SLAY! AWW, JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER
The shortest US #1 hit was always going to be something from the 50s or early 60s, and it’s Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs who claimed the distinction in 1960 with the pleading doo-wop hit “Stay” lasting a mere 1:36. Penned by Williams as a teenager in the early 50s, its endurance was secured with covers by the Hollies and the Four Seasons and its usage in Dirty Dancing. It was his only hit under the Zodiacs banner, but his second contribution to the doo-wop canon as he also wrote “Little Darlin’”. It was a modest success for his Gladiolas, but in a rare case of the Caucasian 50s cover being superior to the original, the Diamonds took the song to its full heights. He was 86 and a unique hit for my Poor Little Ghoul, the first time my US chart-toppers outfit has gotten a unique hit. Guess that makes me the Zodiac killer…
Maurice Williams
26 April 1938 – 5 August 2024, aged 86
💀💀💀💀💀💀 + 👻 = 10 POINTS