Song of the Day: Neil Sedaka, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”

Song of the Day 1 Minute

Singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka celebrates his 82nd birthday today. Wikipedia tells us "Since his music career began in 1957 as a short-lived founding member of the Tokens, he has sold millions of records as a performer and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and others, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody." He recorded his signature song, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," in 1962 and it reached #1 for two weeks that year. In 1975, he remade it as a ballad and it reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the US and Canada, #1 on the Canadian Top 100 Singles chart, and #8 on the Hot 100.

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

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31 thoughts on “Song of the Day: Neil Sedaka, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do””

  1. I wonder if any other recording artists have had #1 hits with two versions of the same song. I still have my Sedaka Is Back album. Love him.

    Love,
    Janie

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  3. I remember he had a resurgence in the late seventies I believe…Bad Blood and some other songs.

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    1. The Captain and Tennille did a couple of his songs, notably “Love Will Keep Us Together,” where at the end you can hear them sing “Sedaka’s back!” That’s what brought him back. His first hit in ten years was “Laughter in the Rain,” and of course there was the lounge version of this.

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      1. I didn’t know he wrote Love Will Keep Us Together until recently. I remember him on shows back then and I was oblivious to his past.

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  4. My parents used ot listen to Neil Sedaka, so I am very familiar with this song, although I don’t think it did brilliantly in Australia.

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  5. Hi, John!

    Thanks for saluting Neil Sedaka on his 82nd birthday, good buddy! Neil is one of my favorite recording artists and songwriters – prolific and terrific. Year after year Neil is overlooked by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee, while millions of his fans protest the injustice. Maybe in our lifetime and Neil’s the Hall will come around and recognize him as one of the architects of rock & roll – the fun, pop style of rock & roll that kids and their parents both appreciated. I remember Neil’s remake of “Breakin’ Up Is Hard To Do” but continue to favor the rockin’ original.

    Thanks again for visiting Shady’s Place and enjoy the rest of your weekend, good buddy John!

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    1. I wonder who comes up with the nominations. Not to have Neil Sedaka in the RRHoF is criminal. As many records as he’s sold, both as a performer and a songwriter? Come on! Maybe they consider him TOO commercially successful, but then how do they have Gerry Goffin and Carole King?

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    1. My guess is that they’re not that close that you could invite him to the house and he’d actually come. I’m a shirt-tail relative of Bob Newhart (his sister is married to Mom’s second cousin, I think). Neil is not just a great performer, he’s a hell of a songwriter.

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  11. Thanks John – love this one … brilliant to hear it again … what fun – good start to the day … all the best – Hilary

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