THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

250-Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers-Why Do Fools Fall in Love.

1956-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.14. The founder of Motown records Berry Gordy based much of the sound of this band on the development of Michael Jackson, and The Jackson 5, as well as many of his other Motown acts.

The group who would become Frankie Lyman & the Teenagers were formed in 1954 in Harlem, New York City, New York, United States. In total there were 24 members come and go, with the groups one constant being Herman Santiago, the group was officially retired in 2020. Frankie Lymon was born Franklin Joseph Lymon on September 30th, 1942, in New York City, United States, he died of a Heroin overdose on February 27th, 1968, at the age of 25, having been an addict since the age of 15. At the age of 13 he became the youngest person at that time to achieve a UK Number 1 single with this song, he was surpassed in 1972 by Little Jimmy Omond singing ‘Long Haired Lover from Liverpool,’ at the age of nine years and eight months, a record that still stands.

Frankie Lymon first became associated with the Puerto Rican singer Herman Santiago when they were both 12 years old in 1954, when Lymon saw Santiago singing with a ‘Doo-Wop’ group in a local talent show. Lymon and Santiago, along with Jimmy Merchant, Sherman Garnes, (1940-1977) and Joe Negroni (1940-1978) soon teamed up to become the ‘Teenagers,’ an integrated group, which included three African-American members, and two Puerto Rican members. In mid 1957 Lymon left the ‘Teenagers’ to pursue a solo career, but both his career and that of the Teenagers fell into decline. Frankie Lymon is yet another tragic story of a child star not being able to handle the pressure. It is said that he was introduced to heroin at the age of 15 by a woman twice his age, this led to his lifelong addiction. In 1966, Lymon was arrested on a heroin charge and was drafted into the United States Army in lieu of a jail sentence, he was in the army for two years where he remained clean. In 1968 Lymon was dishonourably discharged from the Army for repeatedly going AWOL to secure gigs at small clubs. He was soon signed to the ‘Big Apple’ record label, where he thought his career was finally back on track, and to celebrate he took heroin. According to his death certificate the overdose was a result from ‘acute intravenous narcotism.’ In 1998 Lymon’s life was dramatised in the film ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love.’ In 1993, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers were inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,’ and into the ‘Vocal Group Hall of Fame’ in 2000. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers have the distinction of being called ‘Rock Music’s’ first successful all-teen aged act.

The discography of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers includes one studio Album released in 1956, and 10 singles released between 1956-1957, there is also one official compilation Album, released in 1986. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, three of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ peaking the highest at Number 6, while in the UK, four of their singles have reached the top 40, with ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ peaking the highest at Number 1. The solo discography of Frankie Lymon includes four Albums released between 1956-1994, and 16 singles released between 1957-1969, of which the most successful was his cover version of ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’ in 1960, which reached Number 18 on the Billboard R&B chart.

‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ was the first of five singles released from ‘The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon,’ which was the only studio Album issued by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, from December 1956, the song was co-written by Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and Jimmy Merchant, with the production being by George Goldner (1918-1970.) The songs royalties have been the cause of constant dispute. When the song was first issued in 1956 on the ‘Gee’ record label, the labels owner George Goldner (1918-1970) added his own name to the credits, with later releases attributed to just Goldner and Lymon, leaving off Santiago and Merchant. When Goldner sold his record label to Morris Levy, (1927-1990) Levy replaced his name on the songs writing credits, removing that of Goldner. After a lengthy court battle in 1992, Santiago and Merchant were awarded the songs writing credits, but in 1996 the ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeals under the stature of limitations and authorship, because Santiago and Merchant did not bring the case to court soon enough, with the songs rights being given back to Lymon and Levy. Morris Levy had strong connections with the Mafia, he was played by Paul Mazursky (1930-2014) in the 1998 film ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love,’ and he was an inspiration for the HBO television series ‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007) character Hesh Rabkin, who made a fortune defrauding mostly R&B performers, underpaying royalties, pressing unauthorised records, and who owned lavish New Jersey horse racing stables. Levy was also portrayed by David Gianopoulos in the 1999 television film ‘Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Alan Freed Story.’

In 1981 Diana Ross (see also best songs 1001-900-519-411-365-212-183-148 and 23) recorded ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ for her first single for ‘RCA’ after leaving ‘Motown,’ taking the song to Number 4 in the UK & Number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, and earning in excess of one million in royalties worldwide. This led to legal cases being brought to court by the family of the late Frankie Lymon. Lymon had been married three times during his short life, although two of those marriages were legally dubious. Eventually Lymon’s third wife, and probably the only legal one, Emira Eagle Lymon Bryant (1939-2019) was awarded Lymon’s estate, which is depicted in the 1998 film ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love,’ where Bryant is played by the actress Lela Rochon.

Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah, oh wah, oh wah, oh wah, why do fools fall in love? Why do birds sing so gay? And lovers await the break of day, why do they fall in love?