Only the Strong Survive (song)

(Redirected from Only the Strong Survive (Jerry Butler song)) This article is about the Jerry Butler song. For other songs with the same title, see Only the Strong Survive (disambiguation). 1969 single by Jerry Butler

"Only the Strong Survive"

Single by Jerry Butler

from the album The Ice Man Cometh

B-side

"Just Because I Really Love You"

Released

February 1969

Studio

Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Genre

Soul, proto-disco

Label

Mercury (US)
Philadelphia (UK)

Songwriter(s)

Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff

Jerry Butler singles chronology

"Are You Happy"
(1968)

"Only the Strong Survive"
(1969)

"Moody Woman"
(1969)

"Only the Strong Survive" is a song written by Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and originally sung in 1968 by Jerry Butler, released on his album The Ice Man Cometh. It was the most successful single of his career, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was #1 for two weeks on the Billboard Black Singles Chart, in March and April 1969, respectively.

"Only the Strong Survive" was the first of two singles by Butler which were gold certified by the RIAA, selling over a million copies (the second was "Ain't Understanding Mellow" in 1972).

Elvis Presley (1969), Skeeter Davis (1969), Billy Paul (1977), Rod Stewart (2009) Larry Carlton (2010) and Bruce Springsteen (on his album of the same name) (2022) also recorded "Only The Strong Survive." Davis's version appeared on her album Maryfrances, released in August 1969, Presley's version on his "From Elvis in Memphis" album released in June 1969. In the UK, Billy Paul's version was released on the Philadelphia International label (PIR 5699). It entered the singles chart on November 17, 1977, had a chart life of seven weeks and a peak position of #33. Rod Stewart’s version was released as a bonus track on the UK release of his 25th studio album Soulbook reaching #9 on the UK Albums Chart.

Another version of this song was recorded by The Trammps in the Netherlands in 2003 and sounds very similar to Billy Paul's version. The song appears on the compilation album Only the Strong Survive (Sony), which oddly enough shows the remaining four group members on the cover. There is also an extended club mix of this song on this CD. The club mix was produced by Maas and Van der Weyde.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1969)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles	4
UK Singles (OCC)	33
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	4
U.S. Billboard R&B	1
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1969)	Rank
Canada	79
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	38
U.S. Cash Box	74

References

Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 95.
"Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-05-06. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
"Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 3, 1969
"RPM Top Singles of 1969". Library and Archives Canada. RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
Musicoutfitters.com
Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969

External links

Jerry Butler - Only the Strong Survive on YouTube

Bruce Springsteen songs

1970s

Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.	"Blinded by the Light" "Growin' Up" "Mary Queen of Arkansas" "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" "Lost in the Flood" "The Angel" "For You" "Spirit in the Night" "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City"
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle	"4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" "Incident on 57th Street" "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
Born to Run	"Thunder Road" "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" "Night" "Backstreets" "Born to Run" "She's the One" "Meeting Across the River" "Jungleland"
Darkness on the Edge of Town	"Badlands" "Adam Raised a Cain" "Racing in the Street" "The Promised Land" "Prove It All Night" "Darkness on the Edge of Town"

1980s

The River	"The Ties That Bind" "Sherry Darling" "Independence Day" "Hungry Heart" "Out in the Street" "The River" "Point Blank" "Cadillac Ranch" "Fade Away" "Stolen Car" "Ramrod" "Wreck on the Highway"
Nebraska	"Nebraska" "Atlantic City" "Johnny 99" "Highway Patrolman" "Open All Night" "My Father's House"
Born in the U.S.A.	"Born in the U.S.A." "Cover Me" "Darlington County" "Working on the Highway" "Downbound Train" "I'm on Fire" "No Surrender" "Bobby Jean" "I'm Goin' Down" "Glory Days" "Dancing in the Dark" "My Hometown"
Tunnel of Love	"Tougher Than the Rest" "Spare Parts" "Tunnel of Love" "Brilliant Disguise" "One Step Up"

1990s

Human Touch	"Human Touch " "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" "Pony Boy"
Lucky Town	"Better Days" "If I Should Fall Behind"
The Ghost of Tom Joad	"The Ghost of Tom Joad" "Youngstown" "The New Timer"

2000s

The Rising	"Lonesome Day" "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" "The Rising" "My City of Ruins"
Magic	"Radio Nowhere" "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" "Long Walk Home"
Working on a Dream	"Outlaw Pete" "My Lucky Day" "Working on a Dream" "The Wrestler"

2010s

Wrecking Ball	"We Take Care of Our Own" "Death to My Hometown" "Wrecking Ball" "Rocky Ground" "Land of Hope and Dreams"
High Hopes	"High Hopes" "American Skin (41 Shots)" "Just Like Fire Would" "Hunter of Invisible Game" "Dream Baby Dream"
Western Stars	"Tucson Train" "Western Stars" "There Goes My Miracle" "Hello Sunshine"

2020s

Letter to You	"Letter to You" "Last Man Standing" "The Power of Prayer" "Ghosts" "I'll See You in My Dreams"
Only the Strong Survive	"Only the Strong Survive" "Nightshift" "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" "Turn Back the Hands of Time" "When She Was My Girl" "Hey, Western Union Man" "I Wish It Would Rain" "Don't Play That Song" "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" "7 Rooms of Gloom" "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" "Someday We'll Be Together"

Other singles

Other songs

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