# In 1960, Jeff Lynne encountered the best song he’s ever heard. A lifetime later he says it “probably still is”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1960-jeff-lynne-encountered-the-best-song-hes-ever-heard-a-lifetime-later-he-says-it-probably-still-is/
- Published: 2026-11-04T09:12:38+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T03:05:21+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jeff-lynne-1960-song-the-best-thing-hes-heard-still/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Jeff Lynne first heard “Only the Lonely” as a teenager.
- He still calls it probably the best song he has heard.
- The song helped shape his approach to songwriting.

## Summary

Jeff Lynne has said Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely” was the best song he had ever heard when he first encountered it as a teenager, and that it “probably still is”. The memory captures how a single radio broadcast helped shape Lynne’s musical ambitions and his admiration for Orbison’s expressive songwriting.

Lynne was 12 or 13 when he heard the 1960 song at home, shortly after getting his first guitar. He later described its effect as “pure magic” and said he has long aimed to simplify complex musical ideas. The article also presents Orbison’s view that he wrote successful songs when contented, even though his music could sound deeply sad.

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