Bye Bye Love, Hello Legacy
Before Don and Phil launched themselves as the Everly Brothers, they sang with their parents as The Everly Family in the 1940s. Their musical upbringing gave them a head start, but it was their distinctive close harmonies that would set them apart.
After being discovered by Chet Atkins, they began releasing singles under their own name. Atkins played on their first major success, Bye Bye Love, released in 1957.
The tune quickly became a hit, opening the door to a remarkable run of successful singles. Its influence would stretch across generations, with both The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel drawing inspiration from the brothers. The Hollies, Gram Parsons, and Emmylou Harris would also acknowledge their impact.
Wake Up Little Susie: If It Ain’t Broke…
Just six months after Bye Bye Love, the Everly Brothers released Wake Up Little Susie. Written, like their first hit, by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, it followed a similar musical formula but added an interesting twist: three key changes.
The tune soared to number one on the U.S. Billboard charts and reached number two in the UK. It was another demonstration of how the brothers could combine memorable songwriting with their unmistakable vocal blend.
In 1982, Simon & Garfunkel performed a version during a live show, and their recording reached number five in both the U.S. and Canada. The connection between the two duos ran deep: Simon & Garfunkel had begun their careers as an Everly Brothers tribute act.
When Simon & Garfunkel reunited in 2003, they dedicated part of their concert to the Everly Brothers, who even supported them on the tour. It was a fitting tribute to a duo whose influence had helped shape their own musical identity.
A Run of Unforgettable Hits
The success continued in 1958 with This Little Girl of Mine, a cover of a Ray Charles song based on the gospel tune This Little Light of Mine. Then came All I Have to Do Is Dream, another defining hit.
These early tunes established the Everly Brothers as household names. In my opinion, those first four major hits—Bye Bye Love, Wake Up Little Susie, This Little Girl of Mine, and All I Have to Do Is Dream—were never topped.
They enjoyed further chart success with songs such as Bird Dog, Problems, and (Till) I Kissed You, but those tunes haven’t quite maintained the same legacy. It was Cathy’s Clown, released in 1960, that brought them another major hit.
The rest of the 1960s saw their chart positions gradually decline, although the brothers continued touring. By then, they had built a strong repertoir which to shape a live show around.
Covers That Revealed Their Musical Taste
The Everly Brothers also recorded a number of covers that didn’t achieve the same success as their biggest singles, but they’re still worth exploring. Their choices reveal the range of music that influenced them and the tracks they enjoyed making their own.
Among them were That’ll Be the Day, Not Fade Away, I Got a Woman, Hound Dog, Carolina in My Mind, and Dancing in the Street.
Their legacy goes beyond the chart positions. The close harmonies, direct melodies, and strong song choices helped establish a template that countless pop and rock acts would follow. Simon & Garfunkel are an obvious example, but the influence of Don and Phil can be heard across several generations of musicians.
For guitarists, the Everly Brothers’ catalogue is a lesson in how much can be achieved with straightforward chord progressions, carefully shaped arrangements, and strong vocal harmonies.
Tunes such as Bye Bye Love and Wake Up Little Susie are especially useful for studying how a simple musical idea can become memorable through its rhythm, structure, and delivery.
Explore the playlist above, learn the tunes, and add a few Everly Brothers classics to your repertoire. Their music helped shape the sound of early rock ’n’ roll—and it still has plenty to teach us.
The Everly Brothers Tunes | Related Pages
Bye Bye Love | Chords + TAB
You can learn Bye Bye Love by The Everly Brothers using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| D | A | D | A |
Bye-bye love, bye-bye happiness…
Dancing In The Street | Chords + TAB
You can learn Dancing In The Street by Martha and the Vandellas using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| E7 | E7 (D/E) | E7 | E7 (D/E) |
Callin’ out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat…
Hound Dog | Chords + TAB
You can learn Hound Dog by Elvis Presley using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| N.C | C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time.
I Got A Woman | Chords + TAB
You can learn I Got A Woman by Ray Charles using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| A7 | E7 | A7 D9 | A7 |
Well, I got a woman, way over town that’s good to me, oh yeah…
Wake Up Little Susie | Chords + TAB
You can learn Wake Up Little Susie by The Everly Brothers using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| D | D | D F | G F D |
Wake up, little Susie, wake up…
The Everly Brothers on the web
