At Just 31, Bill Withers Penned One Of The Most-Covered Songs Of All Time

Garnering his first real hit — and what was actually a B-side that outshone the lead single, 31-year-old Bill Withers created a devastating ballad that would go on to become a standard thanks to its voluminous number of cover versions. Breaking up is a process, and the world needs songs that will get them through it. For the wallowing in self-pity and cursing one's loneliness part of the journey, there's "Ain't No Sunshine," a '70s breakup song that will take every boomer back to their first heartache.

The emotions behind the song were so shockingly and palpably realistic, and Withers so effectively embodied them on the recording, that "Ain't No Sunshine" soared to No. 3 on the pop chart in 1971 and then just endured over the decades. Hundreds of singers and bands have recorded their own version of "Ain't No Sunshine," trying to relate to the material and expose it to a whole new audience. Here's how "Ain't No Sunshine" went from hit single to rank among the most covered songs of the '70s.

By the end of the 1960s, Bill Withers was in his 30s and working in a factory; his music career had stalled since his 1967 single "Three Nights and a Morning" flopped. Then Withers caught a showing of the 1962 addiction drama "Days of Wine and Roses," which led him to compose "Ain't No Sunshine." "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison," Withers told Songfacts. "Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you." Withers included "Ain't No Sunshine" on 1971's "Just As I Am," his first album. Sussex Records placed the haunting lament on the flip-side of the single "Harlem," but DJs played "Ain't No Sunshine" instead, making it a Top 5 hit.

And from that point, "Ain't No Sunshine" virtually belonged to the world: Withers' tune has been the basis of more than 530 cover versions. Almost immediately, major soul and R&B performers rushed to record it, including Betty Wright, Freddie King, and Michael Jackson. "Ain't No Sunshine" was warbled by soft rock acts throughout the 1970s and '80s, such as Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Al Jarreau, and Crystal Gayle. Stars like Paul McCartney, Sting, and Isaac Hayes incorporated "Ain't No Sunshine" in their live act, while crooners of all generations are perpetually drawn to it. Michael Bolton, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Aaron Neville, and Hanson have all given the song a shot.