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Phil and Don Everly, born in 1939 and 1937 respectively, were the sons of country-western duo Ike and Margaret Everly and began playing on country radio at the age of seven.
The Everly Brothers recorded 15 Top Ten hits between 1957 and 1962, producing a stunning blend of Appalachian harmonies and rock ‘n’ roll that influenced the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and the Rolling Stones.
We dug through our playlists and consulted legendary session musician Waddy Wachtel, who joined the Everly band in 1972, to compile a list of the band’s best recordings from throughout their career. From big hits to underrated deep cuts.
“Bye Bye Love” (1957)
“Bye Bye Love” had already been rejected by 30 artists when songwriter Boudleaux Bryant played it to the Everlys, who had recently signed with Cadence Records in Nashville. Their recording soon became a number 2 pop hit and a number 1 country hit.
“Archie Bleyer [Eigentümer von Cadence, dem Label der Everly Brothers] had come from New York and wanted to know what the guys were hoping to get out of the whole thing,” Wesley Rose, the group’s music publisher and manager, told The in 1986 Rolling Stones. “Don said, ‘We hope the record does well enough so I can buy a new case for my guitar.’ He achieved more than just a new case for his guitar.”
“Wake Up Little Susie” (1957)
The Everlys’ first number one hit has a hilarious premise. A teenage couple watches a boring movie. Falls asleep. Wakes up at 4am. And panics because he doesn’t know what to say to his parents.
That may sound harmless. But the song was banned in Boston because of suggestive lyrics. The recording thrilled Felice Bryant, who co-wrote the song with her husband Boudleaux.
“What came out of their mouths was like pure honey. Everything they sang in their voices seemed to mix together like vanilla pudding. I think they could even sing the phone book to me. The harmony was incredible.”
“All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)
Phil Everly called this beautiful, haunting ballad (also written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant) one of the most important songs his group ever recorded. And it’s easy to see why.
“The band plays very quietly. Their voices, that beautiful, beautiful chorus. Almost mystical,” Keith Richards once said. “‘Dream, dream dream…’ slides back and forth between unison and harmony. These guys have a lot of bluegrass in them.”
The song had an endless life, charting in 1963 (by Richard Chamberlin), 1970 (by Glen Campbell) and 1981 (by Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal). But the definitive version will always be that of the Everlys.
“Lightning Express” (1958)
After an incredible string of singles including “Bye Bye Love” and “Wake Up Little Susie,” the Everly Brothers made a bold move to fulfill their contract with Cadence Records. Songs Our Daddy Taught Us (the Everlys’ father, Ike, was an accomplished singer and guitarist who played in a country duo with their mother Margaret).
The highlight is “Lightning Express”. A long, heartbreaking ballad about a destitute boy who boards a train to visit his dying mother. Like their role models, the Louvin Brothers, the Everlys weren’t afraid to use close harmony to evoke a frightening loneliness.
“Take a Message to Mary” (1959)
This underrated minor hit is a sad ballad about a man separated from his lover after a careless gunshot lands him in prison for life. The band, which always used sparse arrangements during this period, banged a screwdriver against a Coke bottle as percussion.
“I don’t believe in perfection,” says Waddy Wachtel, who joined the Everly Brothers as guitarist in 1972 and later worked with everyone from Warren Zevon to Keith Richards. “But this record comes as close to perfect harmony singing as any before. I believe that every word and every syllable is as perfect as humanly – or in her case, inhumanly – possible. Because I believe that humans could never sing so well. It’s a wondrous record.”
“Cathy’s Clown” (1961)
After a contract dispute, the band left Cadence Records and signed with Warner Bros. The first single was the self-written breakup song “Cathy’s Clown”. It sold more than two million copies and was at number one for five weeks. And became their best-selling song of all time. This live clip shows them performing the song on British television, accompanied by the Crickets.