The End of the World (Skeeter Davis song)

For other songs with this title, see End of the world.

"The End of the World"
Song
B-side	"Somebody Loves You", "Blueberry Hill"

"The End of the World" is a pop music hit song by Skeeter Davis that enjoyed international success in the 1960s. The record was released by RCA Records in December 1962 and reached its greatest success in March 1963, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number two on the Billboard country singles chart (Davis was a country music vocalist and the record was a crossover music success), and number one on Billboard's easy listening chart. The record also was a number four hit on Billboard's rhythm and blues chart, making Davis one of the very few white female vocalists to enjoy a top ten record on that chart. Davis' four-chart top-ten accomplishment has never been duplicated by any other artist in the history of the Billboard charts.

Although Ruby & the Romantics' hit "Our Day Will Come" kept "The End of the World" from hitting number one on the pop chart, the song's popularity and chart history earned it the number three place on Billboard's list of the year's 20 biggest hits.

The music was written by Arthur Kent with lyrics by Sylvia Dee.

Davis' recording was produced by Chet Atkins and has long been considered one of the foremost examples of the Nashville Sound of the 1960s - smooth vocals and a slick, sophisticated production appealing to audiences far beyond the traditional country music audience. The song was played at Atkins' funeral in 2001 in an instrumental performance by Marty Stuart and later, Davis' recording was broadcast over the speakers of her 2004 funeral at the Ryman Auditorium.

Davis went on to score many other country music hits as well as a few major pop crossovers, but she was forever identified with "The End of the World" and sang it at virtually every concert appearance she would make after its success.

Davis' version has been featured on the soundtracks of a number of films (including Girl, Interrupted, Riding In Cars With Boys, Daltry Calhoun, An American Affair and The Boat That Rocked) plus in the JFK assassination episode of the 2009 television series Mad Men.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by a number of artists including Anika (as a b-side to her single "Yang Yang" and on her album Anika), Mud, The Carpenters, Loretta Lynn, Herman's Hermits, Brenda Lee, Carola, Bobby Vinton, Imelda May, John Cougar Mellencamp, Johnny Mathis, Joni James, Julie London, Helen Shapiro, Eddy Arnold, Dottie West, Nancy Sinatra, Sonia, Twiggy, Claudine Longet, Agnetha Fältskog (of ABBA fame), Rivers Cuomo, Rosie Flores, Patti Page, Anne Murray, Nina Gordon, Jeff Walker (former Carcass vocalist), Girls, Vonda Shepard, Exposé, The Vanguards, Leigh Nash, Brilliant, Lobo, Lena Zavaroni Satoko Ishimine, Best Coast, Nomeansno, Lana Del Rey and others. In 2009, the song received new attention via a cover version by international Internet sensation Susan Boyle on her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream.

Chart performance

Chart (1963)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report	32
U.K. Singles Chart	18
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening	1

Sonia version

"The End of the World"
Song
B-side	"Can't Help The Way That I Feel"

In 1990, British singer Sonia covered "End of the World". The fifth and final single from her debut album, Everybody Knows, it reached number 18 in the UK, the same chart position as the original. The single's B-side "Can't Help The Way That I Feel" appeared on Sonia's debut album. This was her final single with Stock Aitken Waterman.

Formats and track listings

7" single

1. "End of the World"
2. "Can't Help the Way That I Feel"

CD single and 12" vinyl single

1. "End of the World"
2. "Can't Help the Way That I Feel"
3. "Counting Every Minute" (Tick Tock Remix)

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	18
Irish Singles Chart	18