When Will I Be Loved (song)

"When Will I Be Loved" is a popular song, written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers and a #8 hit single for that duo in the summer of 1960. The track had been recorded in 1959 while the Everly Brothers were contracted to Cadence Records; by 1960 they had moved to Warner Brothers and recording in a more mainstream pop/rock style than previously. The belated release by Cadence of "When Will I Be Loved" provided the Everly Brothers with a final rockabilly-style hit.^[1]

The song had its highest profile when Linda Ronstadt covered it on her album Heart Like A Wheel released by Capitol Records in November 1974; this version rearranges the verses of the Everly Brothers original, transposing the first and third verses. Capitol was unsure whether to release "When Will I Be Loved" or "You're No Good" as the lead single off Heart Like a Wheel, only deciding to issue "You're No Good" as a single a week after the album's release.^[2] "When Will I Be Loved" was issued as the second single in April 1975 to ascend to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 that June of that year^[1]; only the chart dominance of the year's biggest hit: "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille preventing Ronstadt from having consecutive #1 hit singles on the Hot 100^[3] — a feat she did perform on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart on 21 June 1975, which ranked "When Will I Be Loved" at #1 ("You're No Good" had been #1 in both Billboard and Cash Box 15 February 1975). Billboard did afford a #1 ranking to "When Will I Be Loved" on its C&W chart, where it was Ronstadt's first chart-topper.^[4]

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 #47 Pop, #20 Adult Contemporary and #54 Country.^[1]

Manfred Mann included a version of the song on their number-one EP in 1966.

Tanya Tucker recorded "When Will I Be Loved" for her 1975 album Tanya Tucker; the track features a harmony vocal by the song's composer, Phil Everly.

The 1985 Magnum, P.I. episode "Let Me Hear the Music" features a live performance of "When Will I Be Loved" by Amanda McBroom^[5] while the "Jami McFame" episode of According to Jim (2008) features Jamison Belushi - daughter of series star James Belushi - performing the song.

Ria performed the song in the movie When Will I Be Loved (2004).

Carrie Underwood performed the song on American Idol in 2005.

John Fogerty remade "When Will I Be Loved" for his 2009 album The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again; the track is performed as a duet with Bruce Springsteen.^[6]

Versions of "When Will I Be Loved" have also been recorded by John Denver, The Little River Band, Gram Parsons, Dolly Parton, Sandy Posey and Rockpile. Vince Gill recorded the song for the soundtrack of the 1994 movie 8 Seconds.

Chart performance
The Everly Brothers

Linda Ronstadt

References