16 Candles (song)
| "16 Candles" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by The Crests | |
| B-side | "Beside You" |
| Released | October 1958 (US) |
| Genre | Doo-wop |
| Label | Coed |
| Songwriter(s) | Luther Dixon and Allyson R. Khent |
"16 Candles" is a 1958 song performed by the Crests and written by Luther Dixon and Allyson R. Khent.
Track listing
7" vinyl
- "16 Candles"
- "Beside You"
Single originally released in 1958 on Coed Records. (#506)
Chart performance
- The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, while "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price was at #1.[1] "16 Candles" also went #4 on the US R&B charts for 21 weeks in 1959.[2]
In popular culture
This song has appeared prominently in several 'entertainment' contexts, including at least two major Hollywood [motion picture] productions. It was an example of a typical Doo-wop song in the 1973 movie American Graffiti[3] and it had somewhat of a 'title role' in the 1984 movie Sixteen Candles.[4]
Covers
- A cover by Jerry Lee Lewis peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1986.[5]
- The Jackson 5 did a cover of this song for their album, Maybe Tomorrow. This cover has since been rereleased along with their greatest hits albums.[6]
- A rockabilly cover by Stray Cats was used as the title song to the eponymous movie.[7] This version was also featured in the soundtrack of the first season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.[8]
- A cover by Sha Na Na was performed live and recorded on their album Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll in 1973.[9]
References
- ^ "Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 138.
- ^ See e.g. the "Track listing" section of the article about the soundtrack of the movie American Graffiti
- ^ See e.g. the "Soundtrack and songs" section of the article about the movie Sixteen Candles
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
- ^ Sixteen Candles, retrieved 2023-05-14
- ^ "Sixteen Candles (1984) - Soundtracks - IMDb". Retrieved 15 April 2023 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "Альбом «Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Season 1 (Original Television Soundtrack)» (Разные артисты)". 5 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2023 – via music.apple.com.
- ^ "Sha Na Na - The Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll". Retrieved 15 April 2023 – via www.discogs.com.
