Hit the Road Jack

This article is about the single by Ray Charles. For the album by Big Youth, see Hit the Road Jack (album). For the television series, see Hit the Road Jack (TV series).
"Hit the Road Jack"
Single by Ray Charles
B-side "The Danger Zone"
Released August 28, 1961
Format 7" single, 45rpm
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length 1:57
Label ABC-Paramount
Writer(s) Percy Mayfield
Ray Charles singles chronology
"Ruby"
(1960)
"Hit the Road Jack"
(1961)
""I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town""
(1961)

"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a cappella demo sent to Art Rupe. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-songwriter-pianist Ray Charles with The Raelettes vocalist Margie Hendricks.

Ray Charles' recording hit number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning on Monday, October 9, 1961. "Hit the Road Jack" also got a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. The song was also number one on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks, thereby becoming Ray Charles' sixth number one on that chart. The song is ranked #387 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Notable recordings

References in popular culture

Charts

Chart (1961) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 3
scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 13
France (SNEP)[4] 42
scope="row" UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[5] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 1
US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard)[6] 1
Chart (2011) Peak
position
scope="row" France (SNEP)[7] 90

References

  1. Weinberg, Scott (October 11, 2005). "Buffalo Bill - The Complete First and Second Seasons". DVD Talk. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  2. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book (1940–1969). Turramurra: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  3. "Ultratop.be – Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  4. "Accès direct à ces Artistes: Ray Charles" (select "Ray Charles" and then click "Go") (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  5. "Archive Chart: 1961-11-11" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Ray Charles – Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  7. "Lescharts.com – Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 8, 2014.

External links

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