Topping out at number 30 on the Billboard charts circa 1961, this B-side to the bigger hit “Crying” is a rock-solid blues tune, including the requisite blues harp riffs and pentatonic guitar noodling. That may be why this one peaked at Number One. The song adds layers of guitar, drums, bass then backing vocals then, just when you think it’s about to peak, “Running Scared” turns down the anxiety via a softer bassline leading into Orbison’s fantastic ending line: a staggering “A over middle C,” sung naturally, not falsetto. This stunner starts with stabbing guitar and drums then tells the tale of a lovelorn youth, afraid that his girlfriend’s former love will return and take her away. Below is a list of some of his more notable works. He was a key part of the rock and roll’s early days and found himself with six singles peaking in the top five. In reality, this success late in life was minor compared to the bevy of chart-toppers that Orbison had from 1956 to 1964. And while each band member had a unique vocal style, there was none that could croon quite like Orbison. Songs like “Handle with Care” and “End of the Line” were radio staples in the late 1980s and early 1990s (and often included each musician singing one or two verses of the song). Many of you younger cats may only know the late Roy Orbison from his stint with the Traveling Wilburys, that supergroup that also included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty.

Roy orbison s hits