"When Will I Be Loved" is a classic popular song written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, who had a US top ten hit with it in 1960. Linda Ronstadt covered the song in 1975, and her version was an even bigger hit in the US peaking at number two.
The Everly Brothers scored a number 8 hit single with "When Will I Be Loved" in the summer of 1960 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track had been recorded in 1960 while the duo were contracted to Cadence Records; by 1960 they had moved to Warner Brothers and recording in a more mainstream pop/rock style than previously. The belated release by Cadence of "When Will I Be Loved" provided the Everly Brothers with a final rockabilly-style hit.
The session, produced by Archie Bleyer, took place on February 18, 1960 at the RCA Studio in Nashville. Those at the session included:
The song had its highest profile when Linda Ronstadt covered it on her album Heart Like A Wheel. This version rearranges the verses of the Everly Brothers original, transposing the first and third verses. Capitol Records was reportedly unsure whether to release "When Will I Be Loved" or "You're No Good" as the lead 45 off of Heart Like a Wheel, finally deciding to issue "You're No Good" as the premier single. "When Will I Be Loved" was issued as the second single (in March 1975) and hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June of that year, as well as number 1 in Cash Box; only the chart dominance of the year's biggest hit, "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille, prevented Ronstadt from having consecutive number 1 hit singles on the Hot 100. Billboard did afford a number 1 ranking to "When Will I Be Loved" on its C&W chart.
As Ronstadt's "When Will I Be Loved" descended the charts, its B-side, a remake of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", garnered enough airplay to chart at number 47 Pop, number 20 Adult Contemporary, and number 54 Country.
Manfred Mann included a version of the song on their number-one EP in 1966.
John Denver recorded a cover of the album on his 1966 album John Denver Sings. However, the album was not released to the general public until 2011.
In 1967 Johnny Young & Kompany reached No. 3 in Australia with "When Will I Be Loved" charted in tandem with its flip "Kiss Me Now".
Sandy Denny recorded a version of the song with Linda Thompson on the rock n' roll covers album Rock On with The Bunch in 1972. The track was also released as a single that same year.
Tanya Tucker recorded "When Will I Be Loved" for her 1975 album Tanya Tucker; the track features a harmony vocal by the song's composer, Phil Everly.
Slik has taken this song on their album Slik in 1976.
Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds released a version of the song on their 1980 EP, Nick Lowe & Dave Edmunds Sing The Everly Brothers.
The 1985 Magnum, P.I. episode "Let Me Hear the Music" features a live performance of "When Will I Be Loved" by Amanda McBroom while the "Jami McFame" episode of According to Jim (2008) features Jamison Belushi - daughter of series star James Belushi - performing the song.
Dolly Parton has performed the song live on numerous occasions, including on her 1987-88 TV series Dolly.
In the movie Cocktail (1988), Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Shue dance and sing along to the jukebox which is playing When Will I Be Loved.
Ria performed the song in the movie When Will I Be Loved (2004).
Carrie Underwood performed the song on American Idol in 2005.
John Fogerty remade "When Will I Be Loved" for his 2009 album The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again; the track is performed as a duet with Bruce Springsteen.
The Chapin Sisters remade "When Will I Be Loved" for their 2013 album release A Date with the Everly Brothers.
Versions of "When Will I Be Loved" have also been recorded by Rosemary Clooney, John Denver, The Little River Band, Gram Parsons, Sandy Posey, Ricochet, and Rockpile. Vince Gill recorded the song for the soundtrack of the 1994 movie 8 Seconds.
Martina McBride sang the song on the ACM Girls Night Out Broadcast, April 22, 2011.
In 2014, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Miranda Lambert performed the song at the Grammy Awards as a tribute to the song's writer who died in January 2014.
