Only the Lonely

song by Orbison

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

"Only the Lonely" is a 1960 hit song by American singer-songwriter Roy Orbison. The song is a prime example of Orbison's signature style, characterized by his powerful, operatic vocal range and his carefully crafted ballads of loneliness and heartache.123

Released on Monument Records, "Only the Lonely" was part of a string of Top Ten hits for Orbison between 1960 and 1964. The song features lush orchestration and doo-wop backing vocals, framing Orbison's doleful voice as he explores themes of romantic despair. It became particularly revered in Britain and solidified Orbison's place as a major artist in the pop music scene.2

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

3 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.

Roy Orbison
“Only the Lonely” (1960), “Crying” (1961), “It’s Over” (1964), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) were all hits, and Orbison was one of the few American rockers to maintain a place high on the pop charts during the British Invasion. After a series of personal tragedies…
Read More
“Only the Lonely” (1960), “Crying” (1961), “It’s Over” (1964), and “Oh, Pretty Woman” (1964) were all hits, and Orbison was one of the few American rockers to maintain a place high on the pop charts during the British Invasion. After a series of personal tragedies…
Read More