Without You: Rolling Stone's #496 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2021)

Without You
By: Harry Nilsson
Album: Nilsson Scmilsson
Released: November 9, 1970
Songwriters: Pete Ham, Tom Evans

Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger wrote "Without You," and their band recorded it for the 1970 album, No Dice. It wasn't released as a single. Harry Nilsson covered the song for his 1971 album, Nilsson Schmilsson. His version reached Number 1 in the US and the UK.  

Billboard ranked Nilsson's track the Number 4 single of 1972. It won him the 1973 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. "Without You" was nominated for Record of the Year and Nilsson Schmilsson for Album of the Year. In 2021, this track was ranked 496 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.


Badfinger

Badfinger was the first band signed with The Beatles' label, Apple Records. After it folded, they made a deal with Warner Brothers. Paul McCartney wrote "Come and Get It" and gave it to the group. It was the first of a string of memorable hit singles, including "No Matter What," "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue." 

Badfinger
Badfinger

Warner Brothers discovered money missing from the band's account, pulled their albums, and sued them. It ended their career. Despondent over their business problems, Ham hanged himself in 1975. In 1983, Evans also hanged himself.


Mariah Carey
...the killer song of all time.
Paul McCartney on "Without You"
"Without You" has been covered by over 150 artists, including Shirley Bassey, Engelbert Humperdinck, Johnny Mathis, Heart, Air Supply, and Glen Campbell. Mariah Carey took it to Number 3 in the US in 1994. 

Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey 

Carey's version is based on Harry Nilsson's rendition rather than the Badfinger original. Nilsson died of heart failure on January 15, 1994 - the same day Carey's version was released in the US.  

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