16 Candles (song)

"16 Candles" is a 1958 song performed by the Crests and written by Luther Dixon and Allyson R. Khent. The single was originally released in 1958 on Coed Records. (#506)

"16 Candles"
Single by The Crests
B-side	"Beside You"
Released	October 1958 (US)
Genre	Doo-wop
Label	Coed
Songwriter(s)	Luther Dixon and Allyson R. Khent

Track listing

7" vinyl

1. "16 Candles"
2. "Beside You"

Chart performance

The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price was at No. 1.^[1] "16 Candles" also went No. 4 on the US R&B chart for 21 weeks in 1959.^[2] In Canada it reached No. 5.^[3]

In popular culture

This song has appeared prominently in several 'entertainment' contexts, including at least two major Hollywood [motion picture] productions. It was an example of a typical doo-wop song in the 1973 movie American Graffiti^[4] and it had somewhat of a 'title role' in the 1984 movie Sixteen Candles.^[5]

Covers

• A cover by Jerry Lee Lewis peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1986.^[6]
• The Jackson 5 did a cover of this song for their album, Maybe Tomorrow. This cover has since been re-released along with their greatest hits albums.^[7]
• A rockabilly cover by Stray Cats was used as the title song to the eponymous movie.^[8] This version was also featured in the soundtrack of the first season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.^[9]
• A cover by Sha Na Na was performed live and recorded on their album Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll in 1973.^[10]