| Since I Don't Have You | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the Skyliners |
| B-Side: | One Night, One Night |
| Released: | December 1958 |
| Recorded: | 1958 |
| Genre: | Doo-wop |
| Label: | Calico |
| Producer: | Joseph Rock |
| Next Title: | This I Swear |
| Next Year: | 1959 |
"Since I Don't Have You" is a song written and composed by Jackie Taylor, James Beaumont, Janet Vogel, Joseph Rock, Joe Verscharen, Lennie Martin, and Wally Lester. It was first a 1958 hit single for the doo-wop group the Skyliners on the Billboard Hot 100. Country music singer Ronnie Milsap had a hit with the song in 1991. American hard rock band Guns N' Roses also had some success in 1994 with their version of the song which reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
Taken from their self-titled album and released in late 1958, the single reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 7 on the Cash Box Top 100.[1] It was also a top five hit on the 1959 R&B chart.
| Weekly chart (1959) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 12 | |
| US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[2] | 3 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 7 |
| Year-end chart (1959) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 65 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100[4] | 41 |
| Since I Don't Have You | |
| Cover: | Since_I_Don't_Have_You_-_Don_McLean.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Don McLean |
| Album: | Chain Lightning |
| B-Side: | Your Cheatin' Heart |
| Released: | April 1981 |
| Genre: | Easy listening |
| Label: | Millennium |
| Producer: | Larry Butler |
| Prev Title: | Crying |
| Prev Year: | 1980 |
| Next Title: | It's Just the Sun |
| Next Year: | 1981 |
Don McLean's 1981 rendition reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[5] In Canada, it peaked at number two on its AC chart.[6]
| Chart (1981) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles | 45 | |
| Canada Adult Contemporary[7] | 2 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 23 | |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 6 | |
| US Billboard Country | 68 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 28 |
| Since I Don't Have You | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Ronnie Milsap |
| Album: | Back to the Grindstone |
| B-Side: | I Ain't Gonna Cry No More |
| Released: | July 13, 1991 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Label: | RCA |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | Are You Lovin' Me Like I'm Lovin' You |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Turn That Radio On |
| Next Year: | 1991 |
Country music artist Ronnie Milsap's version was a number 6 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1991.[9] The single was taken from his album Back to the Grindstone, released on RCA Nashville. It was produced by Milsap, Rob Galbraith, and Richard Landis.
| Year-end chart (1991) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[10] | 84 | |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 67 |
| Since I Don't Have You | |
| Cover: | Since I Don't Have You by Guns N' Roses US cassette artwork.jpg |
| Caption: | Standard artwork (commercial US/UK cassette single pictured) |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Guns N' Roses |
| Album: | "The Spaghetti Incident?" |
| B-Side: | "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" (LP version) |
| Released: | March 1, 1994 |
| Label: | Geffen |
| Producer: | Guns N' Roses |
| Prev Title: | Estranged |
| Prev Year: | 1993 |
| Next Title: | Sympathy for the Devil |
| Next Year: | 1994 |
The song was covered by rock band Guns N' Roses for their fifth studio album, "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993). This was Guns N' Roses' 18th single release overall, and the second single released from "The Spaghetti Incident?". The single was released in mid-1994, reaching No. 69 on the Hot 100 and the top ten in the UK. The music video features actor Gary Oldman – then a popular casting choice for Hollywood villains[12] – as a smiling demon who is constantly mocking singer Axl Rose. The video was the last to feature original members Duff McKagan and Slash as well as drummer Matt Sorum and rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke.
| Chart (1993–1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[13] | 35 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[14] | 1 |
| Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[15] | 7 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 1, 1994 | Geffen | ||
| Japan | April 21, 1994 | CD | [17] | |
| United Kingdom | May 23, 1994 | [18] |
. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 414.
