"Tears on My Pillow" is a doo-wop song, written by Sylvester Bradford and Al Lewis in 1958 (see 1958 in music). The composition was first recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials on End Records, and was that group's debut recording under that name. Their original recording of the song became a Billboard Top 10 Pop smash, peaking at #4, and was The Imperials' first million-seller. It was also a two-sided hit, with its flip side, "Two People in the World", also becoming a major hit. Although it remains one of the Imperials' signature songs, "Tears on My Pillow" has been extensively covered, including a number-one version by Kylie Minogue in 1990 (see 1990 in music).
Early copies of the single were credited simply to "The Imperials", a group which had previously been known as "The Duponts" and "The Chesters". Brooklyn, New York deejay Alan Freed gave the group's lead singer, Anthony Gourdine, top billing while introducing the single over the air, and the moniker of "Little Anthony & the Imperials" stuck.
"Tears on My Pillow" was a #4 hit single in the United States, with its b-side, "Two People in the World", becoming a hit as well, although it did not reach the Billboard Hot 100. Selling over a million copies, "Tears on My Pillow" was the most successful single of the Imperials' doo wop period. Its success would be matched only by the Imperials' 1964 single "Goin' Out of My Head".
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