Maybe (The Chantels song)

{{Short description|1957 single by The Chantels}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Maybe

| cover = Maybe (The Chantels record label).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Chantels

| album = We Are the Chantels

| B-side = Come My Little Baby

| released = December 1957

| recorded = October 16, 1957

| studio =

| venue = A church in Midtown Manhattan

| genre =

| length = 2:54

| label = End

| writer =

• George Goldner
• Roger "Casey" Case (credited)
• Richard Barrett (later credited)

| producer = Richard Barrett

| prev_title = He's Gone

| prev_year = 1957

| next_title = Every Night (I Pray)

| next_year = 1958

}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Maybe

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Shangri-Las

| album = Leader of the Pack

| B-side = Shout

| released = December 1964

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 2:35

| label = Red Bird

| writer = George Goldner

| producer = Shadow Morton

| prev_title = Give Him a Great Big Kiss

| prev_year = 1964

| next_title = Out in the Streets

| next_year = 1965

}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Maybe

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Three Degrees

| album =

| B-side =

| released = 1966

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length =

| label = Swan

| writer = George Goldner

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Maybe

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Janis Joplin

| album = I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!

| B-side = Work Me, Lord

| released = September 11, 1969

| recorded = June 16–26, 1969

| studio = Columbia Records Studios, New York

| genre = Blues rock

| length = 3:41

| label = Columbia

| writer = George Goldner

| producer = Gabriel Mekler

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

"Maybe" is a song with words and music originally credited to End Records owner George Goldner and "Casey". The co-writing credit was later transferred to Richard Barrett. Arlene Smith, lead singer of the Chantels, is believed to be an uncredited co-writer. The song was first recorded by the Chantels on October 16, 1957, in a doo-wop style with Barrett playing piano, and released in December 1957. It climbed the charts in January 1958, reaching No. 15 in the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 in the Billboard R&B chart. It was subsequently described as "arguably, the first true glimmering of the girl group sound".{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/maybe-mt0035238306#review |title=Maybe – The Chantels – Review |website=AllMusic |last=Thompson |first=Dave |access-date=April 5, 2025}} Rolling Stone ranked it No. 199 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.{{cite magazine |title=Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/the-chantels-maybe-20110526 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 2010}} It was also included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=0899190251|chapter=A Basic Record Library: The Fifties and Sixties|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg70/basics.php|access-date=March 16, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}

Billboard named the song No. 60 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7857816/100-greatest-girl-group-songs|work=Billboard|access-date=July 11, 2017}}

The song was also covered by the Three Degrees in 1966, Janis Joplin on her I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! album in 1969, and again by the Three Degrees in 1970.

Miguel Matute Project recorded a version in 2019 with Monica Mayen on vocals, included in the album Desde Adentro y Otros Asuntos.