On This Day in 1980, Don McLean Was at No. 1 in the UK With a Song That Brought Roy Orbison a Grammy

On this day (June 22) in 1980, Don McLean was on a three-week run at the top of the UK Singles Chart with “Crying.” The next year, it would land in the top 10 of the Hot 100, adult contemporary, and country charts in the United States. A few years later, Roy Orbison, who co-wrote the song, recorded a Grammy-winning rendition with K.D. Lang.

Orbison co-wrote “Crying” with Joe Melson and released it as a single from the album of the same name in 1961. It was a No. 2 hit for Orbison. McLean was the next artist to record the song. He did so for his 1978 album Chain Lightning. His cover topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks. It also reached No. 5 on the Hot 100, No. 2 on the adult contemporary chart, and No. 6 on the country chart. In 1987, Orbison recorded a duet rendition of the song with K.D. Lang for the Hiding Out soundtrack. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Roy Orbison Broke the Rules to Create This Don McLean Hit

Roy Orbison went against the grain. He was one of the first male rockers who wrote emotionally vulnerable songs. “Crying” is a great example of that. When he co-wrote the song with Joe Melson, Orbison wasn’t thinking about what was cool or how they could write a hit. Instead, he wanted to share his story.

That wasn’t the only way he went against the grain with the song that gave Don McLean his second UK No. 1. Orbison released the ballad “Running Scared,” which topped the Hot 100. According to Songfacts, most artists would avoid following that with another ballad. Orbison seemingly didn’t care about that, though.

“I was dating a girl, and we broke up. I went to the barber shop to get a haircut, and I looked across the street, and there was this girl that I had split up with,” Orbison recalled of the inspiration for the song. “I wanted to go over there and say, ‘Let’s forget about what happened and carry on.’ But I was stubborn. So, I got in the car and drove down the street about two blocks and said to myself, ‘Boy, you really made a mistake. You didn’t play that right at all.’ It certainly brought tears to my eyes, and that’s how I came up with ‘Crying.’”

Featured Image by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns

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