Bobbie Sue (song)
| "Bobbie Sue" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Oak Ridge Boys | ||||
| from the album Bobbie Sue | ||||
| B-side | "Live in Love" | |||
| Released | January 18, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | Autumn 1981 | |||
| Genre | Country, Pop, doo-wop, rock and roll | |||
| Length | 2:50 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriters | Jerry Lieber Mike Stoller Wood Newton Dan Tyler Adele Tyler | |||
| Producer | Ron Chancey | |||
| The Oak Ridge Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Bobbie Sue" is a song written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Wood Newton, Dan Tyler, and Adele Tyler, and recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys.[1] It was released in January of 1982 as the first single from the group's album of the same name. The song became the Oaks' sixth No. 1 single on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart.[2] "Bobbie Sue" also fared well on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 12.[3] The single was certified RIAA Gold for sales of over 500,000 units.[4]
Background
The song is styled in the vein of a late 1950s/early 1960s rock-and-roll novelty song, as evidenced by its saxophone solo during the musical bridges.
Content
"Bobbie Sue," named for the song's main character (and described as "the sweetest grape that ever grew on the vine"), pertains to an 18-year-old woman's sexual awakening. The role of the protagonist is filled by the lead singers.
After turning 18, Bobbie Sue rebels against her parents and decides to marry her boyfriend. Bobbie Sue's parents apparently disapprove of the relationship ("Her Daddy told her that she'd have to wait/Her Mama said don't make a big mistake"), but the young couple is determined to elope ("But we'll keep driving till we're out of state/And when they find us it'll be too late").
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 12 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] | 19 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Singles | 20 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Singles | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1982) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 43 |
References
- ^ "Songview – Bobbie Sue". BMI/ASCAP. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 251.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 464.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum – Bobbie Sue". RIAA. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ "The Oak Ridge Boys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Oak Ridge Boys Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Oak Ridge Boys Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Talent in Acction" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-24. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
Works cited
- Roland, Tom, "The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits." (Billboard Books, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2)).