"Only Love Can Break a Heart" is the title of a popular song from 1962 (see 1962 in music) by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David (words) and Burt Bacharach (music) and appears on Pitney's album Only Love Can Break a Heart.
Pitney had enjoyed some success as a songwriter prior to breaking through as a performer in his own right. He wrote the songs "Hello Mary Lou", "Rubber Ball", and "He's a Rebel", the latter a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit for The Crystals in 1962.[1] Ironically, Pitney's success as a singer was beginning at this time, and "He's a Rebel" kept "Only Love Can Break a Heart" from topping the Billboard pop chart, where it spent one week at #2.[2] "Only Love..." did spend two weeks atop the Billboard Easy Listening chart in October and November 1962.[3] It also reached #16 on the Billboard R&B chart.[3]
Other artists have recorded cover.
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