Solo Season: Our Favorites from Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli in 1982
Photo Credit
Paul Natkin/Getty Images

Given that his instantly-recognizable voice helped provide The Four Seasons with their signature sound, it’s no wonder that most people associate Frankie Valli with the group that he spent so long fronting. But it’s important to remember that he had more than a few hits solely under his own name. We’ve put together a collection of eight great Valli solo singles, most of which were Top 20 hits, just to remind you how great his career was as an individual, too.

“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)” (1965): Perhaps best known as a hit single by The Walker Brothers (even though it’s been covered by a multitude of other artists over the years), this was Valli’s first single as a solo artist, and while it wasn’t a big hit by any stretch of the imagination, everybody’s got to start somewhere.

“(You’re Gonna) Hurt Yourself” (1966): Released as a single with a B-side credited to the Valli Boys, this track provided Valli with his first Top 40 hit. Granted, it stopped its chart climb at No. 39, but it still counts!

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (1967): Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, the latter one of Valli’s fellow Four Seasons, this bold, brassy track made it all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and proved to be Valli’s most successful solo single, a title it would maintain for seven years. What topped it? You’ll see soon enough.

“I Make a Fool of Myself” (1967): While this follow-up to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” couldn’t compete with the chart success of its predecessor, it did manage to make its way into the Top 20, further solidifying Valli’s status as a viable solo artist outside of The Four Seasons.

“My Eyes Adored You” (1974): Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, this song was actually recorded by The Four Seasons while Valli was still signed to Motown, but the label wasn’t interested in releasing it, so he bought the rights back from them. Efforts to release the song through Capitol and Atlantic Records both failed to materialize, but Valli did manage to get a deal with Private Stock Records, although the label requested that the song by released solely under Valli’s name. Valli acquiesced, and the end result was the first solo No. 1 hit of his career.

“Swearin’ to God” (1975): Another Bob Crewe co-write, penned with the assistance of Denny Randell, this was the second single from Valli’s 1975 album Closeup, and it provided him with a No. 6 hit on the Hot 100.

“Our Day Will Come” (1975): Originally recorded in 1962 by R&B group Ruby and The Romantics, this song was a No. 1 hit in its original incarnation. When Valli recorded it as the title track of his 1975 album, he only took it to No. 11 on the Hot 100, but it did considerably better on the adult contemporary chart, where it made it to No. 2.

“Grease” (1978): How much back story do you really need on this classic soundtrack hit? Written by Barry Gibb just for the film version of the famed ‘50’s-set Broadway musical, "Grease" provided Valli with his second No. 1 solo hit as well as a disco tune for the ages.

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