On this day (March 25) in 1960, Roy Orbison stepped into RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, to record “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel).” It went on to be his first top 10 hit. Moreover, it was one of the biggest hits of his career. However, Orbison didn’t initially intend to record the song. Instead, he hoped to pitch it to Elvis Presley or the Everly Brothers.
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Orbison’s recording career began in 1956, when he was a member of a group called the Teen Kings. One of their singles, “Ooby Dooby,” reached the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 59 in 1956. After going solo, he reached the charts once with “Up Town” in 1959. It peaked at No. 72.
Orbison co-wrote “Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)” with Joe Metson. At the time, he hoped to get a more successful artist to record the song. Presley was still hot at the time. So, he was high on the list of artists to pitch the song to. Additionally, the Everly Brothers had already recorded Orbison’s “Claudette.” Their rendition of the song peaked at No. 30 on the Hot 100 and went to No. 15 on the country chart. As a result, he chose to pitch the song to them as well.
Roy Orbison Records His First Hit Song
Both Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers passed on the song that Roy Orbison brought to them. However, the Everlys didn’t just turn it down. They insisted that he record it, according to Songfacts.
“Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)” was one of Orbison’s first recordings for Monument Records. It was a departure from the rockabilly he previously recorded for Sun Records. Produced by Fred Foster and featuring the Nashville A-Team, this hit saw him leaning into the then-popular Nashville Sound. The string arrangement and backing vocals from the Anita Kerr Singers helped send this track to No. 2 on the Hot 100.
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