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In 1960, Jeff Lynne encountered the best song he’s ever heard. A lifetime later he says it “probably still is”
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
Jeff Lynne is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of Electric Light Orchestra, or ELO. Roy Orbison was an American singer and songwriter whose distinctive voice and emotionally direct songs made him a major figure in popular music.
“Only the Lonely” was released in 1960 and became one of Orbison’s early hits. Lynne has spoken about hearing it as a young teenager, when he was beginning to learn guitar, and about the influence Orbison’s songwriting had on his own approach to music.
The song’s reputation also reflects a contrast in Orbison’s work: his recordings often sound mournful, while he said he wrote successful songs when he was contented. Lynne’s recollection offers a glimpse of how one artist’s music can shape another’s ambitions over a lifetime.