1962 No. 1 Pop Hit, Originally a Rejected Track, Ranked Among Best Love Songs of All Time
Before Bobby Vinton became a household name with the hit track "Blue Velvet," he was in jeopardy of losing his recording contract. The actor and singer released a love song in 1962 that would save his career and get him to the top of the charts.
Vinton was in his 30's when he released the track "Roses Are Red (My Love)" that was composed by Al Byron and Paul Evans. He had originally recorded it as an R&B number before re-recording it with a slower arrangement, strings, and a vocal choir that made it a solidified love song.
The track would leave Vinton to top the Billboard Hot 100 charts at No. 1 and on the Easy Listening Charts. It was also a major success overseas in Australia, New Zealand, and various countries outside the U.S. It kept its No. 1 ranking for four weeks and became the biggest success for Epic Records. "Roses Are Red (My Love)" was also ranked on Billboard's list of the Best Love Songs of All Time at No. 25.
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Vinton's No. 1 hit had an interesting backstory, as the track saved him from getting dropped by Epic Records. According to SongFacts, the singer was called into a meeting with the label executives after failed EPs and told Vinton he was in danger of losing his contract. The singer instead asked for a second chance as his contract still entitled him to two more songs.
While the executives stepped away, Vinton combed through a reject pile of demo tracks and stumbled upon "Roses Are Red (My Love)." He would later admit that it was "the worst sounding thing you ever heard in your life." Vinton then persuaded the executives to let him record and sing the demo as his next track, to which they agreed with a new arrangement.
During that same recording session, Vinton also recorded the second track per his contract titled "Mr. Lonely." The track was put on hold by the record label until the singer campaigned for its release two years later and topped the charts at No. 1. "Roses Are Red (My Love)" would be covered by other artists like David MacBeth and Jim Reeves.
Vinton's track also made its way to pop culture decades later when it was included in the cult classic mob film Goodfellas. The song appears when Ray Liotta's character takes his date to see Vinton perform, with Vinton's son Robbie portraying the singer.
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 12:09 PM.