Hit the Road Jack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Hit the Road Jack" |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Single by Ray Charles | ||||
| B-side | "The Danger Zone" | |||
| Released | August 1961 | |||
| Recorded | June 1961 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 2:00 | |||
| Label | ABC-Paramount | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Percy Mayfield | |||
| Producer(s) | Sid Feller | |||
| Ray Charles singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"Hit the Road Jack" is a very famous song by the legendary singer Ray Charles. It was written by another talented musician named Percy Mayfield. This song became a huge hit in the United States in 1961, reaching the number one spot.
It even won a special award called a Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. Because of its success, "Hit the Road Jack" became one of Ray Charles's most well-known songs. You might have heard it in the 1995 movie Grumpier Old Men.
Contents
How the Song Was Made
The song "Hit the Road Jack" was first created by Percy Mayfield. He recorded a simple version of it in 1960, just singing without any instruments. This type of singing is called a cappella. He sent this demo to a music executive named Art Rupe.
However, the song became truly famous when Ray Charles recorded it. He sang it with The Raelettes, a group of backup singers, and one of them was Margie Hendrix. Her voice is a big part of what makes the song so special.
A Big Hit Song
Ray Charles's version of "Hit the Road Jack" was incredibly popular. It quickly climbed to the top of the music charts. For two weeks, it was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, starting on October 9, 1961.
The song also won a Grammy award, which is one of the highest honors in music. It was named the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. On the R&B Sides chart, "Hit the Road Jack" stayed at number one for five weeks. This made it Ray Charles's sixth song to reach the top of that chart.
Rolling Stone magazine, a well-known music publication, has listed "Hit the Road Jack" as one of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It was ranked at number 387 on their 2010 list.
Another music group called The Chantels even released a song called "Well, I Told You." This song was like an "answer" to "Hit the Road Jack" and also became popular, reaching number 29 on the charts.
Where It Was Popular
"Hit the Road Jack" was a hit not just in the US, but in many other countries too. It reached high positions on music charts around the world in 1961.
| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 13 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) | 1 |
| Sweden (Tio i Topp) | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard) | 1 |
The song has also earned special awards called "certifications." These awards show how many copies of the song have been sold or streamed. For example, in Italy, "Hit the Road Jack" received a Gold award, and in the United Kingdom, it received a Silver award. These awards show that the song has been very popular for a long time.
Other Versions of the Song
Many artists have performed their own versions of "Hit the Road Jack." One notable version was released in 1976 by a Canadian band called The Stampeders.
Their version was part of their album Steamin' and featured a famous DJ named Wolfman Jack. This cover also did well on the charts, reaching number 6 in Canada and number 40 in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Hit the Road Jack para niños
