"Think It Over" is a

rock-and-roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African American music such as jazz, rhythm and ...

song written by

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Jerry Allison Jerry Ivan Allison (August 31, 1939 – August 22, 2022) was an American musician. He was best known as the drummer for the Crickets and co-writer of their hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue", recorded with Buddy Holly. His only solo cha ...

, and

Norman Petty Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician, record producer, publisher, and radio station owner. He is considered to be one of the founding fathers of early rock & roll. With Vi Ann Petty—his wife and vocalist—he ...

in 1958, originally recorded by the

Crickets Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets and more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 886 ...

. The record was a Top Forty hit in the U.S. and UK in 1958. Buddy Holly played lead guitar. Vi Petty, producer Norman Petty's wife, played piano on this recording.

Chart performance

In the US, "Think It Over" was released by

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History 1916–1929 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing ...

as a 45-rpm single (9-55072), reaching number 27 on the ''Billboard'' pop singles chart, and number 9 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Overseas, the song went to number 11 in the UK. The B side was "Fool's Paradise".

Personnel

*Buddy Holly - vocals, lead guitar *Jerry Allison - drums *Joe B. Mauldin - bass guitar *Vi Petty - piano *The Roses - background vocals *Norman Petty - producer

Other recordings

The song has been recorded by

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty- ...

, Paul Burch,

The Bobby Fuller Four The Bobby Fuller Four (sometimes stylized as Bobby Fuller 4) was a popular mid-1960s American rock & roll band started by Bobby Fuller. First formed in 1962 in Fuller's hometown of El Paso, Texas, the group went on to produce some of its most ...

Mickie Most Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate, Arrows, Racey and t ...

Jimmy Gilmer The Fireballs, sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, were an American rock and roll group, particularly popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s. The original line-up consisted of George Tomsco (lead guitar), Chuck T ...

, The

Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and rh ...

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis ...

Gloria Lynne Gloria Lynne (born Gloria Wilson; November 23, 1929 – October 15, 2013), also known as Gloria Alleyne, was an American jazz vocalist with a recording career spanning from 1958 to 2007. Early life Lynne was born in Harlem in 1929 to John and Ma ...

, P.J. Proby,

Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter, protest song, protest singer (or, as he preferred, "topical singer"), and Political Activist, political activist. Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic h ...

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

, Mike Berry,

Billy Swan William Lance Swan (born May 12, 1942) is an American country singer-songwriter, best known for his 1974 single " I Can Help". Background Swan was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri southeast of St. Louis on the Mississippi River. As a child, ...

and

Buzz Cason James Elmore "Buzz" Cason (November 27, 1939 – June 16, 2024) was an American rock singer, songwriter, record producer and author. Life and career James Elmore Cason was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 27, 1939. He was a founding mem ...

, and the Australian band Ol' 55 on their album ''

Take It Greasy ''Take It Greasy'' is the debut studio album to be released by Australian 1950s retro band Ol' 55. The album peaked at number 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report and was certified 3× platinum. At the time, 1950s music and culture had gained ...

'' (1976).Think It Over. Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
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References

Sources

*Amburn, Ellis (1996). ''Buddy Holly: A Biography''. St. Martin's Press. . *Bustard, Anne (2005). ''Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly''. Simon & Schuster. . *Dawson, Jim; Leigh, Spencer (1996). ''Memories of Buddy Holly''. Big Nickel Publications. . *Gerron, Peggy Sue (2008). ''Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue?'' Togi Entertainment. . *Goldrosen, John (1975). ''Buddy Holly: His Life and Music''. Popular Press. . *Goldrosen, John; Beecher, John (1996). ''Remembering Buddy: The Definitive Biography''. New York: Da Capo Press. . *Gribbin, John (2009). ''Not Fade Away: The Life and Music of Buddy Holly''. London: Icon Books. . {{Authority control 1958 songs 1958 singles Buddy Holly songs Songs written by Buddy Holly Songs written by Norman Petty Brunswick Records singles Songs written by Jerry Allison The Crickets songs