JustSheetMusic
Portrait of Roy Orbison

Composer

Roy Orbison

American musician (1936 –1988)

1936–1988

66 works in the index

Born
1936
Died
1988
Birthplace
Vernon
Citizenship / historical state
United States
Period (estimated from birth year)
Contemporary

Biography

Roy Orbison’s first big hit was “Only the Lonely,” a song that reached No. 2 on the US Billboard charts, and No. 1 in the UK, and that the magazine Rolling Stone declared one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in its 2004 listing (#232). Orbison co-wrote “Only the Lonely” with his partner, and fellow Texan, Joe Melson.

Orbison then had a string of hits lasting until “Oh, Pretty Woman” in 1964, (which would become #222 on that Rolling Stones’ list), then he gradually faded from the public eye. As Peter Lehman has written, if he had died in the 1970s, the death would have received but little attention and that only from the big city newspapers. But he lived long enough to see a revival of interest in his work, and to become a member of the Super-Group known as the Travelling Wilburys, with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments
Voice, Guitar, Piano, Vocal, violin
Genres represented
Rock, pop, Country, R&B
Works with composition dates
0 of 66

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Works page 1 of 2

Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.

Works and available sheet music details
WorkYear composedCatalogue / opusKey in titleListed instrumentsGenreEditions
Oh, Pretty Woman — —— Piano, Guitar, violin, Voice, bass, ChoirRock, Country, pop 60
Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel) — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, VocalRock, Country, R&B, pop 28
Blue Bayou — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, ChoirRock, Country, pop 25
Crying — —— Piano, Organ, Guitar, Oboe, violin, Voice, Vocal, Recorder, PiccoloRock, Country, pop 23
I Drove All Night — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 17
You Got It — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 19
Pretty Paper — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 15
It's Over — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, VocalRock, Country, pop 15
Leah — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 15
Dream You Performed by Roy Orbison — —— Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 13
Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, Vocal, SaxophoneRock, Country, pop 15
In Dreams — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 14
Claudette — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 13
Running Scared — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 12
Working For The Man — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock 10
Go, Go, Go Performed by Roy Orbison — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, VocalRock, Country, pop 9
The Comedians — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, VocalRock, Country, pop 9
Blue Angel — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 9
Indian Wedding — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 9
I'm Hurtin' — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, VocalRock, pop 8
Up Town — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 8
Ooby-Dooby — —— GuitarRock, pop 6
Falling — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 7
Blue Avenue — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 7
Ride Away — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 7
Candy Man — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 8
The Crowd — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock 7
Mean Woman Blues — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock 7
Borne On The Wind — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 6
Communication Breakdown — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 6
Crawling Back — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 6
Goodnight — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 6
A Love So Beautiful — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, pop 5
Pretty One — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 5
Twinkle Toes — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 5
(Say) You're My Girl — —— GuitarRock 5
Hound Dog Man — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 6
The Candy Man — —— VoiceRock, pop 5
Candy Man, The — —— VoiceRock 5
Uptown — —— VoiceRock, Country 5
Raining In My Heart — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock 4
Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 5
That Lovin' You Feelin' Again — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, VocalRock, Country, pop 4
Changes — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 5
See Ruby Fall — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 5
California Blue — —— Guitar, VoiceRock 4
Cry Softly Lonely One — —— GuitarRock 4
She's A Mystery To Me — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceRock, Country, pop 3

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 71578923. Portrait: Jack de Nijs for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.