He’s A Rebel

References

He’s A Rebel

song by Pitney

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The song \"He's a Rebel\" was a number one hit in 1962. While credited to the Crystals, the lead vocals were actually sung by Darlene Love. The song was written by Gene Pitney, an American singer and songwriter known for his dramatic pop ballads. Pitney also wrote other hits, including \"Hello Mary Lou\" and \"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.\" He achieved significant success in the United States and later found continued popularity in Europe, eventually being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

The Brill Building
Assembly-Line Pop
…Weil’s “Uptown” and Pitney’s “He’s a Rebel” for the Crystals. Producer Phil Spector was perhaps the Brill Building’s biggest customer as well as a frequent collaborator. He worked variously with Greenwich and Barry, Goffin and King, and Mann and Weil to cowrite material for the Crystals, the Ronettes, the…
Read More
…Weil’s “Uptown” and Pitney’s “He’s a Rebel” for the Crystals. Producer Phil Spector was perhaps the Brill Building’s biggest customer as well as a frequent collaborator. He worked variously with Greenwich and Barry, Goffin and King, and Mann and Weil to cowrite material for the Crystals, the Ronettes, the…
Read More

the Crystals
In 1962 the single “He’s a Rebel” reached number one on the pop charts, and, although the song was credited to the Crystals, Spector brought in singer Darlene Love of the Blossoms to record the lead vocals. The following year, with La La Brooks as their lead vocalist, the…
Read More
In 1962 the single “He’s a Rebel” reached number one on the pop charts, and, although the song was credited to the Crystals, Spector brought in singer Darlene Love of the Blossoms to record the lead vocals. The following year, with La La Brooks as their lead vocalist, the…
Read More

Gene Pitney
…Nelson in 1961) and “He’s a Rebel” (recorded by the Crystals in 1962).
Read More
…Nelson in 1961) and “He’s a Rebel” (recorded by the Crystals in 1962).
Read More

girl groups
…to record songs like “He’s a Rebel” that were credited to the group. The Crystals then found themselves fronting songs they had not recorded. Although royalty disputes were endemic in the industry at the time, girl groups were often treated the worst. Motown boss Berry Gordy, Jr., also ruthlessly…
Read More
…to record songs like “He’s a Rebel” that were credited to the group. The Crystals then found themselves fronting songs they had not recorded. Although royalty disputes were endemic in the industry at the time, girl groups were often treated the worst. Motown boss Berry Gordy, Jr., also ruthlessly…
Read More