Song of the Day-Love Hurts

Before Phil and Don Everly, harmonies in pop music were the province of "silky smooth" pop groups like the Skyliters and the Platters, or tougher RnB styled groups like the Robins and the Drifters. Usually in these songs, the vocals were mixed way up front. The records themselves would not have sounded much different had they been recorded "accapella." These groups were the stylistic ancestors of groups like the Temptations, Delfonics and yes, even the Stylistics.

The Everly's took the country styled harmonies of straight country and western groups like the Louvin Brothers and stuck them atop a rock and roll backbeat. Great hot backing tracks played by Nashville's best musicians with older, dark haired Don always taking the lead vocal. Younger, sandy haired Phil sang a harmony part stacked on top of Don's. It was a formula that strongly influenced the Beatles, especially on their early records. (Think "She Loves You" or "I Want To Hold Your Hand"). The Beatles may not have existed without the Everlys. At the very least, they would have sounded much different.

"Love Hurts" is a song written by Boudleaux Bryant as an album track, recorded in late 1960 after Don and Phil jumped the Cadence ship for the greener fields of Warner Brothers after being offered a million dollar contract. Later redone by Nazareth for a mid 70s hit single, in my opinion the Everly version is definitive.