicoutfitters.com.
[5]
Coleman, Mark; Scoppa, Bud (November 2, 2004). "Linda Ronstadt". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 701–702.
[6]
Knowles, Christopher (1 October 2010). The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781573445641 – via Google Books.
[7]
The New York Times, 19 November 1974, p.32
[8]
Cash Box vol 36 #46 (5 April 1975) "Cash Box Singles Reviews" p.9
[9]
Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 540.
[10]
Whitburn, Joel (2008). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944b2008. Record Research. p. 300.
[11]
Bjorke, Matt (January 7, 2020). "Top 30 Digital Country Songs Chart: January 7, 2020". Rough Stock. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
[12]
"Charley Pride Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
[13]
"Charley Pride Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
[14]
"Charley Pride Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
[15]
"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
[16]
"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 July 2013.
[17]
"Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com.
[18]
"Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
[19]
"Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
[20]
"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1975". Tropicalglen.com.
[21]
"Bubbling Down Under Week commencing 19 June 1989". 19 June 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

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[1] [1]
Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.

[Rockabilly-2] [2]
Poore, Billy (1998). Rockabilly: a forty-year journey. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Publishing. p. 170. ISBN 0-7935-9142-2.

[3] [3]
"SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY". Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.

[4] [4]
"Top 100 Hits of 1960/Top 100 Songs of 1960". Musicoutfitters.com.

[RSguide-5] [5]
Coleman, Mark; Scoppa, Bud (November 2, 2004). "Linda Ronstadt". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 701–702.

[6] [6]
Knowles, Christopher (1 October 2010). The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781573445641 – via Google Books.

[7] [7]
The New York Times, 19 November 1974, p.32

[8] [8]
Cash Box vol 36 #46 (5 April 1975) "Cash Box Singles Reviews" p.9

[9] [9]
Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 540.

[10] [10]
Whitburn, Joel (2008). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944b2008. Record Research. p. 300.

[11] [11]
Bjorke, Matt (January 7, 2020). "Top 30 Digital Country Songs Chart: January 7, 2020". Rough Stock. Retrieved January 10, 2020.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Charley_Pride-12] [12]
"Charley Pride Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

[sc_Billboardadultcontemporary_Charley_Pride-13] [13]
"Charley Pride Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Charley_Pride-14] [14]
"Charley Pride Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

[15] [15]
"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.

[16] [16]
"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 July 2013.

[17] [17]
"Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com.

[18] [18]
"Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

[19] [19]
"Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2021.

[20] [20]
"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1975". Tropicalglen.com.

[ausLRB-21] [21]
"Bubbling Down Under Week commencing 19 June 1989". 19 June 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

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When Will I Be Loved (song)

Background

Personnel

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Background

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Track listing

Charts

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The Everly Brothers version

Linda Ronstadt version

Little River Band version

References