Peak
2
Weeks
27
Score
5,993
Chart Year
1957
This toe-tapping tune carries the weight of heartbreak, with the Everly Brothers saying goodbye to love and happiness, and hello to loneliness now that their baby has found someone new. It's a rock classic, but it was rejected by about 30 other artists before the Everly Brothers recorded it. It became their first hit in both the UK and US. The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote this song. Together, this talented couple penned many huge hits for the Everly Brothers and other artists, including "Wake Up Little Susie" and "All I Have To Do Is Dream." The Bryants are credited with being the first songwriters to come to Nashville and make a living only by writing songs. This was a favorite of Simon & Garfunkel, who included it on their classic Bridge Over Troubled Water album. Paul Simon tells the story about how when he and Art Garfunkel were kids, they took a bus to the nearest record store so they could buy the single, and it became a staple of their shows when they started performing. It was always a fun song for them to play, especially when the audience would supply the backbeat. For their Bridge Over Troubled Water recording, they recorded audiences clapping from some of their shows to incorporate into the mix. According to legend, the Everlys were nonplussed about the song but were appreciative of the $64 fee that both brothers received for the session. In 1995, a movie called Bye Bye Love hit theaters. The film stars Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine and Randy Quaid as divorced men navigating a web of relationships. The song "Bye Bye Love" and a few other Everly Brothers tunes are featured in the film. In a 1981 interview with Country Music People, Boudleaux recalled: "I wrote 'Bye Bye Love' while traveling home one night. Felice was driving down the highway and I got the first verse and chorus right down there. I always make sure I have a pen and paper in the car for these occasions." He added: "We really believed in the song and were disappointed when so many people turned it down. They said it was unsuitable, some even asked if we has anything better!" Webb Pierce, a hugely popular country star of the '50s, recorded this six weeks after the Everly Brothers. When the duo got wind of Pierce's recording, they were worried his rendition would overshadow theirs. Don Everly put in a frantic call to producer Archie Bleyer. He recalled: "I said, 'Archie, we're really in trouble - Webb Pierce has covered 'Bye Bye Love.' He said, 'Who's Webb Pierce?' Then he said, 'Don't worry about it, we're hitting pop.'" Bleyer was right. While Pierce's version took the #7 spot on the Country chart, it barely made a showing on the Hot 100, peaking at #73. This song was a big influence on The Hollies, whose founding member Graham Nash told Songfacts: "I'm always trying to make music, make you feel how I felt when I very first heard The Everly Brothers in 1957. When I first heard 'Bye Bye Love,' my life changed instantly. I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and so did my friend, [Hollies co-founder] Allan Clarke."
Bye bye love Bye bye happiness Hello loneliness I think I'ma gonna cry Bye bye love Bye bye sweet caress Hello emptiness I feel like I could die Bye bye my love goodbye There goes my baby with someone new She sure looks happy, I sure am blue She was my baby 'til he stepped in Goodbye to romance that might have been Bye bye love Bye bye happiness Hello loneliness I think I'ma gonna cry Bye bye love Bye bye sweet caress Hello emptiness I feel like I could die Bye bye my love goodbye I'm through with romance, I'm through with love I'm through with counting the stars above And here's the reason that I'm so free My loving baby is through with me Bye bye love Bye bye happiness Hello loneliness I think I'ma gonna cry Bye bye love Bye bye sweet caress Hello emptiness I feel like I could die Bye bye my love goodbye Bye bye my love goodbye Bye bye my love goodbye Bye bye my love goodbye
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 20, 1957 | 64 | 62 |
| 2 | May 27, 1957 | 40 | 86 |
| 3 | Jun 3, 1957 | 15 | 111 |
| 4 | Jun 10, 1957 | 14 | 112 |
| 5 | Jun 17, 1957 | 6 | 120 |
| 6 | Jun 24, 1957 | 3 | 123 |
| 7 | Jul 1, 1957 | 2 | 124 |
| 8 | Jul 8, 1957 | 2 | 124 |
| 9 | Jul 15, 1957 | 4 | 122 |
| 10 | Jul 22, 1957 | 3 | 123 |
| 11 | Jul 29, 1957 | 3 | 123 |
| 12 | Aug 5, 1957 | 3 | 123 |
| 13 | Aug 12, 1957 | 2 | 124 |
| 14 | Aug 19, 1957 | 2 | 124 |
| 15 | Aug 26, 1957 | 3 | 123 |
| 16 | Sep 2, 1957 | 4 | 122 |
| 17 | Sep 9, 1957 | 6 | 120 |
| 18 | Sep 16, 1957 | 9 | 117 |
| 19 | Sep 23, 1957 | 10 | 116 |
| 20 | Sep 30, 1957 | 15 | 111 |