Every Little Bit Hurts

"Every Little Bit Hurts"
"Every Little Bit Hurts"
Single by Alicia Keys
from the album Unplugged
Released	January 17, 2006
Recorded	July 4, 2005
Studio	Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York, New York)
Genre	Soul
Length	4:01 (Album version); 3:58 (Radio edit);
Label	J
Songwriter(s)	Ed Cobb
Producer(s)	Alex Coletti
Alicia Keys singles chronology
Music video
	"Every Little Bit Hurts" on YouTube

"Every Little Bit Hurts"
"Every Little Bit Hurts"
Single by Spencer Davis Group
from the album Their First LP
B-side	"It Hurts Me So"
Released	5 February 1965
Genre	Pop, rock
Label	Fontana Records
Songwriter(s)	Ed Cobb
Producer(s)	Chris Blackwell
Spencer Davis Group singles chronology

"Every Little Bit Hurts"
"Every Little Bit Hurts"
Single by Brenda Holloway
from the album Every Little Bit Hurts
B-side	"Land of a Thousand Boys"
Released	March 26, 1964
Genre	Pop-soul
Length	3:17
Label	Tamla
Songwriter(s)	Ed Cobb
Producer(s)	Hal Davis, Marc Gordon
Brenda Holloway singles chronology

"Every Little Bit Hurts" was originally a 1964 hit single for Motown soul singer Brenda Holloway, written by Ed Cobb and featured on Holloway's album of the same name.^[2]

Background

Though Brenda Holloway was against recording the song again (she had recorded it in 1962 for Del-Fi before signing with Motown), she reluctantly recorded the song^[3] and the label released it in the summer of 1964 on Tamla. "Every Little Bit Hurts" was a big hit peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[4]^[5] and became one of Holloway's trademark singles.

Covers

Aretha Franklin recorded the song on her 1964 album Runnin' Out of Fools
The Spencer Davis Group version from their 1965 album Their First LP reached No. 41 on the UK singles chart in early 1965.^[6] and No. 9 in Canada in 1967.^[7]
In 1968, Small Faces recorded the song and included on The BBC Sessions LP.
Released in October 1976, it was covered by Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (lead singer of Skyhooks) as his debut solo release and peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Charts.^[8]
British band The Clash recorded a cover of the song in 1980 for Sandinista!, but the track didn't make it onto the album. It was instead released in 1991 on the box set Clash on Broadway
Etta James released the song on her collection How Strong is a Woman --- The Island Sessions in 1993.
Petula Clark
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Cilla Black
Bobby Rydell^[9]

Chart history

Brenda Holloway

Chart (1964)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[10]	13
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[11]	18

Spencer Davis Group

Chart (1965–67)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[7]	9
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[12]	2
UK Singles (OCC)^[6]	41

Graeme "Shirley" Strachan

Weekly charts

Chart (1976-77)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[8]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1976)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[13]	37
Chart (1977)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[14]	74

Alicia Keys version

"Every Little Bit Hurts" was included by American recording artist Alicia Keys on her live album, Unplugged (2005). It was released as the album's second and last single in 2006. It failed to enter the US and international charts.

Critical reception

Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine felt that Keys treated the song "like [a] vocal audition[...] and not the blank canvas[...] of an interpretive artist".^[15]

Music video

Directed by Justin Francis, the video premiered on January 17, 2006 on BET's 106 & Park.

Track listing

US promotional CD single^[16]

"Every Little Bit Hurts" (Radio Edit) – 3:58
"Every Little Bit Hurts" (Call Out Hook) – 0:10
"Every Little Bit Hurts" (Radio Edit) (MP3 format) – 3:58

References

^ Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 599. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
^ The Complete Motown Singles Vol 4: 1964 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
^ Every Little Bit Hurts. Songs With Earlier Histories.com. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 289.
^ Every Little Bit Hurts at AllMusic
^ ^a ^b "Spencer Davis Group: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
^ ^a ^b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10095." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
^ ^a ^b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ Every Little Bit Hurts. Covers. Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 20, 1964". Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 10092a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
^ "Kent Music Report No 183 – 26 December 1977 > National Top 100 Singles for 1977". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 13 June 2021 – via Imgur.com.
^ Cinquemani, Sal (2005-10-13). "Alicia Keys: Unplugged". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
^ Every Little Bit Hurts (US promotional CD single liner notes). Alicia Keys. J Records. 2005. 82876-75977-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links

Every Little Bit Hurts at Discogs (list of releases)

[Marsh_1989-1] Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 599. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.

[2] The Complete Motown Singles Vol 4: 1964 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.

[3] Every Little Bit Hurts. Songs With Earlier Histories.com. Retrieved 2 July 2025.

[4] Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 289.

[5] Every Little Bit Hurts at AllMusic

[ukcharts-6] "Spencer Davis Group: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.

[canadarpm-7] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10095." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.

[Kent-8] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[9] Every Little Bit Hurts. Covers. Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 2 July 2025.

[10] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[11] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 20, 1964". Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.

[sc_Canadaadultcontemporary_Spencer_Davis_Group-12] "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 10092a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.

[aus76-13] "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.

[kent77-14] "Kent Music Report No 183 – 26 December 1977 > National Top 100 Singles for 1977". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 13 June 2021 – via Imgur.com.

[15] Cinquemani, Sal (2005-10-13). "Alicia Keys: Unplugged". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2015-10-24.

[16] Every Little Bit Hurts (US promotional CD single liner notes). Alicia Keys. J Records. 2005. 82876-75977-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

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v t e Alicia Keys songs
Discography
Songs in A Minor	"Girlfriend" "How Come You Don't Call Me" "Fallin'" "A Woman's Worth"
The Diary of Alicia Keys	"Karma" "If I Was Your Woman / Walk On By" "You Don't Know My Name" "If I Ain't Got You" "Diary" "Golden Child"
Unplugged	"Unbreakable" "Every Little Bit Hurts" "Wild Horses" "Love It or Leave It Alone / Welcome to Jamrock"
As I Am	"Superwoman" "No One" "Like You'll Never See Me Again" "Teenage Love Affair"
The Element of Freedom	"Doesn't Mean Anything" "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" "Wait Til You See My Smile" "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" "Put It in a Love Song" "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" "We're Almost There"
Girl on Fire	"Brand New Me" "New Day" "Girl on Fire" "Fire We Make" "Tears Always Win" "Not Even the King"
Here	"Blended Family (What You Do for Love)" "In Common"
Alicia	"Show Me Love" "Time Machine" "Underdog" "So Done" "Perfect Way to Die" "Good Job" "Love Looks Better" "A Beautiful Noise" "Wasted Energy"
Keys	"Lala" "Best of Me" "Trillions" "Come for Me"
Santa Baby	"December Back 2 June" "The Christmas Song"
As featured artist	"Brotha" "Calma" "Empire State of Mind" "Fireworks" "Gangsta Lovin'" "Ghetto Story" "I Will Pray (Pregherò)" "International Party" "Looking for Paradise" "New Day" "What's Going On"
Other songs	"28 Thousand Days" "America the Beautiful" "Another Way to Die" "Back to Life" "City of Gods" "Die Without You" "Don't Give Up (Africa)" "Finally" "Lifeline" "If This World Were Mine" "It's On Again" "Kaleidoscope" "Little Drummer Girl" "My Boo" "People Get Ready" "Rapture" "Someday We'll All Be Free" "Speechless" "Us" "Wake Me Up" "We Are Here" "We Gotta Pray"
Category

v t e The Clash
Joe Strummer Mick Jones Paul Simonon Topper Headon Terry Chimes Keith Levene Rob Harper Pete Howard Nick Sheppard Vince White
Studio albums	The Clash Give 'Em Enough Rope London Calling Sandinista! Combat Rock Cut the Crap
Live albums	From Here to Eternity: Live Live at Shea Stadium
Compilations	Black Market Clash The Story of the Clash, Volume 1 1977 Revisited Clash on Broadway The Singles (1991) Super Black Market Clash The Essential Clash Singles Box The Singles (2007) Sound System The Clash Hits Back 5 Album Studio Set
Extended plays	Capital Radio The Cost of Living
Singles	"White Riot" "Remote Control" "Complete Control" "Clash City Rockers" "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" "Tommy Gun" "English Civil War" "I Fought the Law" "Groovy Times" "London Calling" "Clampdown" "Train in Vain" "Bankrobber" "The Call Up" "Hitsville U.K." "The Magnificent Seven" "This Is Radio Clash" "Know Your Rights" "Should I Stay or Should I Go" "Rock the Casbah" "Straight to Hell" "This Is England" "Return to Brixton"
Other songs	"Career Opportunities" "Capital Radio One" "Garageland" "I'm So Bored with the USA" "Janie Jones" "London's Burning" "Police and Thieves" "Jail Guitar Doors" "Brand New Cadillac" "Death or Glory" "Lost in the Supermarket" "Revolution Rock" "Rudie Can't Fail" "Spanish Bombs" "Junco Partner" "Washington Bullets" "Overpowered by Funk"
Films	Rude Boy Concert for Kampuchea Westway to the World Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten London Town
Related articles	Discography Songs Band members The 101ers London SS Public Image Ltd Big Audio Dynamite Havana 3am The Latino Rockabilly War The Pogues The Mescaleros Carbon/Silicon The Good, the Bad & the Queen Gorillaz Spirit of St. Louis Rock Against Racism The Joe Strummer Foundation Bernard Rhodes Don Letts Alex Michon Caroline Coon Sandy Pearlman Guy Stevens Kosmo Vinyl Mick Gallagher Norman Watt-Roy Tymon Dogg Mikey Dread Ellen Foley Futura 2000
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