Stand By Me
“Stand By Me” was originally released in 1961 by Ben E. King. King, who was a member of the Drifters, initially wrote the song with Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller as a gospel song titled “Stand By Me Father.” (This song is still sung by many gospel artists.) The song’s melody was inspired by the gospel song “Lord Stand by Me” by the Soul Stirrers, a popular gospel group of the time. However, the trio rewrote the song to the current version of “Stand By Me”and recorded it as a pop ballad, with King’s soulful voice giving the song its signature sound.
“Stand By Me” was a massive success, reaching number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B chart.
Over the years, “Stand By Me” has been covered by countless artists. One of the most popular covers is by John Lennon, who recorded a version of the song for his 1975 album “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The song was also one of the highlights of his legendary “Live in New York City” performance in 1972, where he sang it with the Plastic Ono Band.
Other popular covers of “Stand By Me” include those by Playing for Change, who recorded a version of the song featuring musicians from around the world, Prince Boyce, who sings an English-Spanish mix in bachata style, and Florence + The Machine.
Here's the original 1961 version by by Ben E. King: (you may need to click through to YouTube in order to listen):
“Stand By Me” has been covered by artists around the world. We’ve included some of the best covers by various artists below. Listen to them all and see if there are any new bands you want to listen to.
Also, if there’s a good cover version that we should add, tell us! Leave us a comment in the comment section with the name of the artist and a link to their performance.
Gigi De Lana
Trio Amadeus
Gustavo Trebien (14 million views)
Which is your favorite? Is there another cover song that we should add? Let us know in the comments.