Hit the Road Jack
{{Short description|1961 song by Percy Mayfield}}
{{About|the Ray Charles song}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Hit the Road Jack
| cover = RaCharles HTRJ.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Ray Charles
| album =
| B-side = The Danger Zone
| released = August 1961{{cite web |title=Hit the Road Jack |url=https://www.45cat.com/record/4510244 |website=45cat.com |access-date=14 April 2021}}
| recorded = June 1961
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = R&B{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Ray Charles' "Hit The Road Jack"|website= Stereogum |date= April 6, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/1990119/the-number-ones-ray-charles-hit-the-road-jack/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...“Hit The Road Jack” is a fine example. It’s an R&B song...|accessdate= June 9, 2023}}{{cite magazine|last= Billboard Staff|title= The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List|magazine= Billboard |url= https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/|date= October 19, 2023|accessdate= February 15, 2024|quote= Ray Charles getting the boot in classic R&B fashion from Raelette singer Margie Hendrix, with a scorned nation singing along.}}
| length = 2:00
| label = ABC-Paramount
| writer = Percy Mayfield
| producer = Sid Feller
| prev_title = One Mint Julep
| prev_year = 1961
| next_title = I Can’t Stop Loving You
| next_year = 1962
}}
"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by the rhythm and blues singer Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles. The song was a US number 1 hit in 1961,{{Cite web|title=Taking a crack at the history of 'Jack'|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2006/02/18/taking-a-crack-at-the-history-of-jack/|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en}} and won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, becoming one of Charles' signature songs.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-23|title=Ray Charles|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/ray-charles/10927|access-date=2022-01-17|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en}}
Background
The song was written by Percy Mayfield, who first recorded it in 1960 as an a cappella demo sent to music executive Art Rupe. It became famous after it was recorded by the singer-songwriter-pianist Ray Charles, with The Raelettes vocalist Margie Hendrix.
Charles's recording hit number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning on Monday, October 9, 1961. "Hit the Road Jack" won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. The song was number one on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks, thereby becoming Charles's sixth number-one on that chart. The song was ranked number 387 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2010 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"; it had ranked at number 377 on the original 2004 list.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407 |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2023-03-17 |date=2010-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528012033/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/ray-charles-hit-the-road-jack-19691231|archive-date=2011-05-28 |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/4 |title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2023-03-17 |date=2004-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621075825/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/4|archive-date=2008-06-21 |url-status=live}}
In 2013, the 1961 recording by Ray Charles on the ABC-Paramount label was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award|title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com|website=grammy.com}}
The Chantels released an answer song, "Well, I Told You" which charted at No. 29.{{Cite web|title=The Chantels|url=https://www.history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm|access-date=2022-01-17|website=www.history-of-rock.com}}
Charts and certifications
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" | Chart (2011)
! scope="col" | Peak |
|---|
| scope="row" {{singlechart|France|90|artist=Ray Charles|song=Hit the Road Jack|access-date=March 8, 2014}} |
{{col-2}}
=Certifications=
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|artist=Ray Charles|title=Hit the Road Jack|award=Gold|relyear=1961|certyear=2024|access-date=October 30, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|artist=Ray Charles|title=Hit the Road Jack|award=Platinum|relyear=1961|certyear=2024|note=sales since 2009|access-date=December 9, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Ray Charles|title=Hit the Road Jack|award=Platinum|access-date=December 15, 2024|relyear=1961|certyear=2024|certref={{cite web|url=https://www.radioscope.co.nz/2024/00/00/single-cert-search/|title=New Zealand single certifications – Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=December 15, 2024}}}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|artist=Ray Charles|title=Hit the Road Jack|award=Gold|relyear=1961|certyear=2024|access-date=December 15, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Ray Charles|title=Hit the Road Jack|award=Gold|relyear=2011|certyear=2024|id=17469-2088-1|access-date=October 5, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
{{col-end}}
The Stampeders version
In 1976, Canadian band the Stampeders released a version of the song taken from their album Steamin' featuring DJ Wolfman Jack. The song reached No. 6 in Canada, No. 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 41 on the US Cash Box Top 100.{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3989a.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - July 19, 1975}}{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2010|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=847|year=2011|isbn=978-0-89820-188-8}}{{cite book|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2014|publisher=Record Research}} The single features a conversation between Wolfman Jack and "Cornelius" -- the real name of Stampeders bassist Ronnie King.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Ray Charles}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hit The Road Jack}}
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:Paramount Records singles