Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)

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For the 1998 film, see Why Do Fools Fall in Love (film)

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a 1956 hit single by early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. It charted again 25 years later when covered by soul singer Diana Ross in 1981. The song was originally credited to its singer Frankie Lymon and record producer George Goldner. Goldner's name was later replaced by Morris Levy when Levy bought Goldner's interest in Gee Records, the Teenagers' record company. However, after a lengthy court battle, songwriting credits were awarded to original Teenagers members Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant in the early 1990s. [1] As of 2007, the current publisher of the song is EMI Music Publishing which still lists the songwriters as Lymon and Levy.[2] The song helped to make Frankie Lymon a household name and would make him a rock & roll pioneer, paving the way for similar teen prodigies Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, whose careers also took off at the age of 13. With four key changes, the song was notably hard to sing.

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" has been covered by a number of other singers and groups, including the Beach Boys, Gale Storm, Petula Clark, and Joni Mitchell. When the song was released again as a single in 1981, this time by Diana Ross, Lymon had long since died (due to a heroin overdose) and many people almost forgot that the song or Lymon ever existed. Like she had done with Billie Holiday and Lady Sings the Blues, she helped reintroduce newer audiences to Lymon.

Lymon's version reached #3 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1956 while Ross' version reached #7 on the Pop Singles Chart in 1981. The song was used as a B-side for the Beach Boys single "Fun, Fun, Fun", which reached #5 on the Hot 100 in 1964

On March 22, 2006, American Idol contestant Lisa Tucker sang "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" to mild praise by the judges.