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Misty (song)

Updated: 12/20/2025, 11:34:51 AM Wikipedia source

"Misty" is a jazz standard written and originally recorded in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. He composed it as an instrumental in the traditional 32-bar format, and recorded it on July 27, 1954 for the album Contrasts. Lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. It appeared on Johnny Mathis' 1959 album Heavenly, and this recording reached number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart later that year. It has since become one of Mathis’ signature songs. The song has been recorded by many other artists, including versions by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Ray Stevens who released a hit country version in 1975. Recordings by both Johnny Mathis and Erroll Garner have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It was ranked number 174 in the list of the Songs of the Century compiled by Recording Industry Association of America and National Endowment for the Arts.

Infobox

B-side
"The Story of Our Love"
Released
September 14, 1959
Recorded
April 9, 1959
Studio
Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City
Length
3:38
Label
Columbia
Songwriters
Johnny Burke, Erroll Garner
Producers
Mitch Miller, Al Ham

Tables

· Johnny Mathis version › Chart performance › Weekly singles
UK Singles (OCC)
UK Singles (OCC)
Chart (1959–60)
UK Singles (OCC)
Peakposition
12
US Billboard Hot 100
US Billboard Hot 100
Chart (1959–60)
US Billboard Hot 100
Peakposition
12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
Chart (1959–60)
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
Peakposition
10
Chart (1959–60)
Peakposition
UK Singles (OCC)
12
US Billboard Hot 100
12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
10
· Ray Stevens version › Chart performance › Weekly singles
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)
Chart (1975)
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)
Peakposition
11
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Chart (1975)
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Peakposition
5
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
Chart (1975)
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
Peakposition
2
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Chart (1975)
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
Peakposition
15
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
Chart (1975)
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
Peakposition
6
Euro Hit 50
Euro Hit 50
Chart (1975)
Euro Hit 50
Peakposition
9
Ireland (IRMA)
Ireland (IRMA)
Chart (1975)
Ireland (IRMA)
Peakposition
2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
Chart (1975)
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
Peakposition
11
South African Singles Chart
South African Singles Chart
Chart (1975)
South African Singles Chart
Peakposition
5
UK Singles (OCC)
UK Singles (OCC)
Chart (1975)
UK Singles (OCC)
Peakposition
2
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles
Chart (1975)
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles
Peakposition
3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Chart (1975)
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Peakposition
14
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening
Chart (1975)
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening
Peakposition
8
Chart (1975)
Peakposition
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)
11
Australia (Kent Music Report)
5
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
2
Canada Top Singles (RPM)
15
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)
6
Euro Hit 50
9
Ireland (IRMA)
2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)
11
South African Singles Chart
5
UK Singles (OCC)
2
Billboard Hot Country Singles
3
Billboard Hot 100
14
Billboard Easy Listening
8
· Ray Stevens version › Chart performance › Year-end charts
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Chart (1975)
Australia (Kent Music Report)
Rank
39
Canada RPM Top Singles
Canada RPM Top Singles
Chart (1975)
Canada RPM Top Singles
Rank
135
New Zealand
New Zealand
Chart (1975)
New Zealand
Rank
28
UK
UK
Chart (1975)
UK
Rank
23
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Chart (1975)
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Rank
91
Chart (1975)
Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)
39
Canada RPM Top Singles
135
New Zealand
28
UK
23
Billboard Hot 100
91

References

  1. (1993) The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records C4K-4
  2. Facebook
  3. The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire
    https://books.google.com/books?id=TX0_EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA297
  4. CNN
    http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/07/list.top.365.songs/
  5. Smoketown: the untold story of the other Black renaissance
  6. Morningsonmaplestreet.com
    https://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2014/11/27/making-misty-the-legendary-johnny-mathis-recording/
  7. Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings: Volume 3
    https://books.google.com/books?id=GQglDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA259
  8. Billboard
    https://books.google.com/books?id=vyEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA42
  9. Billboard
    https://books.google.com/books?id=KiMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40
  10. Billboard
    https://books.google.com/books?id=1woEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4
  11. Billboard
    https://books.google.com/books?id=TggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA29
  12. "Pop Chronicles - Show 23 - Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66. [Part 2], The Music Men. [Part 1] - 3. Track3 - Johnny Mathis, Mitch Miller"
    https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19778/m1/#track/3
  13. Grammy Awards
    https://www.grammy.com/artists/johnny-mathis/5101
  14. American Popular Song Lyricists: Oral Histories, 1920s-1960s
    https://books.google.com/books?id=mPAMSU3pEd4C&pg=PA36
  15. "Johnny Mathis: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
    https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28869/Johnny-Mathis
  16. "Johnny Mathis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
    https://www.billboard.com/artist/Johnny-Mathis/chart-history/HSI
  17. "Johnny Mathis Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
    https://www.billboard.com/artist/Johnny-Mathis/chart-history/BSI
  18. Ray Stevens - About "Misty" and Live Performance on YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wyAdBVTCjU
  19. "Ray Stevens – Misty" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
    https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Ray+Stevens&titel=Misty&cat=s
  20. "National Top 100 Singles for 1975"
    https://imgur.com/a/8a2fnGs
  21. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3979." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
    https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3979&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3979.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3979
  22. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3996a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
    https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3996a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3996a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3996a
  23. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3967." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
    https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3967&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3967.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3967
  24. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Misty". Irish Singles Chart.
    http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=1&search_type=title&placement=Misty
  25. "Ray Stevens – Misty". Top 40 Singles.
    https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Ray+Stevens&titel=Misty&cat=s
  26. "Ray Stevens: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
    https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14044/Ray-Stevens
  27. Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993
  28. Australian-charts.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
  29. Library and Archives Canada
    https://web.archive.org/web/20161006110138/http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4057b&URLjpg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2Fobj%2F028020%2Ff4%2Fnlc008388.4057b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4057b
  30. Nztop40.co.nz
    https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1975-12-31
  31. Record Mirror
    http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/1975/53%20-%20Best%20Selling%20Singles%20Albums%20Record%20Mirror.jpg
  32. "Pop Singles" Billboard December 27, 1975: Talent in Action-8
  33. The Jazz Standards
  34. BING magazine
    http://www.bingmagazine.co.uk/bingmagazine/CBS.html
  35. AllMusic
    https://www.allmusic.com/album/with-all-my-heart-mw0002464752
  36. Billboard
    https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/lesley-gore-misty-number-1-tiktok-billboard-top-50-1235579492/
  37. AllMusic
    https://www.allmusic.com/album/yeah%21%21%21-in-person-with-her-quartet-mw0000889354
  38. allmusic.com
    https://www.allmusic.com/song/misty-mt0005735111
  39. https://open.spotify.com/track/5oEJyOsT68BDRwLoQQJl6W
    https://open.spotify.com/track/5oEJyOsT68BDRwLoQQJl6W
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