Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
Encyclopedia
"Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" is a pop
song released in 1961 by Neil Sedaka
. Sedaka wrote the music and performed the song, while the lyrics were written by Howard Greenfield
. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart.
version was released on the album "30 Big Hits from the 60's" in 1964.
The Swedish
dansband
Flamingokvintetten
in 1968 recorded a cover
of the song that reached #1 in the Swedish charts Tio i topp and Kvällstoppen. They also recorded a Swedish
version of the song, named "Hon är sexton år i dag" reaching Svensktoppen
the same year.
A version called "Happy Birthday, Twenty-One" with a special lyric by Ian Whitcomb
and sung by Mae West
was released on her Great Balls of Fire album in 1972 on MGM Records
.
In 2009, Damian McGinty of Celtic Thunder
included the song on their album Take Me Home.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song released in 1961 by Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
. Sedaka wrote the music and performed the song, while the lyrics were written by Howard Greenfield
Howard Greenfield
Howard Greenfield was an American lyricist and songwriter, who for several years in the 1960s worked out of the famous Brill Building...
. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart.
Other versions
A Bobby VeeBobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
version was released on the album "30 Big Hits from the 60's" in 1964.
The Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
dansband
Dansband
Dansband is a Swedish term for a band that plays dansbandsmusik . Dansbandsmusik is often danced to in pairs. Jitterbug and foxtrot music are often included in this category. The music is primarily inspired by swing, schlager, country, jazz, and rock...
Flamingokvintetten
Flamingokvintetten
Flamingokvintetten is a Swedish dansband, founded in 1960 in Partille, Sweden....
in 1968 recorded a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song that reached #1 in the Swedish charts Tio i topp and Kvällstoppen. They also recorded a Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
version of the song, named "Hon är sexton år i dag" reaching Svensktoppen
Svensktoppen
Svensktoppen is a record chart at Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedish language. Svensktoppen has aired since 1962, except for the years 1982-1985. Svensktoppen airs once a week...
the same year.
A version called "Happy Birthday, Twenty-One" with a special lyric by Ian Whitcomb
Ian Whitcomb
Ian Whitcomb is an entertainer, singer, songwriter, author, record producer, and actor...
and sung by Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
was released on her Great Balls of Fire album in 1972 on MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
.
In 2009, Damian McGinty of Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder is a singing group composed of male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland...
included the song on their album Take Me Home.