"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by the

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

singer Percy Mayfield and recorded by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

. The song was a US number 1 hit in 1961, and won a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, becoming one of Charles' signature songs.

Background

The song was written by Percy Mayfield, who first recorded in 1960 as an '' a cappella'' demo sent to music executive Art Rupe. It became famous after it was recorded by the singer-songwriter-pianist

, with

The Raelettes The Raelettes (or occasionally The Raelets or The Raeletts) were an American girl group formed in 1958 to provide backing vocals for Ray Charles. They were reformed from the group The Cookies. Between 1966 and 1973, the Raelettes recorded on ...

vocalist Margie Hendrix. Charles's recording hit number one for two weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, beginning on Monday, October 9, 1961. "Hit the Road Jack" won a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. The song was number one on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks, thereby becoming Charles's sixth number-one on that chart. The song is ranked number 387 on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine's list of "

The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

". The Chantels released an answer song, "Well, I Told You" which charted at No. 29. The vocal sample and lyrics have been used in contemporary music. Both remixes and covers have added a modern context to the original song.

Charts and certifications

Charts

Certifications

The Stampeders version

In 1976, Canadian band

The Stampeders The Stampeders (sometimes shortened to Stampeders) are a Canadian rock trio consisting of lead guitarist and vocalist Rich Dodson, bassist Ronnie King and drummer Kim Berly. History Formed in Calgary, Alberta, in 1964 as the Rebounds. they ...

released a version of the song taken from their album ''Steamin featuring DJ

Wolfman Jack Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack, was an American disc jockey active from 1960 till his death in 1995. Famous for his gravelly voice, he credited it for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes ...

. The song reached No. 6 in Canada and No. 40 in the US.

References

1960 songs 1961 singles ABC Records singles The Animals songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Number-one singles in New Zealand Paramount Records singles Ray Charles songs Songs written by Percy Mayfield Male–female vocal duets {{1960s-R&B-song-stub