1961 Rock Ballad Without a Chorus, Which Only Took 10 Minutes To Write, Became a Hit 65 Years Ago

In 1961, Roy Orbison released one of his biggest hits, "Running Scared," which was an operatic rock ballad. The song, which sold over a million copies in the United States alone, was famous for not containing a conventional chorus. Still, the song was incredibly popular, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 65 years ago today.

In a recorded interview, Orbison revealed details about the songwriting process. "It took only about ten minutes to write ‘Running Scared,'" he said. "The groundwork for the song had been done in preparation, but once you get on the road, it took virtually as long as it takes to sing and then a little touch-up here and there."

Orbison also spoke about the meaning of the song. "In writing the song, I was trying to say, in so many cases and in so many relationships… I realized you never meet a girl, a good-looking woman, who doesn't have a boyfriend already, and that bothered me," he said. "And you never run across a friend who doesn't already have friends. So then you wonder where you stand, always. So that was the statement I was trying to make."

Even Bob Dylan, who Orbison eventually teamed up with to form The Traveling Wilburys, was a fan of this hit. In his Chronicles, Volume One memoir, Dylan spoke about hearing "Running Scared" on the radio and said, "[Orbison] was now singing his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff. He sang like a professional criminal. Typically, he'd start out in some low, barely audible range, stay there a while, and then astonishingly slip into histrionics. His voice could jar a corpse, always leave you muttering to yourself something like, 'Man, I don't believe it.' His songs had songs within songs."

Related: 1986 Rock Song, Written by an Iconic English Band in a Single Day, Became a No. 1 Hit

Orbison is also known for "Crying," "Oh, Pretty Woman," and "Only the Lonely." Over the years, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys.

Orbison died in 1988 after suffering a heart attack. He was 52.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 4:43 AM.